Admission and Program Information

Nondegree Admission
Graduate Admission
Student Identification
Transfer of Credit
Grades
Candidacy for Degree
Comprehensive Examinations
Application for Degree
Transcripts
Summer Graduate Assistantships

Students must be admitted to The University of Alabama before enrolling in courses. Students should apply for nondegree status before applying for graduate admission.

Non-Degree Admission
Nondegree admission is the first phase of the admissions process. Only twelve semester hours (four classes) may be taken as a nondegree student and later applied to a degree program. Nondegree admission is separate from regular admission. Taking credit as a nondegree student does not guarantee admission to a degree program.

Students who do not want to enter a degree program may take as many courses as they like under nondegree status. However, these students must send a fax or e-mail stating that they are taking the courses for inservice education credit and will not be applying them to a graduate degree program.

Nondegree status is valid continuously if the student takes at least one course during a three-year span from time of acceptance. If courses are not taken within the three-year span, another nondegree application must be completed.

Nondegree admission requires completion of all of the following steps:

• Complete the nondegree application form online at www.graduate.ua.edu.

• Fill in the Program of Study area in the top right with either ELED for Elementary Education or SEED for Secondary Education.

• List ALL colleges or universities previously attended.

• Provide a U.S. social security number. If a student does not have a social security number, write " NONE" in the space provided. If you are not a U.S. citizen and do not have a U.S. social security number, you will be assigned a number once admitted with nondegree status. If a question does not pertain to a student, write " NA" (Not Applicable.) All items must be completed. Once you have a student number, include it on all correspondence.

• Include a check for $25 for the application fee. This should be drawn on a U.S. bank or be a money order made out to the University of Alabama. Attach a separate check to each nondegree application. Applications cannot be processed without this fee. The fee will cover all subsequent applications.

• Submit a photocopy of your undergraduate transcripts. Students who do not have a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution must also submit a photocopy of their diploma. If the transcripts and diploma are not in English, an unofficial translation must be provided. If it is determined by the Graduate School that the undergraduate degree is not equivalent to a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution, he/she will be denied admission to the Graduate School, making it impossible to earn graduate credit from The University of Alabama.

• Students and Site Coordinators should double check that the forms are complete and correct. Keep a photocopy for your own records.

ONLY TWELVE SEMESTER HOURS OF CREDIT TAKEN AS A NONDEGREE STUDENT MAY BE USED TOWARD THE REQUIREMENTS OF A DEGREE PROGRAM.

Admission to a Graduate Degree Program
The following procedures are for students who have already been admitted with nondegree status and who wish to pursue an advanced degree at the University of Alabama.

General Admission Requirements
To be considered for unconditional admission to a graduate program in the College of Education, a student must satisfy BOTH of the following admission requirements;

• An entrance examination score no lower than the 50th percentile [any of the following examinations acceptable to the program or area to which admission is sought may be used: Miller Analogies Test (MAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) AND

• An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or a 3.0 average for the last 60 semester hours in a degree program

An applicant whose credentials do not meet the above requirements may be considered for conditional admission, if BOTH of the following minimum requirements are satisfied:

All test scores must be no more than five years old.

Degree admission requires completing ALL of the following steps:

• Complete the Graduate School Application form online at www.graduate.ua.edu. (Applicant Data Sheet)

• Complete the Statement of Purpose on the appropriate form at www.graduate.ua.edu. This statement takes the place of a personal interview; it should reflect the student personally, academically, and professionally.

• Provide three letters of recommendation. These may be provided by previous professors, supervisors, principals, or directors and faxed to the IP office. Peer recommendations are not acceptable.

• Provide two OFFICIAL copies of all transcripts. If the transcripts are not in English, the Graduate School must have two official translations and a copy of the diploma awarded in addition to the transcripts. Transcripts should be sent directly from the college or university to the Graduate School.

• Provide official copies of test scores. Official scores must be transmitted from the test company. When taking these tests, indicate that the scores should be sent to the University of Alabama, Box 870118, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Students can indicate this by using specific codes assigned to the University of Alabama. The code for the GRE is 1830 and the code for the MAT is 1012. If the test was taken within the last five years, make arrangements to have official scores sent to the University of Alabama. A minimum score no lower than the 50th percentile on the MAT or a 1000 cumulative score on the GRE and a 3.0 GPA is necessary to be considered for unconditional admittance. A score no lower than the 40th percentile on the MAT or 900 on the GRE and a 2.5 GPA overall is necessary to be considered for conditional admittance.

Once all of your documents for degree application are received by the Graduate School, they will be reviewed. If the requirements are met, the application is then forwarded to the degree-awarding program for review. The Elementary Education or Secondary Education faculty members determine admission to the degree program. The Graduate School will notify you in writing of admission approval or denial.

