Program Admission Requirements:

Candidates applying for the Alternative M.Ed. in Elementary Education have the option of attending online or on-campus. Candidates must choose their modality at admission.

To apply for the online modality, the candidate must be employed in an elementary school, either as a classroom teacher or paraeducator. If the candidate is a paraeducator, a letter from the principal stating that they will support the paraeducator with observation and/or internship requirements is required.  

If a modality change is necessary while the student pursues their degree, the candidate should contact Graduate Studies.  

Admission to the Teacher Education Program occurs when a candidate is unconditionally admitted to the University’s graduate program. The following criteria must be completed to achieve both unconditional admission to the University, as well as admission to the Teacher Education Program.

• ​Completed application available at www.montevallo.edu/apply
• An official transcript from each institution of higher education attended
• Meets one of the following criteria related to GPA:
  • Bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of at least 2.75
  • Bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA between 2.0 - 2.74 AND an accompanying alternative Praxis II score (please see testing information linked below)
  • Master’s degree or higher with an overall GPA of at least 3.0
• Satisfactory score(s) on Praxis examination(s). 
• Successful completion of 12 hours in English/Language Arts at the undergraduate level
• Fingerprinting and Background Clearance
• Teacher Education Program interview
• Additional requirements for the online modality include
  • An EXP form showing proof of employment in a school system as either a classroom teacher or paraeducator is required.
  • For paraeducators, a letter from the principal stating support for the paraeducator with observation and/or internship requirements is required.
• For those students enrolling in the online option, an EXP form showing proof of employment in a school system is required. Paraeducators must also provide a letter of support from their principal.  

TEP Retention

• Maintain minimum 3.25 program GPA 
• All coursework completed with a minimum grade of “C.” Students will be allowed one repeat to improve a course grade lower than a “C.”
• Fewer than three incident reports

Progression to Internship

• Completion of all prerequisite course work.
• Qualifying score on all applicable tests.

Program Completion

• 3.25 graduating GPA with a final grade of “C” or better in all Professional Studies and Teaching Field courses
• Successful completion (final grade of C or better) of the following courses:
  • EDI 570 : Internship in Elementary Education
  • EDI 599 : Intern Certification Preparation
• Satisfactory intern evaluations
• edTPA Performance Portfolio Tasks (1, 2, and 3)