Requirements for the Specialist in Education Degree

The program of study leading to the Specialist in Education degree (Ed. S.) will be designed for each student so as to achieve proper balance between the experiences required for training as a specialist and those required for development as a professional educator working with other educators. The program will therefore be tailored to serve the needs and objectives of the individual student.

If a student lacks not more than 12 semester credits on the master's degree, the student may accumulate a maximum of 9 semester credits to be counted toward the Ed. S. degree provided the student (i) has been approved for tentative Ed. S. admission by the Graduate School, (ii) has a departmentally approved program of study, and (iii) fulfills all requirements for the master's degree within two consecutive semesters.

The specialist program is a terminal program. Courses offered to satisfy program requirements do not necessarily lead to or prepare the student for further advanced degrees.

A minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the master's degree, in approved upper-level courses, will be required in the Ed. S. program. At least 15 semester hours must be taken in courses numbered at the 7000 level; no course below the 6000 level shall be counted for credit unless written approval is obtained from the student's advisory committee, the chairperson of the department in which the student is majoring, and the Associate Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies.

Students pursuing work leading to the Ed. S. Degree will complete a common core of 9 hours which shall include the following:

* CUED 6010 not required of Ed. S. programs in the major of Reading and the Department of Counseling and Psychology

** EDPY 7200 not required of Ed. S. programs in Instructional Leadership and the majors of Reading and Curriculum

*** FOED 7020 not required of Ed. S. programs in Instructional Leadership, the majors of Reading and Curriculum, and the Department of Counseling and Psychology

Although a thesis is not required in the specialist program, the student is expected to become well acquainted with research in the field of specialization and to demonstrate competence in research methodology. In order to satisfy these expectations, the student must earn at least 3 semester hours in courses of a laboratory and/or field experience nature and 3 semester hours in an independent study project.

Admission To Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the Ed. S. degree requires that the student complete successfully a comprehensive written examination administered by the advisory committee. The examination shall be administered after the completion of 15 semester hours of the program. In addition to a written examination, an oral examination may be required at the discretion of the student's advisory committee.

Students in the counseling program within the Department of Counseling and Psychology will take the national Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) during their first semester of study. This examination will be diagnostic in nature and must be passed to graduate from a counseling Ed.S. program.

Final clearance for candidacy will be achieved only upon recommendation by the department in which the student is majoring, subject to approval of the Associate Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies.

Prior to admission to candidacy the student may be required to remove certain deficiencies resulting from insufficient background preparation for the specific field or from the absence of certain prerequisite courses essential in preparation for pursuing the proposed specialist program.

The candidacy step should not be confused with the final comprehensive examination which is required of all degree candidates and which has been explained previously in the general regulations section of this catalog.

Transfer And Other Credit

Each candidate for the Ed. S. degree must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours credit at Tennessee Technological University.

A maximum of 6 semester hours of transferred work may be included in the student's program of study. Such work must have been completed at an approved institution which offers the Specialist's and/or Doctor's Degree. Credit earned through correspondence or extension courses will not be accepted toward the Ed. S. Degree.

Credit by special examination is not permitted at the graduate level; however, special examinations to determine competency or proficiency in courses where credit has already been earned but is currently out-of-date may be permitted during a period of up to three consecutive semesters immediately following the six-year time limitation. Special examinations may also be permitted to validate transfer credit, but the credit must be originally earned as graduate credit and not undergraduate credit.

Other Regulations

In addition to these specific requirements for the Specialist in Education Degree, all candidates will be expected to comply with general regulations of the Graduate School. (See General Regulations and Degree Requirements in previous sections of this catalog.)

Page last updated: 10/7/06

Graduate Studies
Tennessee Tech Univesity
P.O. Box 5036
Phone: (931) 372-3233 Fax: (931) 372-3497
E-Mail: Gradstudies@tntech.edu