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New Mexico State University

General Program Information:

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES OFFERED:

Bachelor of Science:
(Teaching Degrees)

Bachelor of Science:
(Non Teaching Degrees)

Bachelor of Arts:
(Non Teaching Degrees)

Associate Degree:

The College of Education provides undergraduate students with a broad general education and professional teacher training.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Complete at least 132 acceptable credits, including a minimum of 55 credits in courses numbered 300 or above with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above.

Students in teacher preparation programs must pass the New Mexico Teacher Assessments Basic Skills test prior to Admission to education courses numbered above 299.

Satisfy the general education requirements. Detailed programs are available in the College of Education Advisement Center. General education requirements will be individually planned for those students with an ACT composite standard score of 25 (85th percentile) or a 1020 SAT score (84.1 percentile).

Students in teacher preparation programs must be officially admitted to the Teacher Education Program. See requirements under Admission to the Teacher Education Program and Competitive Admission Process.

Be officially admitted to student teaching during the senior year. Requirements are below.

Prior to student teaching, complete teaching field requirements, and pass the Content Knowledge and General Knowledge portions of the New Mexico Teacher Assessments test.

Students must complete all professional education courses and all courses in the student's teaching field or major with a grade of C or better.

All students, including transfer students, must complete the last 30 semester credits required for the baccalaureate degree on the New Mexico State University campus. The four-year Servicemen's Opportunity College Program students are not exempt from this regulation.

Each student must possess the academic ability, character, and attitude suitable for teaching. A student who, in the professional judgment of the faculty and staff, does not possess these qualifications may be examined by a Selective Review Committee. The committee may recommend any of a variety of actions, ranging from remedial procedures to withdrawal from the Teacher Education Program.

Students with a bachelor's degree seeking teacher licensure must meet all admission criteria for the Teacher Education Program and be admitted to the Graduate School.

In addition, if faculty at any time determine that a student is weak in a particular skill, the College of Education may require remedial procedures in areas such as mathematics, composition, speaking, or other skills needed for success in public school teaching.

The above requirements are established for those seeking a teaching license. Other programs in the college such as Athletic Training, Nonlicensure, Physical Education, and Communication Disorders have specific requirements. Check in the advisement office or appropriate departments for program information.

SUGGESTED PROGRAM OF STUDY:

Requirements of a general nature and for each endorsement are available in the advisement center of the college. It is imperative that students, especially those new to the campus, report frequently to the advisement center to have their programs carefully and continually monitored in line with newly developing requirements.

All students henceforth will pursue a baccalaureate program leading to a Level I Teaching License. Preparation for this license includes 55 credits of general education, a professional block of course work of 36 credits in elementary education or 30 credits in secondary education, teaching field specialty blocks or endorsements of from 24 to 54 credits, and the remainder in electives. Students are urged to acquire as many endorsements to the initial license as possible. General education courses can be counted again within the endorsement areas when appropriate.

TRANSFER STUDENTS:

Transfer students will have their transcripts evaluated by the Registrar's Office and must meet all basic skills requirements, as well as be admitted to the Teacher Education Program through the formal application procedures. (See "Admission to the Teacher Education Program" below.)

Students with Degrees Seeking Certification Only

All students who already have degrees and who are seeking licensure must be admitted through a graduate licensing program. Details are available in the advisement center.

ADMISSION TO THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM (TEP):

Even though students declare their majors when they enter New Mexico State University, teacher candidates are not officially admitted to the Teacher Education Program until they formally apply and meet the following requirements:

A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50

Must complete 55 credit hours

Complete appropriate program prerequisites. See College of Education Advisement Center for specific program prerequisites.

Demonstration of competence in reading, mathematics, and composition by passing the Basic Skills component of the New Mexico Teacher Assessments test

Submit a portfolio for admission to the Teacher Education Program.The portfolio will be reviewed by faculty. Admission to TEP is contingent on faculty approval. See the COE Advisement Center for further clarification.

COMPETITIVE ADMISSION PROCESS:

Applicants who successfully complete the minimum requirements for admission will be reviewed by the Departmental Admission Committee. The admission committee will base admissions decisions on the applicants' academic qualifications, written communication, faculty recommendations, and the student's portfolio.

