Admission Requirements

Admission to the program requires the following minimum criteria: 

1. A minimum GPA of 3.00 for courses taken in the last 60 hours of course work in the undergraduate program. Students who do not meet the GPA requirements must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A GRE score of 475 or higher on either the Verbal or Quantitative section, AND a score of not less than 400 on the remaining section with results from the GRE provided prior to the student’s registering for more than 9 hours.

2. Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based or a comparable score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL are required for admission. 

3. A student who does not meet all the above criteria, but who demonstrates outstanding potential, may be fully admitted by the Director of the Elementary Graduate Program or the department head for Childhood Education and Family Studies on the basis of individual merit and successful completion of the first 9 hours (3.00 GPA or higher).

Admission Procedure 

Following admission to graduate study and prior to the completion of 9 graduate hours of master’s degree course work at Missouri State University, the student must submit the following to the Director of the Elementary Graduate Program to continue in the program: 

To be considered for admission to this program, a student must apply to both the Department of Childhood Education and Family Studies and the Graduate College (refer to the Graduate College, Admission to Graduate Studies, Admission Requirements.) 

1. Students must possess a bachelor’s degree and must meet the requirements for admission to graduate school as stated under the Admission to Graduate Study section of the Graduate Catalog. 

2. In addition, the following materials must be submitted to the Department of Childhood Education and Family Studies: 

a. A letter of intent containing teaching and professional goals, future plans, background information, teaching experiences, and option area (see Course Requirements, No. 3). 

b. A copy of an appropriate teacher certification or eligibility for teacher certification by a state agency. Application without certification or eligibility may be accepted with permission from the Director of Elementary Graduate Program or the department head of Childhood Education and Family Studies. 

c. Submission of three letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with the candidate’s academic abilities and teaching potential. 

d. Completion of any required prerequisite courses or permission from the Director of the Elementary Graduate Program or the department head of Childhood Education and Family Studies. 

Degree Requirements 

1. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 33 approved graduate hours with a minimum overall GPA of 3.00. 

2. No more than 16 hours of 500-level course work may be applied to the degree program. 

3. Comprehensive Examination. A comprehensive examination must be passed by the candidate before a degree will be granted. 

4. Research 

Option I: Completion of one research seminar which shall require an extensive paper or major creative work. 

Option II. Completion of a satisfactory thesis in the candidate’s discipline. This credit shall be not more than 6 hours of the minimum 33 required for the degree. 

5. Transfer credit. A maximum of 30% of the 33 hours of graduate credit may be accepted toward the master’s degree. All transfer credit must be “A” or “B” grade status from an accredited college or university and must be approved by the Director of the Elementary Graduate Program.