Cannon-Clary College of Education

Cannon-Clary College of Education

Programs of Study

Graduate Program Information

Dean: Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.
Associate Dean: Clara Carroll, Ed.D.

Professors:

Clara Carroll, Ed.D.
Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.

Associate Professors:

Wendy Ellis, Ed.D.
     Director of Reading
Kimberly Flowers, Ed.D.
Steve Warren, Ed.D.
     Director of Secondary Education
Michael B. Wood, Ed.D.

Assistant Professors:

Amy Adair, Ed.D.
     Director of Professional Field Experiences
Adam Baker, M.Ed.
     Director of Middle Childhood Education
Patrick A. Bashaw, M.Ed.
Lauren Boone, M.A.
Lisa Bryant, M.S.E.
Allen Henderson, Ed.D.
     Director of Center for Math and Science Education
Leeann Howard, Ed.D.
David Skelton, Ed.S.
     Director of Professional Center, Rogers, Ark.
Cheri Smith, Ed.D.
     Chair of Teacher Education and Elementary Education
Ken Stamatis, M.Ed.
Patti Jo White, Ed.D.
     Director of Professional Center, North Little Rock, Ark.

Assisting from Other Departments:

Kristi Bond, Ph.D.
Cindy Carrell, D.M.A.
Kathy Dillion, Ph.D.
Denise Fisher, Ph.D.
Julie Harris, Ph.D.
John Keller, Ph.D.
Kimberly Laing, M.A.
Robin Miller, M.F.A.
Jessica Moore, D.A.
Mike Pruitt, Ed.D
Keith Schramm, Ph.D.
*Susan Shirel, M.A.
Ron Smith, Ph.D.

*On academic leave

The mission of the College of Education is to equip and sustain reflective, lifelong learners who are competent, confident, compassionate and courageous professionals, who, in turn, will inspire and enable those they serve.

The Cannon-Clary College of Education strives to develop principled professionals who possess the knowledge, skills and disposition to:

1. Integrate their faith, learning and living to serve their communities as models and mentors for moral and ethical leadership.
2. Respect and recognize variance in those they serve and have knowledge and skills to accommodate those variances.
3. Develop critical thinking skills within those they serve so they can make responsible choices about their learning and behavior.
4. Challenge themselves to grow professionally through rigorous study, reading, reflection and research.
5. Possess superior knowledge of the discipline(s) they teach or practice as well as a general knowledge of all disciplines.
6. Seek to establish collegial relationships for meaningful collaboration.
7. Effectively use and apply emerging technologies in changing environments.
8. Possess skills which enable them to effectively serve in a variety of settings.

Program Overview

Administration: The dean of the College of Education is the chief administrator and licensure officer of the College of Education. The Administrative Council for Teacher Education (ACTE), formulates policies and coordinates aspects of the Teacher Education Program and is chaired by the dean of the College of Education. The Committee on Admission and Retention to Teacher Education (CARTE) recommends criteria in this area, applies the policies adopted by ACTE, and is directed by the chair of Teacher Education.

Undergraduate: The Cannon-Clary College of Education offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts in elementary and middle level education. In cooperation with other content areas the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degrees leading to licensure are also offered.

Teaching areas are available in elementary education, middle level education and secondary areas of licensure. Content areas include licensure in art, biology, drama/speech, English, family and consumer science, French,  kinesiology and health, mathematics, music education-instrumental, music education-vocal, physical science, social science, and Spanish. Students may add endorsements to each level by meeting Arkansas licensure requirements in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), or coaching.

Arkansas Teacher Licensure: Students completing the Teacher Education Program (which includes, but is not limited to successfully meeting competencies for novice teachers, field experiences, internship, Arkansas cut-scores on appropriate Praxis assessments, and degree conferred) in elementary education, middle level education or secondary education will be recommended for standard Arkansas Licensure for five years. 

Accreditation: The Teacher Education Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In addition, programs leading to licensure are approved by CAEP and the Arkansas Department of Education.

Admission to the Teacher Education Program

All students seeking licensure must apply for and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Criteria for admission to and retention in the Teacher Education Program include emotional stability; ability to communicate effectively through speaking and writing; personal, social, moral, and ethical fitness; general intellectual ability; and field experiences.