Applicants should be aware that admission to the Teacher Education Program is competitive and is based upon available faculty resources. Posted GPA, basic skills test scores and other prerequisites are minimums which are necessary to be considered for admission and do not ensure admittance into programs. Applicants are encouraged to develop a strong student portfolio, achieve the highest GPA possible, and present the portfolio in a professional manner.

Students who are not admitted may not take designated professional education courses numbered above EDUC 299. Students with a bachelor's degree seeking teacher licensure must meet all admission criteria for the Teacher Education Program and be admitted to the Graduate School.

Time Limit on Undergraduate Education Courses

Any education course more than seven years old taken at NMSU or at another institution will not be counted toward the student's undergraduate program. A student may ask for a review of this time limit by the appropriate department. The department head and/or faculty may recommend to accept a course that is seven years old with approval from the Deans' office. Any course not approved must be repeated by the student.

WITHDRAWING STUDENTS:

The College of Education reserves the right to withdraw students who are registered in 300-level or above education classes who are not admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

ADMISSION TO STUDENT TEACHING:

To be admitted to student teaching a student must

Submit complete formal application to the College of Education Advisement Center by February 9 for spring and by October 9 for fall a year prior to student teaching.

Maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50 prior to beginning student teaching.

Complete the teaching field requirements and pass the General Knowledge and Content Knowledge tests of the New Mexico Teacher Assessments.

Complete all prerequisites to student teaching (details available from the advisement center).

Students must complete all professional education courses and all courses in the student's teaching field with a grade of "C" or better.

Departmental faculty must approve a student's application for student teaching prior to assignments being finalized.

Students who do not meet all College of Education requirements for admission to student teaching will not be allowed to begin their student teaching until those requirements are met.

Student teachers can only be placed within an 80-mile radius of the campus.

STUDENT TEACHING EXPECTATIONS:

During the senior year, students must keep one semester free from other responsibilities so that they can devote full time to their student teaching responsibilities. Students should not have any outside commitments that will interfere with their student teaching activities. Students may be expected to follow the public school calendar rather than the university calendar. Exceptions must be approved in advance and in writing by the director of the Teacher Education Program. Any course work in addition to student teaching constitutes an overload that must be approved by the College of Education.

Student teachers should expect to meet all requirements of the school and school district in which they are working.

LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:

In the event that state teacher licensure requirements change, students preparing for licensure to teach should keep abreast of the licensure requirements of the State Department of Education. Copies of the rules and regulations governing licensure are available for students in the Advisement Office and the Office of the Dean of the College of Education. College of Education requirements meet or exceed the state licensure requirements. Whenever state licensure requirements are less than College of Education requirements, students must meet the College of Education requirements to receive a degree from or be recommended for licensure by NMSU. The College of Education reserves the right to change its requirements at any time in order to comply with changes in the regulations governing licensure.

Applying for teacher licensure is the responsibility of the student. The New Mexico Department of Education grants licensure.

The State of New Mexico requires that all candidates for licensure take and pass the state license examination. Upon completion of the degree and planned programs in the teaching fields, students are eligible for teacher licensure upon successfully completing the state license examination. The test is administered annually and information is available through Testing Services in Garcia Annex.

GRADUATE WORK:

The College of Education offers curricula leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Specialist in Education, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in education.

Those interested in pursuing graduate degrees in education should consult the Graduate Catalog for full information. A copy may be procured by writing the dean of the Graduate School.

ACCREDITATION:

The unit's teacher preparation program, which involves several colleges and which is directed by the College of Education, was accredited in 1962 by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Also, in the College of Education, the Communication Disorders master's program is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and the undergraduate athletic training program in Human Performance, Dance and Recreation is accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation. The Physical Education Program is approved by the National Association for Sports and Physical Education. The undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare individuals for licensure to work in public and private schools in New Mexico have been approved by the New Mexico State Board of Education.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

Twelve to thirteen credits in English (language arts)

Twelve credits in history, including American history and western civilization

Six credits in mathematics

Six credits from among the following social sciences: government, economics, sociology, anthropology, geography

Twelve credits in science from among the following sciences: biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy

Six credits in fine arts.

NOTE: Lists of specific courses that meet these requirements are available in the Education Advising Center.