Application Deadlines
Applications for this program are accepted throughout the year in fall, spring, and summer.
Application Materials Required for the MSE in Secondary Education: Family and Consumer Sciences 6-12
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 all colleges/universities with degrees posted. 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.)
- Valid Bachelor’s-level professional educator certificate in Family and Consumer Sciences. All certificate(s) must be valid throughout the program and at graduation.
- Background check1. Any candidate applying for admission to a state approved teacher education program shall be required to be fingerprinted for a criminal history background check through the Alabama State Department of Education to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Instructions for completing the background process can be found here.
- International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
| 1 | If the candidate holds a valid Alabama professional educator certificate and has already completed a background check through that process, another background check will not be required. |
Admission Requirements for the MSE in Secondary Education: Family and Consumer Sciences 6-12
Applicants are admitted on a selective basis upon review of the completed application package.
With departmental approval, applicants may be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate coursework while completing general application procedure requirements. Applicants must achieve unconditional admission within one semester.
Minimum Requirements for the MSE in Secondary Education: Family and Consumer Sciences 6-12
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.
Students pursuing the Master of Science in Education degree may not count 400-level graduate courses toward the degree. All coursework for the Master of Science in Education must be taken at the 500-level.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| ED 500 | Introduction to Graduate Education and Technology (Discipline specific section required first semester of enrollment) | 1 |
| EFD 560 | Psychological Principles of Learning | 3 |
| ESE 500 | Research and Statistics in Secondary Education | 3 |
| ESE 502 | Curriculum Development in Secondary Schools | 3 |
| ESE 567 | Literacy Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EAD 564 | Law and Politics of Education | 3 |
| Teaching Field Requirements | ||
| Select twelve graduate semester hours 1 | 12 | |
| Diversity Requirement | ||
| SPE 500 | Survey Course in Special Education 2 | 3 |
| or EFD 552 | Diversity Issues in Education | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
31 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree
| 1 | By faculty advisement, select 12 graduate semester hours in Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) and/or Career & Technical education (CTE). All 12 teaching field hours for this degree shall be 500-level. A student may transfer no more than three semester hours in the teaching field. |
| 2 | SPE 500 Survey Course in Special Education (3) is required unless SPE 300 Survey of Exceptional Children and Youth (3) was taken at the undergraduate or graduate level. If SPE 300 Survey of Exceptional Children and Youth (3) has already been taken at the undergraduate or graduate level, candidates must choose EFD 552 Diversity Issues in Education (3) to satisfy the diversity program requirement. |
Graduation and Comprehensive Exam
No comprehensive exam is required for this degree. 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 Family and Consumer Science 6-12.
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 Teacher Education Services, 207 Ramona Wood Hall, 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. Please see the Alabama Certification Instructions on the Teacher Education Services.
- Recommendation for certification must be made within 60 months of program completion. Recommendation after 60 months requires completion of a current program.