To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, a student must:

1. Be enrolled at Harding University.
2. File a formal application for admission into the program with the chair of Teacher Education. Transfer students who plan to teach should make application for admission to the Teacher Education Program if they have completed 45 semester hours of required work. Admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite for admission to all required professional education courses except EDFD 202 , EDFD 203 , ELED 310 , EDFD 311 , EDFD 315  and SPED 303 .

The following deadlines apply to applications for the Teacher Education Program:

• Fall semester: August 1*
• Spring semester: November 1
• Summer semester: April 1

*Students planning to enroll for the first time in education courses (except EDFD 202 , EDFD 203 , ELED 310 , EDFD 311 , EDFD 315  and SPED 303 ) for the fall semester should apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program in Thornton Education Center 130 during the previous spring semester.

3. Submit a curriculum plan showing a program of study approved by the academic adviser to the chair of Teacher Education in Thornton Education Center 130.
4. Have at least a 2.7 GPA at the time of admission and pass the Praxis CORE with scores at or above the current Arkansas requirement in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
5. Demonstrate proficiency in English by completing ENG 113  and ENG 211  with a minimum grade of “C.”
6. Demonstrate proficiency in oral communication by completing COMM 101  with a minimum grade of “C.”
7. Demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by completing MATH 151  with a minimum grade of “C.” MATH 200  will not meet this requirement.
8. Complete EDFD 202  and EDFD 203  with a minimum grade of “C.”
9. Be free of mental or physical conditions inimical to effective teaching.
10. Meet acceptable standards of adjustment in the areas of personal, social, moral and ethical behavior. Letters of recommendation from University personnel are used, and special interviews may be required to make evaluations in these areas. In addition, information obtained from the instructors of EDFD 202 , the dean of students, and the University faculty will be used.
11. Have a recommendation form completed by the chair or the chair’s designee of the student’s appropriate major academic area and two faculty members from whom courses have been or are being taken.

ACTE may impose further standards not specified in this catalog or change present standards as the need arises in order to conform to the standards of CAEP and the regulations of the Arkansas Department of Education for teacher licensure. Such changes become a part of the Teacher Education Program requirements at the time specified by the council or Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).

To be Retained in the Teacher Education Program

Continuation in the Teacher Education Program is based on maintaining the requirements for initial admission to the program. Failure to maintain these requirements will result in probation or suspension from the Teacher Education Program.

At the end of each semester, the names of students applying for admission into the teacher education program and the names of those already admitted will be sent to the dean of students requesting that the office note those, if any, whose behaviors required administrative action. In addition, the chair of Teacher Education will monitor students’ overall GPA and GPA in their majors to ensure continued compliance with a minimum GPA of 2.7 in each.

If a student’s end-of-the-semester GPA falls below the required 2.7, the student will be dropped from the program and must reapply for admission.

If there is an indication of inappropriate behavior, questionable personal characteristic or concern, the CARTE committee will determine what action, if any, should be taken. Choice of actions may include one of the following:

1. Monitor specific behaviors or accomplishments.
2. Arrange an interview with a committee composed of representatives from CARTE, one student, one faculty member from the student’s academic major, and one faculty member from the College of Education.
3. Place student on probation with specific expected behavior, course of study, minimum GPA required, or other action to be completed in order to continue in teacher education.
4. Drop student from the teacher education program. This would also result in the student being unable to complete the internship semester.

Teacher Education Appeals Process

1. The Admission and Retention Committee will notify in writing the decision regarding a student’s admission, terms of probation for admission, or suspension from the Teacher Education Program or the internship semester.
2. Notice of probation or suspension may be appealed in writing within 24 hours to the chair of the Administrative Council for Teacher Education, or the student forfeits that right. Also, a student who fails to appear within 15 minutes of the arranged time and place of the appeals meeting will forfeit the right of appeal.
3. The chair of the Administrative Council for Teacher Education shall schedule a time and place for the appeals meeting with the student and members of the committee. The appeals meeting should take place as soon as possible, but not sooner than 24 hours after the appeal is made. A quorum shall consist of one-half plus one of the members of the committee. In every way, the appeal shall be conducted in a fair, orderly and reasonable manner.
4. The chair of the Administrative Council for Teacher Education shall conduct the meeting and shall vote only in case of ties.
5. A student who appeals shall be required to affirm the truth of his or her testimony.
6. A student is permitted a maximum of two witnesses. Witnesses shall be required to affirm the truth of their testimony. The committee may also call two witnesses.
7. The appeal shall be recorded. Students and witnesses will affirm that they understand that the session will be recorded.
8. Both parties shall have reasonable opportunity for questioning of witnesses.
9. Presentation of the appeal shall be as follows:
   1. The nature of the probation or suspension will be presented by the chair of the Admission and Retention Committee.
   2. The student states his or her reasons for making the appeal.
   3. Both student and chair may be questioned by the committee.
   4. After all questions have been asked, both student and chair will give brief closing remarks.
10. The meeting will be open to the appealing party, witnesses with relevant information to present, and members of the Administrative Council for Teacher Education. Neither legal counsel, guardian, nor parents of the student making the appeal shall be permitted to appear before this committee.
11. Following the appeal, the Administrative Council for Teacher Education will meet in closed session. The committee will inform the student of its decision in writing. This decision shall be final.

