Texas Wesleyan University 2020-2021 Catalog

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Admission to the Fifth Year Option in Education

The Fifth Year Option gives outstanding undergraduates the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) within five years. It is available to EC-6 Bilingual majors, EC-6 Generalist with ESL Certification majors, Liberal Studies students, and secondary education students pursuing certification Biology, English, History or Spanish. To be considered for admission to the Fifth Year Option, students must submit a Fifth Year Option application after the semester they complete 90 hours of undergraduate level coursework. Only Fifth Year Option applicants demonstrating superior undergraduate academic performance and strong recommendations from faculty members will be considered for admission to the Fifth Year Option. If admitted to the Fifth Year Option, a student may complete up to 9 semester hours of graduate level coursework during the fourth year of undergraduate study. At the end of the fourth year, the student’s B.A. or B.S. will be posted and the student will continue taking the rest of the graduate level coursework required to obtain the M.Ed.

During the fifth year at Texas Wesleyan University, the student will complete the remaining graduate level coursework required for graduation from the M.Ed. program.

Fifth Year Option Degree Program

The Fifth Year Option B.A. or B.S./M.Ed. program provides students with an EC-6 Bilingual, EC-6 Generalist with ESL Certification, Liberal Studies, or secondary education with Biology, English, History, or Spanish undergraduate degree in education and a Master of Education degree with a concentration in one of the following fields of study: reading, or second language education and culture. By meeting requirements for the two degrees simultaneously, students are able to earn the B.A. or B.S. and M.Ed. degrees within five years, a length of time shorter than if each of the degrees were pursued separately. Completing the M.Ed. in one year assumes that the student follows the prescribed degree plan. Any deviation from the degree plan may prolong the completion of the degree. The combined B.A. or B.S./M.Ed. degree program enables students who plan to become Texas certified teachers the capability to complete all certification requirements. The two degrees may be completed in approximately five years. Applicants are initially admitted into the Teacher Education program and must follow the program requirements for the EC-6 Bilingual or the EC-6 Generalist with ESL Certification programs. Applicants to the Fifth Year Option degree program must meet the admission requirements of both the undergraduate and the graduate programs (where applicable) and follow the application procedures for the respective programs.

Enrollment in the Fifth Year Option must be continual and in consecutive semesters. If a Fifth Year Option student does not enroll continuously or consecutively, her/his degree plan will default to the standard 36-hour M.Ed. program.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants to the Fifth Year Option B.A. or B.S./M.Ed. program must meet the admission requirements of both the undergraduate and the graduate programs and follow the application procedures for the respective programs. Please refer to the undergraduate admission requirements into the Teacher Education Program (2.5 GPA, appropriate THEA scores, completion of EDU 2300). M.Ed. admission decisions are based on an overall evaluation of the items listed below to estimate an applicant’s potential for success in the graduate program. In order to assure success in a graduate program, admission requirements for the combined B.A. or B.S./M.Ed. graduate program are as follows:

  1. Be fully admitted into the Teacher Education Program;
  2. GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (overall or last 60 hours) or a GRE score of 291 or greater: Minimum scores are subject to change upon revision to graduate admissions test;
  3. A letter of recommendation from an educator or employer is required showing that the applicant is motivated to achieve, has the capacity to contribute to the learning process, and will bring real life experience to the program, and will enhance the overall experience of other graduate students;
  4. Two additional letters of recommendation from Wesleyan undergraduate Education faculty members are required;
  5. A current resume or vita to assess professional and academic preparation for graduate studies;
  6. An interview with Graduate Admission faculty committee and a writing sample is required in order to demonstrate English proficiency, critical thinking and analytical writing skills.

Admissions Process

All Master of Education admission decisions are based on an overall evaluation of the items listed under the Admission Criteria section to estimate an applicant’s potential for success in the graduate program. As part of the admission’s process, students are required to submit the following documents:

  1. Letter of Formal Acceptance into the Teacher Education Program;
  2. Completed graduate admission application with application fee by the required deadline. The fee is non-refundable regardless of whether the application is withdrawn or admission is denied;
  3. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended;
  4. A letter of recommendation from an educator or employer and two additional letters of recommendation from Wesleyan undergraduate Education faculty members are required (refer to admission criteria above);
  5. GRE scores as appropriate: Minimum scores are subject to change upon revision to graduate admissions tests;
  6. A current resume or vita to assess professional and academic preparation for graduate studies;
  7. Writing Sample: Students will schedule a time to complete an on-campus writing sample.

The last day to complete applications for one-time fall admission is June 15.

Fifth Year Option B.A. OR B.S./M.Ed. Graduation Requirements

  1. Complete the required 30 semester hours of graduate level coursework from Texas Wesleyan University beyond the undergraduate credit hours required for the undergraduate degree;
  2. A cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 on all graduate level coursework;
  3. A cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 on all undergraduate and graduate level coursework;
  4. Continual and consecutive enrollment in the required Fifth Year Option coursework;
  5. Completion of 15 hours of graduate level concentration coursework in Reading, or Second Language Education and Culture as part of the 30 hours of graduate level coursework required for graduation.

Students may elect to complete 2 or more concentrations.

Application for graduation must be filed in the Office of Student Records no later than the date listed in the catalog calendar

All course work applicable to the master's degree must be completed within seven years from the date that the student was admitted to the program. Any request for an extension must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Graduate Studies in Education and approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.