A graduate student admitted conditionally removes the condition by making an average of B or better on the first 12 semester hours of graduate work completed. If 12 semester hours are completed in a term in which the total earned credits exceeds 12, the evaluation is made on the basis of all graduate work completed at the end of that term of enrollment. Failure to remove the condition in the manner indicated results in dismissal from the program. A student who satisfies the condition will automatically assume the status of a regularly admitted graduate student.

A graduate student with regular status in a graduate program who drops below a B average at any time in graduate work is placed on probation. Probationary status is removed by improving the overall average to B or better on the next 12 semester hours of graduate work earned following the period in which probation is incurred. If the next 12 semester hours are completed in a term in which the total earned credits exceeds 12, the evaluation is made on the basis of all graduate work completed at the end of that term of enrollment. Failure to remove the probation status results in dismissal from the program.
A student dismissed from a graduate program in either of the above manners may be considered for readmission in the same program, or to another program, only by special request of the graduate faculty in the academic unit having the program.

A person seeking readmission, after being dismissed from the Graduate School as a result of either of the above policies, can initiate consideration for readmission by communicating with the academic unit in which the person proposes to major. The graduate faculty of that academic unit will consider the request for readmission; and if it requests readmission, the graduate faculty will identify (in a written request to the Dean of the Graduate School) the unusual circumstances causing the current condition of the former student and will state the conditions required of the student when readmitted. The final decision of readmission rests with the Dean of the Graduate School.
Note: There is an 18 semester limit for completion of a degree.

Student Identification
Students MUST BE CONSISTENT with the name they use on all course material, correspondence, and application materials. In the past there have been delays in paperwork processing due to multiple last names or change of names. There is a line on the application form that asks if transcripts or other information will have a different name. Students must consistently use the name they submitted on their application materials or submit a letter and the appropriate legal documentation to the Office of Academic Records officially changing their name in the University's record system.

Transfer of Credit
Up to six credit hours may be transferred into the Elementary Education program and up to twelve credit hours into the Secondary Education program from another accredited institution. The courses must be no more than six years old. The decision to accept transfer credit from another institution is made by the degree program. The student requesting transfer of credit should follow these steps:

• Complete the Request for Transfer Credit Form, which is available online at www.graduate.ua.edu, and write a letter to International Programs indicating which credits are to be considered and where these might be used in the student's Plan of Study as well as the course description or syllabus.

• Arrange for an official transcript from the other institution(s) to be sent directly to the Graduate School.

Course Grades and Grade Reports

Grades Online

Students can access their grades online at www.mybama.ua.edu. Students must enter their CWID number and their date of birth (MM/DD/YY).

Fall Semester: Grades for courses in August, September, October or November will post in mid-December.

Spring Semester: Grades for courses offered in December, January, February, March and April will post in mid-May. Note that grades for courses in May will post mid-July.

Because of the longer wait-time for some courses, students have the option of contacting International Programs directly. In the case when course dates are near to the grade-reporting period, students should check their grades online.

Incomplete Grades

If a student receives an incomplete grade, he or she should contact the professor of the course and complete any necessary work as soon as possible.

Candidacy for Master of Arts Degree (www.graduate.ua.edu)

The Admission to Candidacy form for the Master's degree should be submitted after the completion of 12 credit hours and admission to a degree program has been obtained.

Comprehensive Examinations (Comps)

The required comprehensive examination may be taken after the student completes twenty-four hours of course work (eight 3-hour courses). Each site coordinator will work with International Programs to arrange for the exam to be given. The exam will be scheduled once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester. It takes approximately one month for the exams to be graded and the results to be received.

Application for Degree (www.graduate.ua.edu)

The Application for Degree form should be completed and sent to International Programs at the beginning of the semester the student expects to graduate. A $41 graduation fee must be included with the form made payable to the University of Alabama. If the student does not graduate in the semester for which he/she applied, a new copy of the Application for Degree form must be completed and another fee of $31 paid.

Transcript Request Forms

To request transcripts from the University of Alabama, go to www.tideguide.ua.edu and follow the instructions.

Summer Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships to study on campus are offered each summer to students who have admission to a degree program. An assistantship consists of a waiver of out-of-state tuition, working 10 hours per week on research or other projects for a professor, and a monthly stipend for a five-week summer session. Students who accept an assistantship are allowed to enroll in up to 6 credit hours of course work per summer session. There are two sessions offered during the summer semester and students may apply for both sessions. Non-U.S. citizens must meet Visa requirements. The Office of International Programs sends each site the application forms with more detailed information during the fall semester of each academic year.