College of Health

Michael Forster, Dean
Kathy Yadrick, Associate Dean
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
601.266.5253
www.usm.edu/health

Mission

The mission of the College of Health is to create, apply and transmit expert knowledge, within and across the domains of its constituent disciplines, for the well-being and betterment of individuals, community, state, nation and world.

Vision

The vision of the College of Health is advancing health and well-being through excellence and innovation in teaching, research and service.

Organization and Administration

Dean’s Office

The dean is the chief administrative officer of the College of Health and is responsible for its operation and relations with all stakeholders. The associate dean and assistants to the dean coordinate curriculum, research, external relations and a variety of administrative matters.

Academic and Research Units

The academic units comprising the College of Health include community health sciences, human performance and recreation, medical laboratory science, nutrition and food systems, social work, and speech and hearing sciences. In addition, centers housed in the College of Health include the Delta/Obesity Prevention Research Initiative Unit and the Center on Aging. In addition, major service programs in the College of Health include the Dubard School for Language Disorders, the Children’s Center for Communication and Development and the Family Network Partnership.

Academic units offer undergraduate and graduate academic programs consistent with the College’s mission statement. Each academic unit is responsible for maintaining its associated student files for academic advisement of its majors. Since curricular requirements vary for each major, students desiring degrees from the College of Health should follow the courses outlined by each unit. Detailed information on individual curricula of the six units follows. Note that a number of programs within the College must meet criteria of accrediting agencies and thus may have additional application procedures or admission requirements beyond those of the university. Most programs within the College require students to have valid professional liability insurance purchased through fees assessed each semester by the university. Please consult the administrators of the individual units to obtain specific information.

Clinical and field experiences may require a criminal background check. A felony conviction may disqualify a candidate from participating in the experience, thereby making the candidate unable to obtain a teaching license. For additional information, contact the academic unit that houses the program. Any fees incurred are the responsibility of the candidate.

Teacher Education Programs and Requirements

The College of Health offers teacher preparation (licensure) programs in two disciplines. Students can pursue teacher certification in K-12 physical education through the School of Human Performance and Recreation, or K-12 certification in education of the deaf through the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. These programs are fully accredited.

Before applying for admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met: (1) an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, with no scale score below 18, or an SAT of 860 (verbal and quantitative) upon entrance into college or acceptable scores on the Praxis I subscales computerized PPST: Reading (170), Writing (172) and Mathematics (169), or on the Praxis I (CBT): Reading (316), Writing (318) and Mathematics (314); (2) a minimum grade point average on the 44-semester-hour general education core curriculum of 2.65; (3) a C or better in freshman English Composition I and II; (4) successful completion of the Basic Technology Literacy Exam (BTLE) or IC3 certification; (5) good academic standing at Southern Miss; (6) clear background check via the system selected by the Southern Miss Professional Education Council.

Each Southern Miss student who applies for admission to a teacher education program must undergo a background check when applying for the Gold Card. Students who pass the background checking process will be issued a background check badge and considered eligible for admission to teacher education pending satisfaction of other admission requirements. Teacher candidates issued Gold Cards prior to fall 2009 and currently enrolled in Southern Miss teacher education programs, as well as Southern Miss students enrolled in a teacher education field or clinical experiences that do not require a Gold Card, must also undergo a background check as part of the university policy.

After admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met to continue in the program: (1) All candidates must subscribe to the Tk20 Assessment System. Tk20 provides an electronic portfolio and storage system for students as well as tracks, stores, retrieves and analyzes data for accreditation purposes. (2) A grade of C or better in all content courses in the academic major as well as all professional education courses with an overall grade point average of 2.50; (3) fulfillment of major requirements in subject area; (4) completion of professional education courses required by the major; (5) take Praxis II content and PLT tests and have scores reported to Southern Miss (code #1479) prior to graduation.

A minimum of 30 clock hours of clinical experience is required prior to teacher candidacy (15 hours of observation and 15 hours of practicum). Specific programs may require more practicum hours.

Requirements for professional education programs are subject to modification. For current program information, students should contact the university’s Educator Licensure Office, 121-B Owings-McQuagge Hall; 601.266.5522.

Mississippi Department of Education licensure requirements supersede the program requirements listed in the Bulletin. Mandated changes in program requirements will be communicated through the candidate’s department.

Degree Plans and Semester-by-Semester Guides