| |  | | 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.
- Graduate-level coursework completed at other accredited graduate institutions;
- University of Minnesota coursework meeting specific
registration criteria (see "Registering
for Graduate Credit," for registration
instructions);
- Graduate-level coursework completed 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 coursework at the University of Minnesota completed before spring semester 2001. Any registrations in these categories completed during spring semester 2001 or after will not be accepted toward any Graduate School degree requirement.
Individual graduate programs have the option of specifying a lower percentage of coursework allowed 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,
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.
In transferring coursework from either U.S. or non-U.S. institutions, if conditions are placed on a student's admission to exclude certain coursework from transfer to a Graduate School degree program, that excluded coursework may not be transferred—regardless of the level of the coursework or the status of the school or college from 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 within 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 vice provost and dean of graduate education 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 Report Form which the
student must obtain before the examination is held from
the Graduate School, 316 Johnston, or by requesting a graduation
packet online.
The Final Examination Report Form will be released only
if the student has a Degree Program Form approved by and
on file with 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 or e-mail gsmast@umn.edu. Note: Commonly
used forms are available on the Graduate
School Web site.
|
| | | | |
