Education Specialist (Certification) Elementary Education

All students seeking certification in any field shall be required to complete a general survey course in Special Education (3 semester hours) if such a course was not a part of their undergraduate program or another graduate program. A research component including research and/or field work will be an integral part of all specialist programs in education.

A candidate who took a course for credit in a master's level program cannot take the same course for credit in the education specialist program. Completion of sixth-year programs requires at least 30 semester hours of credit not used for prior level certification in the same teaching field.

Program Admission Requirements

The candidate shall:

Meet all requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies.
Provide verification of background clearance/fingerprints.
Hold a valid master's level Professional Educator Certificate in Elementary Education.
Have had recent experience in the area of specialization.

I. Professional Courses: 12 hours

II. Teaching Field: 21 hours

Total Required: 33 hours

Note(s):

Students who have not previously met the special education requirement must take a general survey course in special education (SE 500 ).
A teacher with a valid bachelor's level Professional Educator Certificate in elementary education and a valid master's level Professional Educator Certificate in reading may be unconditionally admitted to a Class AA program in elementary education.
This program is also offered online.

Program Completion Requirements

The following requirements must be met prior to completion of the sixth-year programs.

The candidate shall:

Maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25 in all courses in the approved program as verified on an official transcript with no grade less than "C."
Make a satisfactory score on a written comprehensive examination documenting mastery of the curriculum of the teacher education program.
Demonstrate leadership ability in his or her area of specialization.
Hold a valid master's level Professional Educator Certificate in Elementary Education.

Additional Information. If an individual completes an Alabama Education Specialist program based on a master's level certificate from another state and applies for Alabama certification at the Class AA level, the individual must earn an Alabama Class A (master's level) Professional Educator Certificate prior to applying for the Class AA certificate.