Education Department
- Frequently
Asked Questions
-
Why
teacher licensure?
The
employment rate for graduates with teacher licensure is extremely
high. By receiving traditional teacher licensure from Millsaps' NCATE
accredited program, a graduate has reciprocity with most states. Students
are prepared to enter the profession of teaching with confidence and
are readily accepted into graduate schools of law, psychology, business,
education, medicine, and others. Significant opportunities for financial
aid exist for prospective teachers in Mississippi and elsewhere. Students
may elect to student teach abroad, if interested. Graduates of our
teacher education program are fully prepared through our field based
program to be teachers who are leaders, scholars, and researchers.
- What courses
do I need to take?
Your
courses will depend on your major and what type of licensure you wish
to receive. Presently, Millsaps students can receive 2 types of teacher
licensure as undergraduates, ELEMENTARY
LICENSURE (K-6) OR SECONDARY LICENSURE
(7-12).
For ELEMENTARY
LICENSURE
Students must:
-
Major
in Elementary Education (and students are encouraged to double
major and/or seek two additional teaching areas of concentration,
21 hours each.)
-
Take
8 courses (32 hours) of Professional Education courses including
Computer Survival or higher or embedded in appropriate class in major
IDST 1600 Human Development, a Cross Cultural Perspective
EDUC 3200 Methods & Management or embedded in appropriate class
in major
EDUC 3130 Education of the Exceptional Population
EDUC 3100 Early Literacy Instruction I
EDUC 3850 Field Research in Reading
EDUC 3120 Early Literacy Instruction II
EDUC 3110 Performance Assessment or embedded in appropriate class
in major
EDUC 4300 Educational Theory or embedded in appropriate class in major
EDUC 3840 Reading Diagnosis & Remediation
-
Student
Teach before graduation. (Clinical Practice EDUC 4500) The clinical
practice semester requires 16 hours, but this can be reduced to 12
if the student needs another course during the student teaching semester);
this semester can also be done abroad
.**
Students must take at least one course in
Computer Studies or its equivalent.
For SECONDARY
LICENSURE :
Students must:
1. Major in an
academic discipline recognized as a teaching area by the Mississippi
Department of Education. (These areas include: See Appendix A, Guidelines
for Mississippi Educator Licensure K-12 in Ed Dept.,
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/ed_licensure/pdf/RevisedManual.pdf
);
Students are encouraged
to double major and/or seek additional teaching areas of concentration.
2. Take
4 courses (16 hours) of Professional Education courses including:
IDST 1610 Human Development, a Cross Cultural Perspective
EDUC 3200 Methods & Management or appropriate course in student's
academic major (See
Educ. Dept. listing of courses.)
EDUC 3850 Field Research in Reading
EDUC 3130 Education of the Exceptional Population
3. Student
Teach before graduation or after graduation at reduced tuition. (Clinical
Practice EDUC 4500) The clinical practice semester requires 16 hours,
but this can be reduced to 12 hours if the student needs another course
during the student teaching semester); this semester can also be done
abroad.
** Students must
take at least one course in Computer Studies or its equivalent.
3. What is the difference between Private School Licensure
and Traditional Licensure?
Students must check with the state in which they wish to teach, for
requirements vary accordingly. In Mississippi the Mississippi Private
Schools Association offers licensure to students who have graduated
from college with a major.
http://www.mpsa.org
4. Is it possible
to MINOR in Education?
Absolutely! To obtain a Minor in Education the following four courses
are required:
IDST 1610 Human
Development, a Cross Cultural Perspective
EDUC 3200 Methods & Management or appropriate course in student's
academic major (See
Educ. Dept. listing of courses.)
EDUC 3850 Field Research in Reading
EDUC 3130 Education of the Exceptional Population
If you decide to
a Minor in Education, be sure to tell Records Department or the Chair
of the Department of Education so that your efforts will be documented
accordingly.
5. How do I plan all this?
What may seem overwhelming at first will get clearer as you progress.
To help you plan out all your options, you must first decide on the
type of licensure you desire. Then use this form
/educ/evalsheet.pdf
to fill out the
courses necessary for graduation. Faculty in the Education Department
will be glad to assist you. You should complete most of your Core and
foreign language requirements and IDS 1600 before you begin taking more
Education courses.
6. Can anyone
major in Education and/or receive teacher licensure?
No. Unlike other majors specific requirements must be met before a student
can be formally admitted to the teacher licensure program. Students
must:
· Have a GPA of 2.5 or above at some time during her/his Millsaps
career
· Score 21 or higher on ACT (with no sub-score less than 18)
or 860 or higher on SAT; however, if you do not meet this criteria,
you can always take the Praxis I offered by ETS. See the Education Department
for further information.
7. I am a senior. Am I too late to get teacher licensure?
The answer to this question depends on 1.) the number of courses you
have left to take in order to graduate and complete your major, and
2.) if you desire traditional teacher licensure. Most seniors who ask
this question desire secondary licensure. Remember, traditional licensure
requires the clinical practice semester. If you can take the four Education
courses required for a MINOR (see #4 above) BEFORE you graduate, you
can student teach at reduced tuition the semester after you graduate.
If you cannot do the clinical practice semester, you still have the
option to teach in a private school because their licensure requirements
do not always demand the clinical practice semester.
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