Admission to the Supervised Teaching Semester

Admission to the Teacher Education Program does not guarantee retention.

At least one semester before the supervised teaching semester, request for admission to supervised teaching must be made by filing the required application forms with the director of professional field experiences. The following deadlines apply: For supervised teaching during a fall semester, applications must be submitted by March 1. For supervised teaching during a spring semester, applications must be submitted by October 1. If the student does not student teach the semester of application, the student must reapply for Internship II.

Applicants for the supervised teaching semester in Elementary Education must complete BIOL 408 ; ECED 410 , ECED 411 ; EDFD 200 , EDFD 202 , EDFD 203 , EDFD 311 , EDFD 315 ; ELED 310 , ELED 314 , ELED 317 , ELED 420 ; GEOG 302  OR GEOG 303 ; KINS 330 ; MATH 241 , MATH 242 , MATH 270 ; RDNG 350 , RDNG 412 , RDNG 413 , RDNG 415 ; SPED 303  and SPED 312  prior to the supervised teaching semester.

Applicants for the supervised teaching semester in Middle Level Education must complete BIOL 408 ; EDFD 200 , EDFD 202 , EDFD 203 , EDFD 311 ; GEOG 302  OR GEOG 303 ; HIST 336  OR MLED 420 ; MATH 241 , MATH 242 ; MLED 314 , MLED 416 ; RDNG 412 , RDNG 413 , RDNG 415 ; and SPED 303  prior to the student teaching semester.

Middle Level Education majors of all content combinations must also have completed all content courses. (See Middle Level Curriculum menus.)

Applicants for the supervised teaching semester in Secondary Education, except for family and consumer sciences majors, must complete EDFD 200 , EDFD 202 , EDFD 203 , EDFD 311 ; SEED 314 , SPED 418 ; and one course from  SEED 420 , SEED 423 , SEED 424 , SEED 425 , SEED 426 , SEED 427 , SEED 428 , SEED 429  or SEED 430 . (Special methods courses are offered only once a year.) Students in family and consumer sciences must complete EDFD 200 , EDFD 202 , EDFD 311 ; SEED 314 , SEED 424 ; and FCS 322  or FCS 323 . Music education majors will take either MUS 424  or MUS 425 , depending on emphasis, instead of SEED 417 . Foreign Language majors will complete FLAN 419  and FLAN 420  instead of SEED 417 . Students must also complete their content major and the minimum Arkansas licensure requirements in the subject-matter area in which supervised teaching is to be done.

To be admitted to and to complete the supervised teaching semester, students must:

1. Be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
2. File a formal application for admission in the Teacher Education Office, Thornton Education Center 130, before the listed deadlines.
3. Have approval of the adviser in their major.
4. File in the office of the chair of undergraduate teacher education a curriculum plan showing a program of study which has the approval of their adviser.
5. Complete “Conditions of Supervision for the Internship I / Internship II Statement of Understanding” form.
6. Complete all cataloged prerequisites to the supervised teaching semester.
7. Complete Arkansas licensure and College of Education requirements in their academic major. Family and consumer sciences majors must have 32 hours of the family and consumer sciences requirements completed.
8. Have at least a 2.7 GPA.
9. Have at least a 2.7 GPA in the major and additional licensure area. For the elementary (K-6), middle level (4-8) and secondary education (P-12 or 7-12) majors, have at least a 2.7 GPA in the professional, content and specialization courses required for the major.
10. Have a minimum grade of “C” in each required professional education course, including all field experiences.
11. File a request for degree with the registrar.
12. It is highly recommended that PRAXIS II exams be taken before student teaching.

*PLT after completing EDFD 311 ; specialty area exams of content coursework should be completed prior to student teaching in that area.

