Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Admissions Requirements

The Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) provides a planned program of graduate studies beyond the master’s degree. It is designed to enhance the academic knowledge and skills of a cadre of educational leaders prepared to meet the increasingly complex challenges of the 21st Century. The degree plan requires the completion of 30 semester credit hours beyond a master’s degree from an accredited graduate institution. The degree has two components: a) 21 credits of core courses, and b) 9 credits of cognate courses. The Ed.S. degree serves the following specialty areas: 1) Superintendency and Central Office Personnel; 2) Principalship; 3) Directorship of Athletics; 4) Directorship of Curriculum; and 5) Directorship of Early Childhood Programs; 6) Directorship of Special Education.

Admission to this program will only be granted for the Fall Semester . Candidates must already have a Master of Education degree from an accredited institution in order to be considered for this program.

The Ed.S. degree admission council will screen candidates after all of the following items have been received. Materials must be submitted together as a complete application packet.

  1. A completed application with the $25.00 non-refundable application fee;
  2. A photocopy (front only) of most recent teaching certificate. If an out-of-state teaching certificate was obtained, a photocopy of the certificate is required.
  3. Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work from each college/university where credit was earned. Transcripts must be issued by the college of university in a sealed envelope and must be submitted with the application. A minimum grade point average of 3.30 from graduate level work is required. Applicants who have completed credit at SVSU do not need to submit a copy of their SVSU transcript. However, they will be required to request a new set of transcripts from other colleges/universities where they have earned credit since attending SVSU. These transcripts must be issued by the college or university in a sealed envelope and attached to the application;
  4. Two letters of recommendation from professional educators or supervisors familiar with candidate's career achievements;
  5. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member of the candidate's graduate level work;
  6. A statement of personal goals, career aspirations, and educational philosophy;
  7. A written commitment to complete the program in a maximum of three academic years from the date of admissions to the first semester.
  8. A copy of a recent résumé.

Incomplete application packets will not be processed. They will be returned to the applicant for resubmission of a complete application packet.

Candidates who have a limited school administration background are required to complete EDL 550, Leadership Theory and Practice, and EDL 553, School Law, as prerequisites for admission. Admission to the degree program will be provisional until such time as these courses are successfully completed. In extenuating circumstances, candidates may submit a written petition for waiver of either or both of these courses.

Inquiries and application packet should be directed to the:

Admissions and Certification Office
SVSU Regional Education Center
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710

Phone: 989.964.4057
Fax: 989.964.4385
E-Mail: coe-dean(at)svsu.edu

Questions pertaining to program requirements can be obtained by contacting:

Dr. Jerry Baker at 989.964.7151 or jrbaker@veionline.com (on campus candidates)
Dr. Marna Beard at 586.749.0067 or beard(at)svsu.edu (Regional Education Center-Macomb candidates)

Need a copy of your Michigan Teaching Certificate?

If you need to obtain a copy of your (current or expired) teaching certificate to submit with your application, you may retrieve a copy though the Michigan Department of Education website. Go to the M.D.E.Certificate Search site and type in your name and print document.

Applicants with a Criminal Conviction

Applicants who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or have any outstanding criminal charges or warrants pending against them in Michigan or any other state or jurisdiction, will be required to submit a photocopy of the actual court documents indicating the crime of which they were convicted, dates and sentences imposed with their application materials. If criminal charges are pending, applicants will be required to submit a statement from the issuing court indicating court date and offense.

Admission to the SVSU College of Education does not guarantee certification by the State of Michigan. The SVSU College of Education cannot guarantee approval of any recommendation made to the State of Michigan for any type of certification. Final approval of a recommendation made by SVSU is granted only by the Michigan Department of Education based on their policies and procedures current at the time the recommendation for certification is made.

Students who have been convicted of (or pleaded no contest to) a felony will be required to meet with the Dean or Assistant Dean of the College of Education and the Chair of the Admissions and Review Committee before admission will be granted. It is strongly recommended that students schedule an appointment with the Dean or Assistant Dean prior to applying for admission and should bring their application and court documents (as stated above) with them the day of their scheduled meeting.

SVSU has the right to deny admission or dismiss any applicant who has been convicted of any felony or one of the following misdemeanors:

 

Determination of Residency

A resident student is defined as a student domiciled in Michigan for a period of at least six months, with the intention of making Michigan his or her permanent home, or entering Michigan from another state of residency for the purpose of accepting an offer of permanent employment in Michigan with the intention of making Michigan his or her permanent home.

A nonresident student is defined as one who is domiciled in another state or foreign country. A student shall not be considered domiciled in Michigan unless he or she is in continuous physical residence in Michigan and intends to make Michigan his or her permanent home, not only while in attendance at SVSU but indefinitely thereafter and has no domicile or interest to be domiciled in another state or country.

Applicants who have moved here for the purpose of permanent employment and have resided in Michigan for a period of six months or less and want to be considered for residency status must submit a letter from their employer on official letterhead with their application for admission. The letter must state the date of hire.

Complete details on SVSU 's residency policy is listed in the SVSU Catalog. International students attending SVSU on F-1 or J-1 visas will not be considered for residency status.

Applicants who hold a Green Card must submit a photocopy of the front of their Green Card or proof of permanent residency with their application to comply with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCI) regulations. If Green Card holders have been in Michigan less than six months, they will have to abide by the residency policy at SVSU current at the time application is made.

SVSU Regional Education Center
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710		 Phone: 989.964.4057
Fax: 989.964.4385