The graduate program is designed to develop those advanced competencies in leadership and instruction that will enable individuals to demonstrate analytical processes in the teaching/learning environment and procedures of educational research and its application.

Admission to Masters Program

In determining an applicant’s eligibility for admission to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the following are required:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency equivalent to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
2. An overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent; and 
3. Three letters of recommendation.

Students who fail to meet the criteria for regular admission may be admitted in a conditional or non-degree seeking status. Such students are not entitled to pursue a degree in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction until they receive unconditional admission.

Students who fail to satisfy the admission GPA minimum may not enroll in more than six (6) semester hours of graduate work per term and may not enroll in more than 12 semester hours cumulative while in this category.  Students admitted conditionally or as non-degree may attain unconditional status by achieving a 3.0 GPA for the first 12 hours of graduate work.

Completion of Entrance Requirements

Students enrolled in conditionally may take no more than 12 semester hours prior to attainment of unconditional admission, and must attain unconditional status within four school terms from the time of their first enrollment (three regular and one summer semester). If the unconditional status has not been attained within that time frame; the student will be dismissed from the program. Conditionally admitted students may withdraw from no more than three courses during their initial probationary status. Unconditional admission will require the completion of all university requirements.

Transfer Credit

Either transfer or continuing students may transfer credit from other universities to Prairie View A&M University; however, the grade of “C” will not be accepted for transfer credit. Additional guidelines are indicated below:

1. Transfer students newly admitted may apply up to six hours of graduate credit earned at another accredited institution to their Prairie View A&M University program. Transfer requests should be made during the first semester of registration at Prairie View A&M University and included in the degree plan along with official transcripts. Work taken at other institutions expires at the end of six years from completion, just as work completed at Prairie View A&M University expires.
2. Continuing students may request transfer of up to six hours of credit from other universities to the programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for substitution for Prairie View courses provided:
   1. The official catalog description of the course(s) and official transcripts are provided to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for review at least two weeks prior to the final registration day of the semester in which the course is to be taken.
   2. The respective Prairie View A&M University advisor and department head, within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, must approve the courses for transfer credit prior to enrollment.
   3. Subsequent to completion of the course, the student must have the university where the course was taken furnish the Office of Graduate Programs and the department with either an official course grade report or a transcript that reflects the official grade. (Instructor submissions to the Office of Graduate Programs or the Registrar will not suffice.)
   4. The continuing student must remain in good standing in the Department--unconditionally admitted and with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Removal of Incompletes

A graduate student can receive a grade of “I,” incomplete, in a course with the privilege of finishing the work before the end of one calendar year from the close of the term in which the grade was earned. The “I” should be removed and replaced with a grade acceptable in the student’s degree program if the student is seeking a degree and the “I” is in a course to be counted toward degree completion requirements. If a student does not complete the course requirements within one calendar year; the “I” will remain and the course must be repeated.

Academic Performance Standards

Students whose semester GPA for courses leading to the Master’s degree in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction falls below 3.0 for one semester, and whose overall GPA falls below 3.0, will be placed on academic probation for one semester.

Academic Suspension

Academic suspension is an administrative action taken by the Department Head and/or Dean of the College of Education. It bars a student from enrollment in graduate courses for at least one term. Students may request to return to the program in a probationary status through a written petition to the Department Head and/or Dean, who will refer the request to a committee of graduate faculty for review and recommendation. Students are limited to one suspension.

Probationary Status

A condition in which a student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA each semester until his/her cumulative GPA reaches 3.0.

The Two-C Rule

Students who earn more than two grades of “C” or below can be dismissed from the program. This applies to courses repeated and to those taken for the first time.

Advancement to Candidacy

Admission of an applicant for the Master’s degree programs does not constitute advancement to candidacy. Such advancement will be granted upon the completion of at least 12 semester hours of graduate credit with at least a “B” average. The student must submit a formal application for Advancement/Admission to Candidacy to the advisor which must be approved by the Head, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Dean, College of Education, and Dean, Office of Graduate Studies. Failure to complete the Advancement/Admission to Candidacy form may prevent the student from enrolling in program courses in subsequent semesters.

Admission to Candidacy cannot be granted unless the conditions for admittance have been satisfied and all appropriate test scores have been placed on file in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Admission to Candidacy is recommended by the academic advisor, Department Head, and Deans of the College and the Graduate School. The Office of Graduate Programs must approve admission to candidacy. The application for admission to candidacy and the application for graduation may not be filed during the same semester. In general, a minimum of 12 hours must be completed before one can be admitted to candidacy.

Degree Plans

All graduate students, after consultation with their assigned advisor, are required to file an official degree plan obtaining the required signatures for submission to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to completion of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework.

Certification 

Graduate-level certification programs are designed to provide coursework leading to K-12 certification through the Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP) and the Educational Diagnostician certification program.  Specific requirements may be obtained from the Office of Teacher Certification in the College of Education.

• A Master’s Degree
• A valid Texas Teaching Certificate
• Two years of elementary and secondary teaching experience
• Completion of all required courses on the Deficiency Plan
• Completion of all departmental program requirements
• Passage of the required TExES examination

Required Courses for the Educational Diagnostician Certification