Master of Education
and
Master of Science in Education

Admission to Master of Education
Master of Science in Education Degrees
Degree Admission

Applicants for admission to the Master of Education or Master of Science in Education degree program must submit a completed application form and request each college which they have attended to send complete official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) directly to the Registrar's Office.

Unconditional Admission

1. Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

2. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (on a four-point scale) or a grade point average of 3.00 on the final thirty hours of undergraduate work.

Conditional Admission

Applicants who fail to meet the grade point criteria specified for unconditional admission may be admitted to earn a maximum of twelve semester hours. To remove this condition, the student must earn a "B" average on the first twelve hours of graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University. Applicants who have satisfactory academic records at unaccredited colleges are also eligible for admission under these conditions, although in some instances transcripts might be declared deficient. In such cases the applicants would be assessed a maximum of thirty hours to be completed before being admitted to graduate study.

Academic Advisors

The academic advising process for degree students begins at the time that the student is admitted to graduate study. When the student is admitted, the student's department head invites him/her to come for an advising and orientation session at the student's earliest convenience. When the student meets with the department head, he/she is given an orientation, a master's degree program check-off list (outlines all major steps in completing the degree), and a degree plan outline (list of courses to be completed). This initial advising session ensures that the student is informed of all degree requirements, policies, and procedures; is familiar with the department and the department head; and is assigned to an advisor (usually the department head). Subsequently, the academic advisor and the Office of Graduate Studies monitor the student's progress as he/she progresses through the program.

The graduate academic advisor is responsible for:

1. Helping the student plan a balanced program of graduate work adapted to the student's particular interests, needs, and abilities;

2. Advising and assisting the student during the completion of the requirements for the degree;

3. Assisting the student in preparing a thesis or action research project; and

4. Ensuring that the student is aware of assistance and services provided for graduate students by the various University offices.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the master's degree will be granted when unconditional admission to graduate study has been awarded and twelve semester hours of graduate study have been completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.00. Students who do not submit an "Application for Admission to Candidacy" prior to the end of the semester in which the student becomes eligible will not be allowed to register for subsequent graduate classes. An application for admission to the teacher education program must be submitted with the application for admission to candidacy (does not apply to students in the non-teaching option of the instructional technology area of specialization).

Admission to Teacher Education Program

Students pursuing the degrees of Master of Education and Master of Science in Education must apply for admission to the teacher education program after completion of twelve semester hours of graduate course work, using the form "Application for Admission to the Teacher Education Program." The completed form is to be sent to the Director of Teacher Education. An application for admission to candidacy must be submitted with the application for admission to the teacher education program.

To be eligible for admission to the teacher education program, the student must have completed twelve semester hours with a grade point average of at least 3.00, have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have GRE scores on file in the Office of Graduate Studies, and have completed the course EDFD 6003, Educational Research.

Admission to the teacher education program will place emphasis upon selective retention in the program. Specifically, Arkansas Tech will endeavor to select those individuals who have sufficient intellectual, emotional, and social strengths to work effectively in the classroom. The University may require one or more interviews, letters of recommendation, and visitations prior to determining a student's eligibility for candidacy.

General Requirements
For
Master of Education
and Master of Science in Education Degrees

1. Thirty-six semester hours must be completed, 18 of which must be at the 6000 level.

2. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be completed and official scores on file in the Office of Graduate Studies.

3. A core requirement in professional education (at least 18 semester hours) must be completed.

4. An approved thesis or action research project must be successfully completed.

5. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 must be achieved in all graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University, with a maximum of 6 hours of "C" grades. A student receiving 6 hours of "C" grades or 3 hours of "F" grades is subject to dismissal from the graduate program. Grades lower than "C" will not be counted toward degree requirements.

6. Twenty-seven hours of graduate work must be taken while in residence at Arkansas Tech University. Full-time residence is not required.

7. The master's degree program must be completed within six years from the time of unconditional or conditional admission to the graduate program.

