Specialist in Education Degree
This degree is designed for professionals in education and human services areas who want increased competence in a field of specialization. Areas of specialization are offered in the various departments in the College of Education.
Admission
Scholarship, interpersonal orientation, and potential for leadership are considered in the screening procedure. Appropriate experience in teaching or a leadership position in education or a human services area is requisite. All work beyond the baccalaureate must have been of high quality with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Advisory Committee
The specialist student works under the direction of an advisory committee composed of three members recommended by the appropriate department/program head or chair. All must be members of the Auburn University graduate faculty. The committee chair (or one of the co-chairs) must be a graduate faculty member in the department/program granting the degree. This committee will approve the student’s program of study, conduct required examinations, and direct the required field project. Students in a teaching field (e.g., music education, science education, foreign language education) work under a committee composed of two members from the College of Education and one member from a related academic field. If change(s) in the committee makeup is required (either chair or member(s)), the committee chair (for committee makeup) and/or department head (for chair changes) should assist the student in identifying replacement members. Please note that a student must have a full committee (committee chair and at least the minimum number of qualified committee members) in order to continue in the program after the CTEC form has been submitted. Committee chair/membership replacements should be made within one academic term to avoid the student being placed on inactive status (link: https://bulletin.auburn.edu/thegraduateschool/registration/#Inactive%20Status.
Plan of Study Worksheet
Prepare a plan of study worksheet and have it approved by the advisory committee and department head or chair. Submit the Committee, Transfers, Exceptions, and Candidacy (CTEC) Form to the Graduate School at least one semester before graduation. Students are required to submit a graduation application to the Graduate School prior to the semester of expected graduation. Graduation day is the official last day of each semester and, therefore, is the deadline to submit the Committee, Transfers, Exceptions and Candidacy (CTEC) Form and graduation application for graduation in the following semester. Submit a new CTEC Form if there are changes such as transfer courses and/or exceptions.
A minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the master’s degree must be taken in a program approved by the student’s advisory committee and can be identified through a plan of study worksheet. Professional educators pursuing sixth-year certification are responsible for adapting the plan of study worksheet to requirements in the states in which they will need advanced certification. A relevant field project, approved in advance by the student’s committee, must be completed under the supervision of the major professor. A final written report on the field project will be submitted to the advisory committee by the student. The advisory committee will conduct a final examination based on the area of specialization and the field project.
Time Limit
All graduate work toward an Education Specialist degree must be completed within a period of six calendar years. The student’s time to completion begins with the earliest completed course approved for inclusion in the plan of study worksheet.