Admission Requirements

All applicants must have an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) to be considered for unconditional admission. Applicants who attended graduate school at another institution must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on all graduate work and a minimum of 2.75 on all undergraduate work to be considered for unconditional admission. International students on an F1 visa must meet requirements for unconditional admission.

Applicants must take the GRE or MAT and receive a satisfactory score. If seeking the add-on early childhood special education (preK-3) teaching license, applicants must have an initial teaching license in special education, early childhood education, or elementary education. If not seeking an add-on or other teaching license, applicants may have undergraduate degrees in child development and family studies, family relations, communication disorders, or speech/language pathology.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must submit

1. an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
2. official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT);
3. official transcripts of all previous college work;
4. a written summary of goals and purpose for enrolling in the program;
5. a copy of current teaching license if seeking add-on endorsement.

Degree Requirements

The major in Special Education with a concentration in Early Childhood requires completion of a minimum of 33 semester hours.

Curriculum: Early Childhood

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.

Program Notes

Candidate must

1.  file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to completion of 21 semester hours credit;
2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.