8. For the Master of Education degree, work counting toward the requirements for one master's degree may not be applied toward requirements for another master's degree. For the Master of Science in Education in gifted education, a maximum of six semester hours from another master's degree may be transferred, provided that the course(s) is an appropriate substitute for a course(s) offered by Arkansas Tech University.

Special Conditions of Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University. A maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred from an accredited graduate school if deemed appropriate to the graduate program by the head of the student's major department, the Director of Teacher Education, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students must send a written request to the head of their major department to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate program. Graduate credit earned six years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without the approval of the appropriate department head, the Director of Teacher Education, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Credits earned by correspondence courses or for remedial purposes will not apply toward the graduate degree. No undergraduate course may be repeated for graduate credit. Graduate courses taken to fulfill initial certification requirements for a standard six-year certificate will not be counted toward a master's degree.

Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University. If, after admission to graduate study at Arkansas Tech, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree requirements at Arkansas Tech, the student must, in advance of enrollment, obtain written approval from the head of the student's major department, the Director of Teacher Education, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Action Research Project

All candidates for a M.ED. or M.S.E. degree must complete an action research project related to their major/specialization. The faculty director for the action research project will be assigned by the Director of Teacher Education. Under unusual circumstances, a written comprehensive exam may be used to replace the action research project. Any request for this substitution should be made to the Director of Teacher Education (Crabaugh, Room 204).

Master's Thesis

Candidates who prepare a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirement for a master's degree must exhibit the capabilities of gathering, organizing, evaluating, and reporting data which are pertinent to the topic of investigation. These candidates must successfully complete EDFD 6003, Educational Research, or its equivalent, prior to enrolling for thesis credit.

All theses must be written in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the thesis writing guide "Instructions for the Preparation of the Master's Thesis." This guide may be obtained at the Office of Graduate Studies or the candidate's major department.

The candidate's thesis committee will be appointed by the Director of Teacher Education in consultation with the student's department head. Once the general area of research is determined through conference with the advisor(s), the student begins the process necessary for preparation of the thesis. Under the direction of the committee, the student prepares and submits a thesis plan for approval to the Dean of Graduate Studies via the department head and Director of Teacher Education.

Once formal approval of the thesis plan is obtained, the student enrolls for thesis credit. Elementary education majors will enroll for ELED 6996 and secondary education majors will enroll for SEED 6993 and the thesis research course (6993) in his/her area of specialization. Six hours of credit are granted upon the acceptance of the thesis by the Dean of Graduate Studies. If the student does not complete the thesis (6993/6) during the semester(s) of enrollment, he/she must register for ELED 6991 or SEED 6991, as appropriate, during subsequent semesters in which he/she is receiving faculty assistance with the thesis and/or using University library facilities.

The thesis may be completed at any time after the student has been admitted to candidacy for the degree. However, the thesis committee must receive the thesis at least six weeks before the degree is to be conferred. The final copies of the thesis and abstract, in acceptable form, along with a report of the oral examination, must be filed with the Dean of Graduate Studies no later than the close of the work day which precedes the date of graduation by two weeks.

Two copies of the thesis are required. The first copy is for the library; the second copy is for the major department. Additionally, a third copy may be submitted if the student would like a bound copy for personal retention. The cost of thesis binding will be borne by the student. Authentic signatures (not photocopies) by each member of the student's advisory committee are required on each approval sheet submitted with the thesis (see sample approval sheet on page 39).

Each candidate shall prepare a thesis abstract of not more than 350 words. Three copies of the abstract will be submitted with the two copies of the thesis. If three copies of the thesis are submitted, an additional copy of the abstract will be needed.

An oral defense of the thesis is required. It will be conducted by the thesis committee. The Dean of Graduate Studies will be notified by the committee, in writing, when the student has passed the oral defense. The oral defense of the thesis must be passed at least three weeks before the degree is conferred.