in Elementary Education

The admission requirements are:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
• North Carolina "A" license in Elementary Education or the equivalent from another state if applying to the Teacher Leader track;
• Two official transcripts from all institutions attended;
• Completed ECSU Health Form;
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
• A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or a 3.0 average for the last four semesters (60 credit hours) of study for the bachelor's degree.  Applicants may be admitted without reference to their baccalaureate record if they earned at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in a master's degree program completed at an accredited college or university or if they earned at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA for at least 12 credit hours of a master's or doctoral degree program;
  • The M. Ed. must have a cohort average of at least a 3.0 in order to meet accreditation requirements. If a student’s GPA from their most recent degree is under a 3.0, the student may be provisionally admitted or admitted as a special student until the 3.0 GPA requirement is met.
  • Interview Requirements: M. Ed. applicants may be asked to interview it they have a GPA blow 3.0 or if the candidate is new to the field of Education.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) recommended, but not required;
• $30 non-refundable application fee
• Interview with Department of Education, Psychology and Health Graduate Coordinator and Graduate Faculty;
• Typewritten two-page essay on a provided educational topic; and
• Recommendations from three professional educators who can document work performance or relevant experience.

The requirements described above are minimum requirements and do not guarantee acceptance. Students are selected and admission decisions are based on consideration of educational factors (i.e. interview, performance, communication skills). A limited number of students who do not meet the minimum standards may be allowed to enroll with special permission. We encourage you to apply.

A full load is nine (9) semester hours. The maximum number of hours in any semester is twelve (12).

Candidates in the Master of Education in Elementary Education program must meet the Elizabeth City State University residency requirements. No more than six credit hours may be transferred from other institutions. Thirty semester hours must be earned at ECSU.

Upon admission to the program, the student is expected to assume the following responsibilities:

1. Follow all policies of the Office of Graduate Education and the program area as specified in the Graduate Catalog;
2. Consult with an assigned advisor before registering for courses in the degree program;
3. Prepare a plan of study approved by the student, the advisor, the Graduate Coordinator, the Chair of the Department of Education, and the Director of Graduate Education; and
4. Obtain permission from the advisor before making substitutions or altering the plan of study.

To gain approval to proceed with exit requirements, each student must:

1. Complete a total of 12 but no more than 15 hours of graduate credit with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better (Advance to Candidacy).
2. Receive no more than 2 grades of a C in any graduate coursework.

The student selects his or her Graduate Advisement Committee. The Committee shall consist of the advisor and additional members to a total of three: One member should be a university faculty member from outside the student’s major department. The Graduate Advisement Committee shall be responsible for approval of the Product of Learning. Each committee member must sign the Graduate Advisement Committee Agreement Form indicating agreement to serve on the Committee. The Graduate Advisement Committee must be approved by the Chair of the Department of Education.