College of Education and Human Development

Expanding Possibilities, Creating Solutions

Mission

The College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, devoted to excellence in instruction, research, and service, prepares leaders representing diverse backgrounds and experiences, to serve the educational needs in the global community.

Catalog Subject To Change

Our programs may be required to respond to inter-catalog edition mandates for curricular and or policy changes required by outside accreditation, licensing and certification requirements.  Required timelines for these responses may not allow for standard college and university based review process.  In such cases, programs will publish and disseminate information about changes on website and current student handbook addenda.  Examples include Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Graduate Programs

The College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) offers the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in the majors listed below. The COEHD graduate program also offers the certification areas and Supplemental Certificates listed below.

  • Doctor of Education
    • Educational Leadership
  • Doctor of Philosophy
    • Counselor Education
    • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Master of Science
    • Athletic Training
    • Curriculum and Instruction
    • Early Childhood Education
    • Educational Administration
    • Elementary Education

    • Higher Education Administration

    • Instructional Design and Educational Technology
    • Kinesiology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Professional School Counseling
    • Reading
    • Secondary Education
    • Special Education
  • Certification Areas
    • All-Level Education (EC-12)
    • Elementary Education (EC-6, 4-8)
    • Educational Diagnostician
    • Principal
    • Reading Specialist
    • School Counselor
    • Secondary Education (7-12)
    • Superintendent  
  • Supplemental Certificates:
    • Bilingual Education (EC-6)
    • English as a Second Language
    • Gifted and Talented  

Graduate programs offered by the COEHD are designed to provide opportunities for students to engage in scholarly pursuits at advanced levels. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition and application of existing knowledge and the generation of new knowledge.

While the course sequence in some of the degrees is designed to provide graduates with competencies required for certification, degree plans may be tailored to meet the special needs of students who desire the degree, but not the certification.

College of Education and Human Development Graduate Policies and Regulations

In addition to the University’s graduate policies and requirements in the general section of the catalog, the College of Education and Human Development has the following policies and regulations.

Graduate Admission to the College of Education and Human Development

Applicants are eligible to pursue master- or doctoral-level course work in the COEHD if they meet the following conditions.

  1. All applicants must meet the general graduate admission requirements of the University.
  2. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 and a graduate GPA of 3.00 on the last 60 semester credit hours of undergraduate work and any previous work in graduate school.

    1. The MS in Athletic Training Program uses the cumulative undergraduate GPA for graduate admission standards.  Applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate 3.00 GPA.  A graduate GPA of 3.00 will also qualify applicants for the MS in Athletic Training Program.

  3. Applicants must complete the goals statement as required on the application form. The statement should be between 300 to 400 words, and should include information about their reasons for pursuing graduate study and for choosing a specific graduate program in the College of Education and Human Development. Other background information relevant to the application may be included. Applications will be evaluated by the appropriate faculty and/or advisor within the College of Education and Human Development.
  4. Students who have submitted all required application documents, but who do not meet the minimum GPA of 3.00, may enroll in the degree program of their choice in a conditional status in courses approved by the chair of the department in which the applicant seeks admission.
    1. Admission to the Educator Preparation Program with “Conditional Status” (See “Graduate Student Admission Classifications” for an explanation of  “Conditional Status”.) After completing at least 6 semester credit hours in specified courses with a GPA of not less than 3.00 at this University, applicants may continue the application process into a graduate program in the College of Education and Human Development. Graduate students on conditional status normally take no more than 6 graduate hours per semester until the conditional status is removed. However, students admitted conditionally in the department of Counseling and Educational Psychology may take 9 semester credit hours per semester with the approval of the Department and Athletic Training Program within the Kinesiology Department may take 10 semester credit hours per semester with the approval of the Program.
    2. If students fail to meet the conditions stipulated by the department to which they were conditionally admitted, they will be suspended from the College of Education and Human Development for at least one year. During this suspension, they cannot take any graduate courses in the College of Education and Human Development. After a year’s suspension, students may reapply for the program of their choice. No more than 9 semester hours of courses taken at this University or any other University while in this conditional status may be applied to this specific graduate degree at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, except for Athletic Training which is allowed to take 10 credit hours.

