| |  | | Specialist Certificate in Education The Graduate School offers two-year specialist certificates in several education fields (see Educational Policy and Administration, Educational Psychology—Counseling/Personnel, Educational Psychology—School Psychology, and Educational Psychology—Special Education for descriptions). The specialist certificate requires a minimum of 60 credits.
Transfer of Credits—With approval of the adviser, director of graduate studies in the major, and the Graduate School, transfer of up to 50 percent of the degree program coursework from any combination of the following is permitted.
- Other recognized graduate schools;
- University of Minnesota coursework meeting
specific registration criteria (see "Registering
for Graduate Credit" for registration instructions);
- Registration through other University of Minnesota units (e.g., College of Education, Law School) in pursuit of graduate-level degrees;
- Adult special, summer session, and College of Continuing Education registrations at the University of Minnesota taken before spring semester 2001. Any registrations in these categories taken spring semester 2001 or later will not be accepted toward any Graduate School degree requirement.
Individual graduate programs have the option of specifying a lower percentage of coursework for transfer.
Work to be transferred must be graduate level (postbaccalaureate) and have been taught by faculty authorized to teach graduate courses. It is the student's responsibility to provide appropriate course documentation (e.g., course syllabi, faculty status information) supporting proposed transfer credits to the program.
In the case of a transfer from a non-U.S. institution, the credits must have been earned in a program judged by the Graduate School to be comparable to a graduate degree program in a graduate school of a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
Regarding the transfer of coursework from either a U.S. or non-U.S. institution, if conditions are placed on a student's admission to exclude certain coursework from transfer to a Graduate School degree program, that coursework may not be transferred regardless of the level of the coursework or the status of the school or college in which it was earned.
Credits are transferred by including the courses in the proposed degree program. Credits not accepted as part of a student's degree program cannot be transferred.
Courses taken before the awarding of a baccalaureate degree cannot be transferred.
Degree Requirements—Students pursuing the specialist certificate ordinarily complete the requirements for the master's degree with a major in the field of the specialty as the first year of the program. All first-year students must meet regular admission, candidacy, and examination requirements for the master of arts degree and should specify as their degree objective the master's degree on the application. A decision regarding continuation beyond the master's degree in a specialist program depends on an evaluation of performance in meeting the master's requirements.
Time Limit for Earning the Specialist
Certificate—The specialist certificate
can be completed in two years but must be completed
and awarded in 12 years. The 12-year period
begins with the earliest coursework included
on the program form, including any transfer
work. Graduate credits earned before the 12-year
span are evaluated by the faculty in the area
of specialization and may be recommended to
the Graduate School for acceptance. Students
who expect to exceed the 12-year limit may
petition the Graduate School for an extension
of time; contact the Graduate School, 316 Johnston
or see www.grad.umn.edu/current_students for
more information.
Final Examinations—The Graduate School requires a final examination for specialist certificate candidates; this may be written, oral, or both, at the discretion of the graduate faculty in the major field. A committee of at least three examiners is appointed by the dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the faculty in the major field at the time the official degree program is approved. This committee is comprised of three members from the student's major field.
The examination is coordinated by the chair
of the student's examining committee. The results
of the examination are reported on the final
examination form that the student must obtain
from the Graduate School, 316 Johnston, or
by requesting a graduation packet online before the examination is held.
This form will be released only if the student
has a degree program form approved by the Graduate
School and has maintained active status (see
Registration Requirements under Registration).
A majority vote of the committee, all members
present and voting, is required to pass the
examination. A student who fails the examination
may be terminated from the graduate program
or may be allowed, on unanimous recommendation
of the examining committee, one retake of the
examination providing the reexamination is
conducted by the original committee.
Except as noted in this section, the requirements and procedures for completing the specialist certificate are comparable to those described under Plan B: Master's Degree Without Thesis.
More Information—Students who
have questions about the specialist certificate
after reading this entire section may review
online
information at or e-mail gsmast@umn.edu.
Note: some commonly used forms are available
on the Graduate
School Web site. |
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