Supervised Teaching Semester

During the supervised teaching semester, elementary education majors must enroll in SPED 419  and ELED 441 . Middle level education majors must enroll in MLED 442  and SPED 419 9. Secondary education majors must enroll in SEED 417 , SEED 451  or SEED 461 , and SEED 480 . Special Methods for Secondary Teachers, FLAN 419  and FLAN 420 , SEED 420 , SEED 423 , SEED 424 , SEED 425 , SEED 426 , SEED 427 , SEED 428 , SEED 429 , SEED 430 , must be taken prior to or concurrent with the supervised teaching semester. These are only offered once during a calendar year. Courses required in the supervised teaching semester must be taken in residence at Harding unless otherwise approved by the dean of the College of Education. Candidate must make a “C” or better in the above professional education courses and field experiences courses.

Licensure Examinations

All candidates in the Teacher Education Program must take the Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching and the appropriate Specialty Area Tests. English, Life Science, Math, Physical Science and Spanish are not  required to take the Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching due to the fact that these areas require a Pedagogy exam. By action of the Arkansas General Assembly, appropriate Praxis Core and Praxis II scores must be submitted to the Arkansas Department of Education in each area for which licensure is sought. The Arkansas Department of Education has set minimum scores that must be achieved on the various sections of the Praxis Core and Praxis II in order for candidates to obtain licensure in Arkansas. Individual student’s score reports must be on file in the Office of Institutional Testing. French and Spanish licensure candidates must take the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).

NOTE: The Liberal Art requirements are adjusted as follows for students in the College of Education who are seeking licensure:

• EDFD 203  rather than PSY 201 .
• It is highly recommended that students seeking licensure at the secondary level take GEOG 302  or GEOG 303 .
• Elementary and middle level majors must take GEOG 302  or GEOG 303 .
• Students seeking teacher licensure must take BIOL 111  or BIOL 113 .
• Students seeking teacher licensure must take MATH 151  or its equivalent. (MATH 200  is not an equivalent.)

Cannon-Clary College of Education Graduate

Programs of Study

Description of Programs

Graduate Programs in Education at Harding University can lead to a variety of different degrees. Each individual program is designed to meet the needs of the student with a view toward:

• Enriching and deepening the student’s professional knowledge.
• Enhancing the student’s field or fields of concentration.
• Creating a fuller understanding of the role of educators in American school systems and their function in society.
• Increasing the student’s understanding of the aims, purposes, operation and administration of American schools.
• Improving instructional skills and abilities through advanced work in professional courses.
• Acquiring an understanding of and skills in research methods, the evaluation of data, and the adaptation of data to professional needs.
• Expanding the student’s areas of certification.
• Providing a solid academic background for those students who plan to attain other advanced degrees.
• Providing an atmosphere in which Christian standards are held in high esteem.

The following degree programs are offered:

• Educational Doctorate (Ed.D.) in P-20 Educational Leadership.
• Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership.
• Master of Arts: Excellence in Teaching.
• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for the K-12 classroom teacher, middle level licensure teacher, or for secondary licensure teacher.
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in multiple areas of specialization.
• Master of Science (MS) in Educational Technology
• Master of Science in Education (MSE) in multiple areas of specialization
• Clinical Programs Offered:
• Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Professional Counseling: Clinical and School
• Master of Science (MS) degree in Professional Counseling: Clinical and School.

Our classes are offered on the main Searcy campus and in several satellite locations, as well as at our professional centers in North Little Rock and Rogers, Arkansas, as well as in Memphis, Tennessee.

Enrollment, advising and degree program information are available at our professional centers, in addition to the Searcy campus. For further information concerning endorsements, licensure, and degrees, contact the chair of Graduate Studies in Education, Box 12261, Searcy, AR 72149-2261; or e-mail gradstudiesedu@harding.edu.

Faculty

Dean: Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.
Associate Dean: Clara Carroll, Ed.D.

