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: Biology 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 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.)
- Valid Bachelor’s-level professional educator certificate in Biology. 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.
- Three Graduate Reference Forms completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate coursework. Reference forms will be submitted electronically. Instructions for submission will be sent through email to the applicant upon submission of the online graduate application.
- 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: Biology 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.
Minimum Requirements for the MSE in Secondary Education: Biology 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.
All professional studies courses in graduate-level programs must be at the 500 level. All programs require 500-level courses in the teaching field; however, Secondary Education students must take half or more of their teaching courses at the 500-level according to the AL Code of Educator Preparation 290-3-02 (6)(a)5. Remaining teaching field courses may be taken at the 400 graduate level.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| ED 500 | Introduction to Graduate Education and Technology (Discipline specific section required first semester of enrollment) | 1 |
| ESE 500 | Research and Statistics in Secondary Education | 3 |
| ESE 502 | Curriculum Development in Secondary Schools | 3 |
| EFD 560 | Psychological Principles of Learning | 3 |
| ESE 567 | Literacy Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ESE 573 | Critical Inquiry in Biology and General Science | 3 |
| EAD 564 | Law and Politics of Education | 3 |
| Teaching Field Requirements | ||
| Select twelve graduate semester hours in biology 1 | 12 | |
| Diversity Requirement | ||
| SPE 500 | Survey Course in Special Education 2 | 3 |
| or EFD 552 | Diversity Issues in Education | |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
34 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree
| 1 | By faculty advisement, select 12 graduate semester hours in biology. At least six of the 12 semester hours selected must be numbered at the 500 level, and no more than three hours in the teaching field may be transferred to JSU. |
| 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 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 in Biology 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 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.