Admission and Retention in College of Education Graduate Programs

A student must be formally admitted to the graduate degree program for which he/she intends to earn a degree. Refer to the College of Graduate Studies for limits on the number of courses that may be applied to a program for non-degree seeking students.

In order to be admitted in a graduate education program, a student must meet all admission criteria as identified for the specific graduate program (degree and non-degree).

Prior to a structured field placement (i.e., an internship, practicum, and on-going experience that is more than a one-time classroom project), a graduate student must:

1. Meet all admission and retention requirements for the graduate education program.
2. Have a disciplinary record clear of any actions which might be a detriment to placement and successful performance in a school or other educational/community agency internship setting.
3. Disclose any previous misconduct or professional ethics violations or any pending professional ethics violations (e.g., pending PSC investigations).
4. Exhibit appropriate mental, emotional, and physical health skills and capabilities needed to meet the expectations of the profession.
5. Confirm that he/she continues to hold tort liability insurance coverage.
6. If required by the program, a graduate student must have completed a criminal background check upon admission to the program or must possess a Preservice Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Note: Certain programs may require criminal background rechecks prior to placements if more than two years have elapsed since the last criminal background check.
7. Participate in any required orientation activities for the internship.

All of the following requirements must be met for retention in a graduate education program:

1. Maintain required GPA.
2. Successfully complete all key assessments required by the program.
3. Successfully complete all field experiences required by the program.
4. Maintain an active account with the College of Education’s electronic assessment and data management system while enrolled as a graduate student.
5. Successfully complete all requirements specified by the program and be making satisfactory progress toward achieving program outcomes. Programs will be responsible for monitoring student progress and providing guidance to students who may be having difficulty meeting retention requirements.
6. Must not have violated the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s Code of Ethics for Professional Educators. Must not have a past reprimand, monitoring, or warning statement in the educator’s certification file. Failure to report any violation of state or federal law to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission within 90 days is grounds for exclusion from a program.
7. Maintain validity of Georgia Educator certificate required for program admission.
8. Must not have been found in violation of the Georgia Southern University Student Conduct Code. Reviews will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the seriousness of the violation and with regard to consistency.
9. Maintain liability insurance.
10. Students who are required to participate in structured field placements as part of their graduate program are required to have completed a criminal background recheck upon admission to the program. Students enrolled in the M.A.T. program who are not hired as teachers must apply for and receive a Preservice Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission: https://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/advisement/certification/pre-service-certification/. Note: Certain programs may require criminal background rechecks prior to placements if more than two years have elapsed since the last criminal background check.
11. Meet all retention criteria established by the College of Graduate Studies.

Be sure to check the specific program page in the catalog for additional requirements.