School of Education

General Information

UAB offers graduate programs that lead to teacher certification in a variety of K-12 teaching disciplines (Biology, Language Arts, Early Childhood Education, English as a Second Language, Kinesiology/Physical Education, etc.) School Counseling, and Instructional Leadership and non-certification programs such as Community Health, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage, Couples, and Family, and Kinesiology with an Exercise Physiology concentration. UAB also offers graduate programs that are focused on Higher Education Administration (M.S.) and Instructional Design and Development (M.S.). A complete listing and description of all graduate programs are described in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Department of Human Studies sections of the catalog. Most certification programs have both master's (MAEd) and a post-master's Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree. Additionally, the School of Education offers doctoral programs in Early Childhood Education (PhD), Educational Leadership (EdD), Educational Studies in Diverse Populations (PhD), and Health Education/Health Promotion (PhD).

All certification programs in the School of Education are fully approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). All teacher certification programs within the School of Education have been approved by the Alabama State Board of Education (ALSDE). The School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health concentrations have also been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The Music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The Art program has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Degrees and Certificates

Degrees are awarded by UAB in recognition of scholastic achievement and may be pursued for their own sake. However, employment in the public schools is governed not by the degree but by the professional certificate issued by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). Since many students in these programs are preparing for work in the public schools, the pursuit of a degree is usually coupled with pursuit of ALSDE certification. There is a rough correspondence between degree level and certification class, as follows:

We emphasize that the admission and completion requirements for the degree and for the certificate are often significantly different. Furthermore, not all education students are pursuing teacher certification. Students seeking certification should verify requirements with an advisor or program director. Alabama State regulations governing certification change often; therefore, it is incumbent upon the student to seek advisement each term. Students should not register for any coursework without having first met with an advisor.