Applicants for the counseling programs will have additional admission requirements.  Please check with the Counseling Department for details.

Applicants for the doctoral programs in counselor education, curriculum and instruction, or educational leadership must meet all additional requirements for those programs as specified by the program. For doctoral application deadlines, see the catalog section for the appropriate doctoral program.

Applicants for the athletic training program will have additional admission requirements.  Please check with the Kinesiology Department or Athletic Training Program for details.

Master of Science with Certification Degree Plans

Prior to full or conditional acceptance into the College of Education and Human Development Graduate Program, students seeking initial certification and a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education or in Secondary Education must

  1. meet all requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and pass the desired content area TExES Pre-Admission Content Exam (PACT). More information regarding the PACT can be found at https://www.tx.nesinc.com/;
  2. Complete an admission interview with a faculty member of the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning Sciences; and 
  3. Acknowledge, sign and return a letter of acceptance declaring their choice of certification area to comply with Texas Education Agency rules. Upon this declaration, students may not change from their initial choice of certification area. 

Admission Requirements to the Educator Preparation Program  and Full Admission to Graduate Program

  • Candidate must hold a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning. Official transcripts must reflect an overall 3.00 GPA on a 4.0 scale or  3.00 in last 60 hours.
  • Candidate must pass the TExES Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT).
  • Candidate must meet all requirements for admission to the graduate program and submit the online graduate application at http://gradschool.tamucc.edu/application.html.

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES)

In addition to successful completion of all courses, to be recommended for teacher certification, students must pass all appropriate TExES examinations required by the State Board for Educator Certification.

The Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) must be successfully completed prior to enrolling in the graduate program for an M.S. in Elementary or Secondary Education.

Initial certification in the following areas:

  • Art EC-12
  • Bilingual Generalist EC-6 (requires Bilingual target language proficiency test)
  • English Language Arts and Reading 4-8
  • English Language Arts and Reading 7-12
  • Generalist EC-6
  • History 7-12
  • Life Science 7-12
  • LOTE Spanish EC-12
  • Mathematics 4-8
  • Mathematics 7-12
  • Music EC-12
  • Physical Education EC-12
  • Physical Science 6-12
  • Science 4-8
  • Social Studies 4-8
  • Social Studies 7-12
  • Special Education EC-12
  • Theatre EC-12

Probationary Certificates

For those individuals who already hold a probationary certificate and need to extend that probationary certificate for a second and/or third year, the College of Education and Human Development offers students the opportunity to retake

EDUC 5393 Internship I for the Intern Teacher (1-3 sch) and EDUC 5394 Internship II for the Intern Teacher (3 sch) up to two additional times, for a total of 3 times per course; however the Internship I and Internship II courses will count only one time on the M.S. degree.

Upon completion of all required courses and passing of the required TExES EC-12 PPR exam, the student may apply to the Texas Education Agency for the initial teaching certification. Additional fees will be assessed by the Texas Education Agency and fingerprinting for background checks.

Certification Testing Accountability

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires competency exams for specified certification areas. TEA reports indicate that for completion year 2016-17, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is rated accredited.

Graduate Programs and Courses

A list of all graduate degrees offered by the COEHD may be found at the beginning of the “Education” page above. Provided below are details about the specific master’s and doctoral programs, including information on admission requirements, degree requirements, related certificates, and other matters. Also provided below are descriptions of the courses offered by the degree programs and supporting disciplines. The following section is organized alphabetically by discipline.

Bilingual/ESL/Multicultural

Bilingual/ESL/Multicultural courses are designed for students pursuing supplemental certificates in Bilingual Education (EC-Grade 6) and English as a Second Language. Also, these courses are offered in support of graduate degree programs in fields such as Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction. For details concerning these programs, please see the list below of the catalog.

Programs