College of Education

General Requirements for Graduate Degrees

See Academic Regulations for Graduate Degrees for specific TAMIU regulations.

The College of Education has adopted the following grading scale:

Major-Minor Requirements: See Academic Regulations - Graduate for specific TAMIU regulations.
Thesis: Graduate students in the College of Education may choose from a thesis or non-thesis track where available. Thesis track students will be expected to complete and successfully defend a thesis related to the major field of study and enroll in a thesis writing course offered by the College of Education.
Comprehensive Examination: Degrees in the College of Education may require a comprehensive examination to complete the requirements of the degree.

Students should check with their respective program lead faculty/career advisor for further information.
This exam is typically taken in the last semester of coursework and is valid for one year.
A student who fails to pass one or more questions of the exam will be allowed one opportunity to repeat and pass the exam.
All requirements for a master's degree to include the comprehensive exam must be completed within a period of five years. Students majoring in Special Education and Bilingual Education will be required to pass both a written and oral comprehensive exam in the major and minor fields of study to satisfy degree requirements.
Students majoring in a Master of Curriculum and Instruction degree plan and admitted Fall 2018 or after will complete a Capstone project (during EDCI 5317) in place of the comprehensive examination.

A Second Master’s Degree: Students shall not be permitted to apply the same course credit to more than one master’s degree.
Leave of Absence: Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence.

A petition for leave of absence is initiated by the student by submitting a Leave of Absence Request form. The Department/Advisory Committee Chair and College Dean must approve the petition and route it to the Graduate School office for final approval.
Leave will be granted only under conditions that require the suspension of all activities associated with pursuing the degree. A leave of absence is granted for one year.
In a case of extenuating circumstances, the leave of absence can be extended by the student’s Department/Advisory Committee Chair and the Graduate School Dean.
A student who returns to the University after an approved leave of absence will not be required to submit an application for readmission to the Graduate School.
An international student should visit with an Office of International Engagement advisor to find out how a leave of absence may impact the student’s stay in or re-entry into the U.S.

When a student chooses a degree that has a professional certificate attached to it:
1. The applicant must inform the Office of Graduate Studies during the initial application process of the intent to pursue the certificate after fulfilling the program requirements.
2. The Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) will then code the student in 2 programs (degree + certificate).
- The student will also need to be reviewed and accepted by the Graduate School and admitted into the new program by the College of Education admission's coordinator.
- When the student completes the degree and wants to begin the certificate, there is no need to apply again as the certificate program will be active.
- The Banner record will reflect this to allow registration and financial aid (if applicable).
If, however, the student does not indicate the certificate option during the initial application process, then the student will need to apply with OGS after finishing the Master’s program but before registering for certificate coursework.

The student will follow the standard application process of submitting an application and fee.
Once accepted by the Graduate School, student is to be admitted into the new program by the College of Education admission's coordinator
3. For a student who finishes the Master’s degree and then wants to pursue a certificate different from the completed degree, the student will need to follow the standard application process of submitting an application and fee. The student will also need to be reviewed and accepted by the Graduate School and admitted into the new program by the College of Education admission's coordinator.

Approval to take TExES Exams is based on the procedure and criteria listed below.

Eligibility to Test. To be approved and eligible to sit for a TExES exam, graduate students, including Post-baccalaureate must complete all documentation required by the Certification Officer. The documents include some or all of the following, based on the level of readiness of the candidate.

Certification is obtained after the candidate has completed the certification program he/she has been enrolled in and has passed the appropriate TExES exams. To obtain Texas Teacher Certification, candidates must
1. complete the College of Education Certification Recommendation Form (Masters or Certification)
2. complete an on-line application with the Texas Education Agency

The Certification Officer will review the candidate's application to ensure that all program requirements have been successfully completed.

The application will be forwarded by the Certification Officer to the State Board of Educator Certification.
ALL HOLDS MUST BE CLEARED BEFORE THE CERTIFICATION CAN BE FORWARDED TO THE STATE BOARD.
The Certificate will be issued by the State Board of Educator Certification.
All certificates issued by the State are Five (5) -Year Renewable certificates.
The individual holding the certificate must submit documentation to the State every five (5) years showing that he/she has completed the required clock hours of professional development activities relating to his/her area of certification.