Professors:

Jenene Alexander, Ed.D., NCSP, LPC
     Director of Graduate Professional Counseling: Clinical and School
Michael Brooks, Ed.D.
Clara Carroll, Ed.D.
     Associate Dean
James D. Johnston, Ed.D.
Raymond “Donny” Lee, Ed.D.
     Dean of the College

Associate Professors:

Usenime Akpanudo, Ed.D.
      Director of Research Initiatives
David Bangs, Ed.D.
      Chair of Graduate Studies in Education
Bruce Bryant, Ed.D.
     Director of Educational Leadership and Master of Arts: Excellence in Teaching
Carol Douglass, Ed.D.
     Director of Special Education
Wendy Ellis, Ed.D.
     Director of Reading
Susan Grogran, Ph.D.
     Director of Adult and Extended Education
Ileene Huffard, Ed.D.
    Director of the Mid-South Professional Center, Memphis
Diana Julian, Ed.D.
Todd Patten, Ed.D., LPC, NCC
    Director of the Center for Student Success
Steve Warren, Ed.D.
     Director of Secondary Education
Karl Wendt, Ph.D.
Michael B. Wood, Ed.D.
Gene Wright, Ph.D., LPCC
     Director of Professional Counseling Clinical Experiences

Assistant Professors:

Amy Adair, M.Ed.
     Director of Professional Field Experiences
Adam Baker, M.Ed.
     Director of Middle Childhood Education
Patrick A. Bashaw, M.Ed.
Lauren Boone, M.A.
Lisa Bryant, M.S.E.
Lynette Busceme, Ed.D.
Marc Fager, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT-S
     Director of Professional Counseling Field Placement
Allen Henderson, M.Ed.
     Assistant Director of Center for Math and Science Education
Cheryl L. Smith, Ed.D.
     Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Elementary Education
David Skelton, Ed.S.
     Director of Professional Center, Rogers
Ken Stamatis, M.Ed.
Patti Jo White, Ed.D.
     Director of Professional Center, North Little Rock

Assisting from Other Departments:

Joe Brumfield, Ed.D.
Allen Frazier, Ph.D.
Forrest Smith, Ph.D.

Mission of the Cannon-Clary College of Education

The mission of the Cannon-Clary College of Education is to equip and sustain reflective, lifelong learners who are competent, confident, compassionate and courageous professionals who, in turn, will inspire and enable those they serve.

Accreditation

The Cannon-Clary College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Governance

Administration of the Graduate Program in Education is the responsibility of the Chair of Graduate Studies in Education, who is also the chair of the Graduate Education Council. The Graduate Education Council is a policy making body for the College of Education, and its members are appointed by the president of the university upon recommendation from the dean and the graduate chair. The council is composed of the following standing members: Dean of the College of Education, the Assistant Provost for Research and Graduate Programs, and the Registrar. There are also six rotating members, three from the College of Education and three from outside the College of Education, and two student members.

Academic Standing Requirements

Admission Status: Students may be admitted in one of these categories:

Degree-Seeking Student

Degree-seeking students in the Graduate Studies in Education program are admitted either unconditionally or provisionally. These students are required to pay the $40 application fee and supply all admission materials.

Nondegree-Seeking Student (NSD)

Students seeking additional teacher licensure or those who have already taken six hours of graduate work at Harding but are not in a degree seeking program  are classified as NSD students. These students must apply for admission to the Graduate Program as NSD students and are required to pay the $40 application fee and supply all admission materials.

Special Student

Students seeking graduate work for professional advancement or personal enrichment are classified as Special. These students will be allowed to take 6 hours of graduate course work for credit. These students are not required to pay the application fee but are required to submit a special student application.

Entrance by Letter: Any student currently enrolled in a graduate program in another regionally accredited institution who wishes to take not more than six graduate hours at Harding University, and who wishes to transfer such credit to the other institution, may register and receive such credit at Harding University by submitting a letter from his or her parent institution. This letter should state the standing of the student and that the work will be accepted in exchange. In this case, no transcripts need to be submitted to Harding University’s graduate program. The chair of graduate studies is authorized to enroll such a student.

Undergraduate Student

Undergraduate students in the University may register for graduate courses during their final semester’s work, provided they lack not more than 9 semester hours of credit for graduation, make formal application for admission to graduate study, and meet the other regular requirements.

Graduate Student Seeking a Second Master’s Degree

Graduate students seeking a second master’s degree from the College of Education will use  EDFD 649 - Spirituality and the Educator , to fulfill their Bible requirement.

Academic Regulations

Class Attendance: Admission to the University implies that the student will observe the regulations of the school in regard to class attendance. Regular attendance and participation in classroom activities are necessary for the attainment of a student’s educational objective. The University reserves the right to dismiss a student whenever, in its judgment, the general welfare of the institution seems to require such action.

Student ID: Every student is required to have a student ID. In order to use the library and other facilities on campus, an ID is required.

