M.Ed. in Secondary Education - English

Policies for the Master of Education Alternative Class A Certification

Standards, procedures, and requirements outlined here incorporate the rules of the Alabama State Department of Education and lead to certification by the state of Alabama. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that students in the College of Education be familiar with the procedures outlined here.

Alternative Class A Degree

The Master of Education Class Alternative A teacher education program is designed to allow for students to be initially certified at the Master’s level in Elementary Education, English with Secondary Education, and Social Studies with Secondary Education. This program will lead to a Master’s Degree and an initial teaching certificate and candidates must meet the minimum requirements for this degree at Faulkner University. The Alternative Class A Certificate is offered in Elementary Education, English with Secondary Education, and Social Studies with Secondary Education. Admission to this program is granted by the Teacher Education Committee and the committee has set the following criteria for admittance into the Master’s Program.

Admission Requirements

Degree

For unconditional admission, the completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher or a master’s or higher degree with a required GPA of at least 3.25, as documented on the official transcript of the degree-granting institution. This must be the GPA used to confer the degree; it cannot include any post-degree courses.  

Candidates may also qualify with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 - 2.74, but must pass the prescribed Praxis subject assessment of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program with a higher score than the state-required passing score.

An academic major or 30 semester hours (teaching field) and 18 semester hours (upper level) in an area included in Social Studies, and at least one course in each of the other listed areas in Social Studies (economics, geography, history, and political science). 

English Proficiency Test

Students whose first language is not English must also provide a passing score on the TOEFL. A score of 500 is required of all students for whom English is a second language.

Goals Statement

Applicants must submit a statement of approximately 250 words specifying personal goals for their life as a master teacher and how their teaching and influence will impact the lives of others.

Recommendation Forms

Applicants must provide recommendations from three people who are not relatives of the applicant.

Official recommendation forms can be submitted at this link.

Summary of Required Application Materials

1. Completed Application
2. Official transcripts from all schools attended
3. Must hold a valid bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university. Must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher or a Master’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
4. Personal statement of lifetime goals (250 words)
5. Three (3) recommendations
6. Passing scores from all required exams

Curriculum Requirements

The Master of Education Degree leading to Class Alternative A Certification is a 45-hour program with hours in professional studies courses and hours being offered in content courses. With a strong core and a variety of content areas, the Alternative Class A Master of Education Degree provides a broad base and specific content areas to anchor a career as a classroom teacher. There is also room for further growth if the candidate wishes to further his or her education beyond the Master’s Degree.

Course Schedules

The Alternative Master of Education Degree offers course scheduling, which will accommodate students involved in full-time professions and/or reside a considerable distance from Montgomery. Five-week courses are offered fully online.

Field and Clinical Experiences

Field and Clinical experiences are an important and integral part of the Teacher Education Program. Field experience hours are to be completed in prescribed education courses. During prescribed courses, students will obtain field experiences in diverse settings. Before admission into the Teacher Education Program, each candidate must complete required field experiences, and prior to completion of the program, students must have gained 80 hours of field experience. The experiences will provide opportunities for candidates to develop the skills essential for classroom teachers. Field experiences during courses will include instruction, tutoring, or conducting workshops for P-12 pupils. All clinical experiences are designed to be community based, service oriented, and to promote development of Teacher Education candidates’ professional skills and dispositions. The College of Education requires that its students experience a wide variety of clinical experiences, which include students with exceptionalities and students from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic groups.

Teacher Education Program Admission

Upon unconditional admission to the Alternative Class A Master’s Program, candidates receive automatic admission to the Teacher Education Program. 

Internship Entry Requirements

Candidates should apply for admission to the Internship Program by submitting a formal application by the announced deadline at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. 

Application forms for admission into the Internship Program are available from the College of Education Office. All applicants must complete various deadlines throughout the rest of the semester of application culminating in a formal interview by the Certification Officer. All Candidates must submit their Internship Program application requirements to the Certification Officer of the College of Education for processing. 

Demonstration of the following criteria must occur before the conclusion of the semester of application to Internship:  

1. Submission of the Internship Application. 

2. A minimum earned GPA of 3.25 in the following areas: 

1. Professional Studies Courses 

2. Teaching Field Courses   

3. Overall 

3. Official passing test score results from the appropriate Praxis II Content test for all Alternative Class A candidates or required coursework must be on file with the College of Education. 

4. Successful completion of the entire degree plan except the Internship and the Capstone experience. 

5. Submission and approval of the required number of hours of documented clinical experiences showing completion of the requirements related to diversity. 

6. Candidates who completed a special education survey course at another institution prior to admission into this program must take Faulkner University’s special education and diversity courses (FED 6342 Multicultural Education or FED 6345 Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners). 

7. Active membership in SAEA (or other education liability insurance). 

8. Formal interview with the Certification Officer or the College of Education’s Director of Graduate Studies. 

9. Formal approval by the College of Education faculty members and the Teacher Education Committee. 

Applicants who do not meet all the requirements will not receive approval. Any Teacher Candidates receiving a rejection of their application must reapply for the following eligible semester.

Graduation Requirements

The following requirements are necessary to complete the Alternative Class A program. 

1. A minimum GPA of 3.25 on all courses used to meet the requirements on the approved program checklist for Alabama State Board of Education educator preparation program. 

2. Completion of the required number of hours of clinical experiences. 

3. Completion of all ALSDE Teacher Certification requirements, including a passing score on the AECAP exams, successful completion of edTPA, and all the proper paperwork (including fingerprinting and ALSDE background check). 

4. Completion of all institutional requirements for graduation (i.e., filing proper forms with the Registrar’s Office, clearance with the Financial Aid Office, and clearance with the Business Office). This includes an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution documenting the candidate’s bachelor’s degree. 

5. Completion and final approval of the internship portfolio, which shows evidence of competencies and completion of the above requirements. The candidate’s completed portfolio will hold all course artifacts. 

6. Satisfactory ratings on dispositional forms from professors for each education course taken. 

Certification

Upon program completion and successful ratings during the Internship, the candidate will apply for certification in the State of Alabama. For candidates seeking certification in two or more distinct teaching fields, there is an added internship experience requirement (such as physical education AND biology). Successful completion of an approved Teacher Education Program and satisfactory scores on the ALSDE Educator Testing requirement qualify a candidate for a Class A Certificate. The application for Class A Certification is available from the College of Education during the Internship. The completed application, official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution documenting an earned bachelor’s degree, a money order from the candidate in the amount of $38 or online payment, and verification of successful completion of an approved Teacher Education Program (as described above in Graduation Requirements) are submitted by the College of Education to the ALSDE when all requirements have been satisfied. 

Prior to the completion of the program (during the Internship semester), candidates will apply for graduation and can request an official transcript with degree confirmation.  

Licensure and/or Certification Note

This program leads to licensure and or certification. For more information regarding licensure or certification in your state, please see the link below: https://www.faulkner.edu/consumer-information/state-authorization/

Programs of Study

The M.Ed. (Alternative Class A Certification) consists of 45 semester hours. The College of Education will provide the ALSDE-approved checklist for the chosen program of study.

Field experience hours are built into required education courses within the Teacher Education Program.