CLEVELAND, Miss.—K-12 and higher education professionals interested in earning an advanced degree now have new options at Delta State University.
Starting this Fall, Delta State will be adding an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degrees in Higher Education, and Curriculum and Instruction to its graduate program offerings.
Designed for the working professional, both 30 credit-hour programs will be fully online and can be completed in as little as one year.
According to Dean of DSU’s College of Education and Human Sciences Dr. Leslie Griffin, the new offerings were added in response to the interests of students and employers.
“I appreciate that our faculty and curriculum teams are in touch with the needs of our students. They regularly conduct surveys of students and employers to determine where there are needs for special programming. Such was the case in adding these advanced degrees,” explained Griffin.
“They will provide students with flexibility and programs that allow them varied options for fulfilling their career goals,” she added.
Dr. Merideth Van Namen, chair of DSU’s Division of Teacher Education, Leadership and Research (TELR), said the Ed.S. in Higher Education is a viable option for individuals who desire an administration degree who are not in a K-12 setting.
Unlike many programs, the higher education track will not require a teacher’s license for admission.
“This is geared towards anyone who wants to work in higher education—especially those at a junior college. It also caters to individuals who have a master’s degree in a variety of disciplines but is also interested in earning administration credentials,” said Van Namen.
The Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction is ideal for K-12 professionals with a master’s degree in a variety of educational fields who are interested in adding an additional degree to their toolbelt.
“They may be interested in serving as a curriculum specialist at their school or school district,” said Van Namen. “This degree will give them another route beyond what they earned their master’s degree in.”
Those K-12 professionals earning the degree will also be eligible for an AAA teacher certification, which often includes an increase in salary.
Van Namen said the department is excited to offer the additional options to prospective students.
“Currently, we offer an Ed.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision or Elementary Education, so it’s kind of restrictive to K-12. We constantly receive inquiries about degrees that are not K-12 focused, so we know there’s a market for it,” said Van Namen.
With several years of preparation that included approval at the department, college and university level, the programs received final approval from the Mississippi Department of Education and the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning last month.
“We are very excited about this,” said Van Namen. “We’ve put in a lot of effort to make sure it’s the right fit. We had a lot of hoops to jump through, but we did it and we’re thrilled.”
Members of the curriculum team included: Dr. Corlis Snow, Dr. Lynn Reed, Dr. Jacqueline Craven and Van Namen.
In addition to the new Ed.S. degrees, graduate programs offered by Delta State’s Division of TELR include: a master’s in Special Education, master’s and specialist degrees in Elementary Education, Master of Arts in Teaching (alternate route), master’s and specialist degrees in Educational Administration and Supervision and a Doctor of Professional Studies (Ed.D.) with tracks in Higher Education, Educational Administration and Supervision as well as Curriculum and Instruction.
The Division also offers an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education (both on DSU’s campus and Hinds Community College).
To learn more, visit www.deltastate.edu or call (662) 846-4370.
