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.
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 and 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 Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
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 three (3) semester hours in courses of a laboratory and/or field experience nature and three (3) semester hours in an independent study project.
Admission To Candidacy
Graduate students in a program leading to the Specialist in Education degree should make application for admission to candidacy immediately following the completion of fifteen (15) semester hours of graduate credit. If application is not made by the time 15 hours are completed, the student may not be permitted to register for subsequent work until the application is approved. The requirements which must be met before approval of admission to candidacy are:
The achievement of Full Standing
The completion of at least fifteen (15) semester hours of graduate credit with a minimum quality point average of 3.0.
The written approval by the student's advisory committee.
The written approval of the chairperson of the major department.
Successful completion of any examination which may be required by the student's department for admission to candidacy.
If the student's application for admission to candidacy is not approved due to academic deficiencies, the student cannot continue graduate study with a major in any of the departments of the college in which he/she is studying.
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 Dean of the College of 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
Students who request to transfer graduate course credits from an accredited institution to Tennessee Tech must request that the institution send official transcripts directly to TTU. Official transcripts must include all grades.
The program department will determine, at its sole discretion, what transfer coursework is eligible for transfer to the student's program of study.
The coursework transferred or accepted for credit toward a graduate degree must have a minimum grade of "B" in each course.
For all graduate degree programs, the department will determine, in its sole discretion, the number of transfer credits it will accept, provided the department's decision is in compliance with SACSCOC Accreditation Standard 3.6.3.
Tennessee Tech will exclude grades earned in transferred courses in the calculation of grade point averages.
Tennessee Tech Policy #283 (General Graduate Transfer Credit Requirements) provides additional
information on Transfer 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 Regulations and Degree Requirements in previous sections of this catalog.)