Dropping Classes: To drop a class, a student must submit a properly signed, official drop form to the Office of Graduate Studies in Education. Any class dropped without the official approval of the University will be marked “F.” Please contact the Graduate Office in the College of Education for more information.

No completed class may be dropped.

Late Enrollment: For courses following the normal University schedule, enrollment is not permitted after Monday of the third week of the fall and spring semesters, or after the first week of either summer term except for limited programs. Exceptions to this regulation must be approved by the instructor and the provost. The amount of course work to be carried is reduced according to time of entrance. Enrollment in a graduate course will not be permitted if doing so will mean the student will have already violated the specific attendance policy of that course.

E-mail: Communication of important information will be disseminated via Harding e-mail accounts. It is the student’s responsibility to check his or her Harding e-mail account regularly or to forward e-mails sent to that account to another e-mail address.

Examinations: A sufficient number of examinations, including a final, are given during a semester to provide a satisfactory basis for grades. Students are expected to take all regularly scheduled examinations. Students who miss an examination because of extraneous circumstances will need to contact the instructor to receive permission and rescheduling of the examination. A final examination may be taken out of regular schedule only in emergency situations approved by the instructor and the chair of graduate studies.

Comprehensive Examinations: Comprehensive examinations will be given on dates listed on the University calendar. An application for such examinations should be submitted by the student prior to the deadline date. Any person showing deficiency may be required to be reexamined or do additional work. Comprehensive examination requirements are listed in the requirements for each specific program.

Reports and Grades: Reports of semester and mid-semester grades are available to the student online.

Scholarship or achievement of the student in each course is expressed as follows:

A - Excellent
B - Satisfactory
C - Passing
D - Failure
F - Failure
W - Withdrawn
I - Incomplete

An “I” may be given only when the student has been unable to complete a course for reasons which, in the judgment of the instructor, have been unavoidable. Incompletes must be removed by the middle of the following semester. If an incomplete is not fulfilled within the specified time, it automatically becomes “F.”

Grades: In order to determine the student’s scholarship level, the following points are assigned for each hour of the indicated grade: A, 4; B, 3; C, 2; D, 1; and F, 0.

Definition of Semester Hour: A “semester hour” of credit requires 15 hours of lecture, recitation, discussion or equivalent, exclusive of the time devoted to final examinations.

Grade Point Average for Degrees and Identified Programs of Study: An average scholarship level of 3.00 is required in all course work. No grade below “C” is acceptable for graduate credit (but will be used to calculate GPA), and only 6 semester hours of “C” credit may be counted. These must be balanced by 6 semester hours of “A” credit. Courses in which a grade of “C” or lower has been received may be repeated. No course may be repeated more than once.

Course Credit: Courses that are not part of a degree program at Harding University will be given graduate credit, but will not count toward a master’s degree, unless given prior approval by the chair of graduate studies in education. Students may register in approved 500-level courses for graduate credit. They must reflect, however, a quality of work appropriate to graduate standing, and are assigned additional readings, projects or term papers beyond that which is normally expected of undergraduates. All master’s degrees require a minimum of 18 hours to be taken at the 600 level. Students who register for an independent study course must show evidence through previously completed work that they are academically able to do the required work as independent study. Only two independent study courses may be part of a master’s degree. Degrees in art are the only exceptions to this policy.

Ability to Communicate: Because the ability to communicate is such an integral part of teaching, each candidate for the master’s degree must demonstrate above average competency in written and spoken English.

Counseling and Registration: All students must contact the chair of graduate studies or the director of their specific program of study before their initial registration to plan an individual graduate program upon which subsequent registrations will be based. In addition to the general requirements for admission, all students should:

1. Submit all requested changes in their program of study for approval by the chair of graduate studies or the director of their specific program of study;
2. Consult frequently with the chair of graduate studies or the director of their specific program of study concerning the work progress, as it is the student’s responsibility to see that all requirements are met; and
3. Know that registration in the Graduate Program automatically carries with it an obligation on the part of the student to meet all the requirements of the degree as defined by the Graduate Council and regulations of the University.

Special Adjustments: Any change in or deviation from policy must be approved by the Graduate Council. Dependent upon a student’s educational background, some graduate programs may require leveling courses to be taken prior to beginning graduate work.

Appeals: A student may appeal any decision of the Graduate Council or the chair of graduate studies. The student should follow this process:

1. Write a letter to the chair stating his/her request.
2. Appear before the Graduate Council to make an appeal.