In addition to the general University requirements for admission to graduate studies, all applicants for admission to the Master of Education degree program must meet all of the requirements stated in one of the following categories:

Provisional Admission is granted to the applicant who

a. completes an application for admission

b. files all necessary transcripts

c. has registered to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test

d. has earned an initial undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher

Regular Admission is granted to the applicant who

a. completes an application for admission
b. files all necessary transcripts
c. presents a score of 2,700 obtained by multiplying the initial undergraduate grade point average by the combined Graduate Record Examination general test scores
d. has completed 6 hours of graduate work at LSU in Shreveport with no more than one grade of "C"
e. has earned at least a 3.0 overall GPA on all graduate work transferred

Program Requirements

The Master of Education degree program of 36 hours is composed of at least 9 hours in educational and psychological foundations, 21-24 hours in a selected specialty area with at least 12 hours in one area, and 3-6 hours in a Master's Project or Thesis. Specific courses within these categories are selected by the student in consultation with the student's graduate advisor.
 

Transfer Students
Students seeking the Master of Education degree at LSU in Shreveport may transfer up to fifty per cent of the necessary hours provided that the final fifty per cent be in residence at LSU in Shreveport, and provided that the transferred credit be at the level of B or better and from a regionally accredited institution, and provided that the transferred credit be approved by the graduate program director and the faculty members whose expertise is in courses under review for transfer credit; and further that the eight-year restriction on courses taken in the past would not apply to these transferred courses if such a waiver should be approved by the Director of Graduate Programs in consultation with the faculty members who have expertise in the areas in which course transfer credit is being requested, and further that once a student has officially been admitted to the M.Ed. program, he/she would have no longer than 5 years to complete the M.Ed.
 

Program of Study

Applicants for admission to the Master of Education degree program must file a Program of Study in the office of the Director of the Graduate Programs in the Department of Education as a condition for Regular Admission. The Program of Study is developed with the advice and approval of the student's graduate advisor if the student elects to complete the Master's Project. If the student elects to complete the Master's Thesis, the Program of Study is developed with the advice of the student's graduate advisor and concurrence of the student's advisory committee. The three-person thesis advisory committee will be selected by the student in consultation with the student's graduate advisor and shall consist of the student's graduate advisor and two other faculty members, both of whom could be from the Department of Education or both from outside the Department of Education or a combination of one member from the Department of Education and one member from outside the Department of Education.

The completed and signed Program of Study must be filed within the first two semesters of enrolling. In order for courses to be counted toward degree requirements, they must be included in the student's approved program. All requests for program changes must be made to and formally approved by the student's graduate advisor and advisory committee (if thesis candidate). Program changes are not official until approved by the Director of Graduate Programs.
 

Research Component

The research component in the Master of Education degree program is designed to prepare the professional education student for a lifetime of skilled practice based on current research, theory and practice. The student may elect to complete a 3-hour Master's Project or a 6-hour Master's Thesis. The Master's Project is completed in one semester. The nature of the project is determined by the student in consultation with his/her graduate advisor. The Master's Thesis consists of 6 hours and is completed in two semesters. The nature of the thesis is determined by the student in consultation with his/her graduate advisor and with the approval of the thesis committee.

Master's Project and Thesis Presentation

All students will present orally the results of the Master's Project or Thesis. The presentation is open to faculty, staff, family and friends of the graduates. The presentation provides an opportunity for students to present formally the results of their research and offers others an opportunity to honor the Master of Education degree graduates.
 

^{1Secondary Education majors must take at least 12 hours in the student's field of certification and/or related fields within the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
2The student who selects the master's project may combine the project with the field learning experience.
3The student who selects the thesis option is encouraged to take PSYC 716, Intermediate Statistics, among the courses in the specialty area.}