Specialist in Education: Educational Administration (P-12) Emphasis
Admission
Admission to The University of Southern Mississippi’s graduate programs in educational leadership and school counseling is selective. Regular admission is contingent on having graduated with a master’s degree from a college or university accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency. In addition, the department’s Admissions Committee recommends admittance only for those applicants whose academic background, work experience, demonstrated leadership, and communication skills meet the challenging demands of graduate programs in educational leadership. In evaluating applications, the admission committees utilize separate criteria in each degree program offered.
| Certification/ licensure in education field |
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| Documentation of a minimum of three years of successful teaching experience |
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| Three letters of recommendation |
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one from the immediate supervisor |
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plus two additional letters from persons qualified |
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to assess the applicant’s readiness for graduate study |
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| GPA on previous graduate degree |
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| GRE - Verbal, Quantitative, Writing (within past 5 years) official scores |
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| Writing exam |
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| Resumé |
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| Letter of Intent |
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| Portfolio |
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| Interview |
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Supplementary Criteria*
*Supplementary material may be submitted at the student’s discretion or may be requested by the admissions committee.
Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application for Graduation
Graduation is based upon
- completion of an approved program of studies as determined by the student’s committee which will consist of 36-39 semester hours of credit, including an internship;
- satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination;
- successful defense of the research project or completion of the field problem; and
- a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Students must meet the requirements specified in the front section of this Bulletin for continuous enrollment.
Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study form to the Graduate School by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plans of Study” link.
Research and Scholarly Integrity Education (RSIE)
All graduate students must complete CITI training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RSIE policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page –www.usm.edu/graduate-school. Contact the Integrity Assurance Program Manager at (601) 266-5997 or www.usm.edu/orix if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.
Programs
Students accepted into the program pursue either a building level or district level plan of study depending on their educational certification. The building level program is for students who are currently not certified/licensed as educational administrators. The district level program is for students who are certified/licensed as educational administrators.
