Alternative Class A Programs are for students who completed a non-teaching degree or for students who want to change teaching fields. Completion of the Alternative Class A program leads to the Master’s degree and recommendation for Master’s-level Alabama Class A professional educator certification.
Application Deadlines
Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 1 | Fall Admission |
| November 1 | Spring Admission |
| April 1 | Summer Admission |
Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the respective graduate program chair.
Application Materials Required for the Alternative Class A Program MA with a Major in Music Education P-12 (Vocal-Choral)
Applicants for a master’s degree education program must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions to be considered for admission:
Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama, 36265-1602
- Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
- Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
- Official transcripts from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution and all transcripts from institutions where post-baccalaureate work has been completed. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.)
Applicants must hold a 2.00 GPA1 on the most recent undergraduate degree or a 3.00 GPA on the most recent master’s degree. This GPA must be documented on the official transcript of the degree-granting regionally accredited institution and must be the GPA that was used as the basis for granting the degree. - If a degree was earned outside the United States, the student must provide a course-by-course and credit hour-by-credit hour degree evaluation prepared by a state-approved agency:
- Center for Applied Research, Evaluation and Education, Inc.
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
- International Consultants of Delaware
- International Education Evaluations, Inc.
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
- Josef Silny and Associates, Inc.
- World Education Services
- Please see the ALSDE website for full details.
- International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
- Alternative Class A Transcript Evaluation. Once transcripts have been received, applicants must contact Teacher Education Services at (256) 782-5574 for an individual evaluation concerning undergraduate course deficiencies and teacher education program eligibility requirements prior to registration for coursework.
- Applicants must take the graduate music diagnostic exam given by the Music Department. The examination requires students to demonstrate competence in the theory of music, knowledge of the history and literature of music, and an applied music audition.
| 1 | Applicants with below a 2.50 GPA will have additional requirements that will be assessed at the Alternative Class A Transcript Evaluation. |
Admission Requirements for the Alternative Class A Program MA with a Major in Music Education P-12 (Vocal-Choral)
Applicants are admitted on a selective basis upon review of the completed application package.
Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.
Minimum Requirements for the MA with a Major in Music Education P-12 (Vocal-Choral)
An overall 3.25 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.25.
At least one-half of the graduate courses taken in the teaching field must be numbered 500, and no more than three hours in the teaching field may be transferred to JSU.
Non-Thesis Option
A minimum of 32 graduate semester hours, including the successful completion of a comprehensive exam. The 32 graduate semester hours for the non-thesis option will include the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Music Teaching Field Courses | ||
| MU 509 | Seminar in Choral Music | 3 |
| MU 511 | Research Methods in Music and Music Education | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Music Literature: Renaissance and Baroque Eras | ||
| Music Literatures: Classic Era | ||
| Music Literature: Romantic Era | ||
| Music Literature: Contemporary Era | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Music Theory: Style Analysis | ||
| Music Theory: Style Analysis | ||
| Select four hours of the following: | 4 | |
| Advanced Conducting | ||
| Vocal Pedagogy | ||
| Individual Applied Music | ||
| Individual Applied Music | ||
| Graduate Ensemble | ||
| Required Education and Music Courses | ||
| ED 500 | Introduction to Graduate Education and Technology | 1 |
| ESE 561 | Foundations of Secondary Education | 3 |
| ESE 567 | Literacy Theory and Practice | 3 |
| MU 545 | Evaluation in Music | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey Course in Special Education 1 | ||
or MU 575 | Pedagogy of World Music | |
or EFD 552 | Diversity Issues in Education | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 semester hours of approved Music Electives by Advisement | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
32 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree
Thesis Option
A minimum of 35 graduate semester hours, including the successful completion of an acceptable thesis. The 35 graduate semester hours for the thesis option will include the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Music Teaching Field Courses | ||
| MU 509 | Seminar in Choral Music | 3 |
| MU 511 | Research Methods in Music and Music Education | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Music Literature: Contemporary Era | ||
| Music Literature: Renaissance and Baroque Eras | ||
| Music Literatures: Classic Era | ||
| Music Literature: Romantic Era | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Music Theory: Style Analysis | ||
| Music Theory: Style Analysis | ||
| Select four hours of the following: | 4 | |
| Advanced Conducting | ||
| Vocal Pedagogy | ||
| Individual Applied Music | ||
| Individual Applied Music | ||
| Graduate Ensemble | ||
| Required Education and Music Courses | ||
| ED 500 | Introduction to Graduate Education and Technology | 1 |
| ESE 561 | Foundations of Secondary Education | 3 |
| ESE 567 | Literacy Theory and Practice | 3 |
| SPE 500 | Survey Course in Special Education 1 | 3 |
| or MU 575 | Pedagogy of World Music | |
| or EFD 552 | Diversity Issues in Education | |
| MU 545 | Evaluation in Music | 3 |
| Thesis Option | 6 | |
| Must complete the following for a total of six semester hours: | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 35 | |
35 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree
- 1
Students who have not previously satisfied the special education requirement at the undergraduate or graduate level must take SPE 500 Survey Course in Special Education (3). If students have previously satisfied the special education requirement at the undergraduate or graduate level, they must take MU 575 Pedagogy of World Music (3) or EFD 552 Diversity Issues in Education (3)
Graduation and Comprehensive Exam
A comprehensive exam is required for this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.
Completion of this program leads to eligibility for Master’s-level professional educator certification in Music/Vocal-Choral (P-12).
Please Note: Teacher education programs are approved by the Alabama State Board of Education and are, therefore, subject to periodic revision resulting from changes in State certification requirements. Subsequently, modifications in students’ programs may become necessary. Students in all graduate level teacher education programs must schedule their coursework each semester with approval of their faculty advisors.
Alabama Class A Professional Educator Certification Requirements
Issuance of Alabama professional educator certificates is the legal responsibility of the Alabama State Department of Education. Universities cannot issue a professional certificate. To be eligible to apply for certification, a student must complete an appropriate program of study at a college or university which has been approved by the State Board of Education to offer a program leading to the desired certificate. When a student completes the program of study, the institution recommends to the State Department of Education that the appropriate certificate be issued.
- Alabama State Department of Education regulations are subject to change; therefore, it is recommended that students apply for certification upon graduation. During their last semester of coursework, students should contact the Certification Office of the Department of Accreditation, Certification and Partnership Initiatives, CEPS Complex, Pod 4, Room 405, for information about this process. The university cannot recommend any student for certification who has not satisfied all state and university requirements for admission to and completion of an approved program.
- Recommendation for certification must be made within 60 months of program completion. Recommendation after 60 months requires completion of current program requirements.