Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Jeffry King 

Email: jtk32@txstate.edu

For the M.Ed. program in Secondary Education - Creativity, Talent, and Transformation, and the M.A. program in Secondary Education - Talent Development: 

Dr. Susan Field Waite 

Email: sw22@txstate.edu 

Apply to the Graduate College for admittance to the program. Refer to the Graduate College's website for the application forms, deadlines, and other requirements at: https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu

As soon as you complete the application, the Graduate College will send your application packet to the advisor for approval to be admitted to the program.

If you are also seeking a teaching certificate, then apply to the Office of Educator Preparation (OEP) for a certification plan. Look for the link titled "Admittance." Complete this application after you have been accepted to the graduate program. The OEP's website is https://www.education.txstate.edu/oep/

Students are required to have a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 semester hours of letter-grade work earned or a 2.75 GPA overall. The GRE is not required. 

Students are strongly encouraged to email Dr. Jeffry King, the graduate advisor for Secondary Education. His email is: jtk32@txstate.edu. 

Students with a concentration in Talent Development or Creativity, Talent, and Transformation are encouraged to email Dr. Susan Field Waite, the graduate advisor for the M.A. in Secondary Education - Talent Development and the M.Ed. in Secondary Education - Creativity, Talent, and Transformation. Her email address is sw22@txstate.edu 

Students who are seeking a master's degree and a teaching certificate are advised to take CI 5390, CI 5314, and CI 5333 during the first semester. 

The Office of Educator Preparation answers these questions on their webpage: http://www.education.txstate.edu/oep/

The five graduate-level certification courses count towards the master's degree. The two courses of student teaching do not. Students must be accepted to the master's degree in Secondary Education before taking the certification courses to have them count towards the master's degree. Courses taken for certification purposes prior to admittance as a degree-seeking student in Secondary Education may not count. Your advisor can appeal up to 6 hours taken as a post-bac student to count in your master's degree plan. If you choose a minor in Secondary Education, only 12 hours (4 courses) will count on your degree plan.

The Office of Educator Preparation answers this question on their webpage: http://www.education.txstate.edu/oep/

The five graduate-level certification courses (CI 5314, CI 5333, CI 5363, CI 5370, and RDG 5324) are offered online during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. CI 5363 is not offered during the summer. Each semester, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers additional courses online. Email the graduate advisor for a list of online courses. The certification courses are also offered on the campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. 

It is possible for students to complete the M.Ed. in Secondary Education-Creativity, Talent, and Transformation fully online. Depending on course courses, it is also possible to complete the M.A. in Secondary Education - Talent Development fully online. International students who want to come to Texas State University on a F1 visa should apply to the M.A. program, not the online M.Ed. program. 

Many courses for the master's degree are offered in Round Rock; however, some courses are only offered in San Marcos.

It is possible to major in Secondary Education or to minor in Secondary Education. Students should consider their career goals when making this decision. If students decide to major in another field, then the admission requirements for the program will vary depending on the department.

If you are seeking a master's degree in Secondary Education and a teaching certificate, only one course can be substituted. If you are already a certified teacher, then you have more freedom in substituting the courses in your major. Email Dr. Nathan Bond, the graduate advisor in Secondary Education. His email is: NathanBond@txstate.edu

The M.A. is designed for students who want to pursue a doctoral degree. The M.Ed. is best for students seeking a teaching certificate and for experienced teachers who do not wish to write a thesis. 

In Secondary Education there are multiple specializations or concentrations: Talent Development; Creativity, Talent, and Transformation; Educational Technology; and Dual Credit. These specializations or concentrations are similar to a minor. 

The recommended minor for students majoring in Secondary Education is Composite because it offers the maximum flexibility. The composite minor includes 12 hours of courses in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Bond serves as the graduate advisor for the composite minor.

Students can choose a minor from another department. A list of minors appears on the Graduate College's website. If students choose a minor in another department (for example, math), then the graduate advisor in the other department will oversee the minor part of the master's degree.

Students can change or substitute courses in the composite minor with the advisor's approval. The advisor will submit a change of degree plan form to the Graduate College. If your minor is in another department (math, for example), you will need to contact your minor advisor to make changes to the courses. 

Information about graduation appears on the Graduate College's website. Students are required to "apply for graduation" at the beginning of the semester when they will graduate. 

Graduate students who are seeking a teaching certificate in Secondary Education are eligible to take three of the certification classes in a local high school. The three classes (CI 5363, CI 5370, and RDG 5324) are "blocked" together and fulfill partial requirements for the master's degree and teacher certification. The courses are offered each fall and spring semester on Mondays and Wednesdays at New Braunfels Canyon High School in Comal ISD, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hays High School in Hays CISD, San Marcos High School in San Marcos CISD, and McNeil High School in Round Rock ISD. The classes meet from 8 am to 3:30 pm. Graduate students spend part of the day with the professors taking college courses and part of the day working with high school students and practicing classroom teachers in their content areas. 

Prerequisites: CI 5314 and CI 5333

To be admitted to the block program, graduate students must complete an online application during the first month of the semester prior to taking the block courses. If students are unable to participate in the block program, they can take individual courses either online and in face-to-face formats in San Marcos and Round Rock. 

The 15-hour minor in Secondary Education is designed to meet the needs of the student who is seeking a teaching certification in a high school content area and majoring in another academic area. The courses in the minor fulfill the professional education requirements for a teacher certification in Texas. The courses are listed in the preferred order for taking them: CI 5314, CI 5333, CI 5363, CI 5370, and RDG 5324.

The 12-hour minor is designed to meet the needs of the student who already holds a teaching certificate in Texas and who is seeking professional development to become a more effective and informed teacher. The student will work with the graduate advisor to select the courses. 

Graduate students who were admitted during and after the fall of 2014 are required to complete one of two capstone courses. Graduate students who are currently teaching take CI 5389 while graduate students who are not currently teaching take CI 5306. Graduate students with a concentration in Talent Development or Creativity, Talent, and Transformation complete a designated capstone course in their degree programs. Graduate students who were admitted to the master's degree program prior to the fall of 2014 are required to pass the comprehensive exam.