Application Requirements

Candidates must follow the application requirements in order to earn the program degree and/or teacher certification.

Candidates holding a degree in a teaching field may be eligible to transfer up to six semester hours (or no more than two courses) of coursework from another institution, provided these courses are equivalent to Samford University’s courses, the courses are on the same level as the degree the candidate wishes to pursue (ex: master’s level to master’s level), and these courses were not used toward the completion of a previous degree. Transfer courses require the preapproval of the chair of Graduate Studies, the certification officer, and the Alabama State Board of Education (ALSDE). Candidates wishing to receive preapproval must provide two official copies of transcripts and detailed catalog course descriptions for each course from the university where these courses were taken. The candidate must have earned a grade of B or better in each course the candidate wishes to be considered for transfer.

Note: Effective July 1, 2017, and thereafter, a person who is eligible for unconditional admission to an Alternative Class A program shall have earned a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) overall of 2.75 or a master’s or higher degree with a GPA of at least 3.0. This GPA must be documented on the official transcript of the degree granting institution and must be the GPA that was used as the basis for granting the degree, not a GPA that includes post-degree courses.

Test Information for GRE and MAT

Candidates interested in pursuing a master of science degree must provide an official score report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 295 (verbal and quantitative combined), or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) with a minimum score of 396. No score older than six years will be accepted.

Please note: this requirement is waived for any candidate who has successfully completed a graduate degree prior to beginning a graduate program.

Disability Accommodations

Students and applicants with disabilities who seek accommodations must make a request by contacting the Section 504/Disability Access and Accommodation Coordinator, Accessibility and Accommodations, 205-726-4078, disability@samford.edu.

Completion of Coursework

Candidates in all graduate programs must ensure they take the correct courses, according to the checklist, and earn the correct number of semester hours for completing a degree. The same courses do not count toward two certificates on different levels, e.g., Class A and Class AA.

Grade Point Average

Class A Traditional Admission

Candidates eligible for unconditional admission to a traditional Class A program must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 on all courses used to meet the requirements on the approved program checklist for Alabama State Board of Education educator preparation program.

Class A Alternative Admission

Candidates eligible for unconditional admission to an Alternative Class A program must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 on all courses used to meet the requirements on the approved program checklist for Alabama State Board of Education educator preparation program.

Class AA Admission

Candidates eligible for unconditional admission to a Class AA instructional leadership program must satisfactorily complete a State-approved program with a minimum GPA of 3.50 on all courses in the Alabama State Board of Education approved instructional leadership program.

State Certification Application

If applicable, candidates will be given paperwork to be completed for Alabama certification during the final semester of coursework. The paperwork must be returned to the certification officer.

Comprehensive Exit Examination

All graduate candidates are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination in order to be eligible for graduation. Candidates in masters and specialist programs will complete the comprehensive examination process during the final semester of coursework. Candidates in the doctoral program will complete the comprehensive examination after completion of the first year.