Academic Partnerships
Frequently Asked Questions
More AP FAQs from their website
1. Can I take two classes at the same time (concurrently)?
Yes, students are permitted to take up to two classes per term as per Graduate School guidelines. Students could take two classes during term 1 and two during term 2 each semester. Students should be aware of the time required for each class so as to not overload themselves. Students are not permitted to take more than two classes per term.
2. When can I take the Supervised Internship class?
The Supervised Internship class is the last class you take. All other courses must be completed before you are allowed to enroll in it. To enroll, you must obtain permission from the department office. Students should contact Haley Rogers at hrogers@astate.edu or Alletha Davis at adavis@astate.edu to conduct a course audit to ensure your eligibility to enroll and to clear holds to permit you to register for the class.
3. Can I transfer credit taken at another university into the program?
Yes, a student may transfer up to 9 semester hours of equivalent graduate credit. The credit must have earned a grade of A or B and can be no older than 6 years at the time the student graduates from A-State. However, be aware that transferring credit may mean you will not have enough activities in the portfolio to finish the degree. Credit used for a master’s degree may not be used again for the EdS degree.
4. I’m pursuing the EdS – Principal Track (Curriculum Track, etc) degree and have already taken some of the required classes in my master’s program. Do I have to retake those classes?
No, you do not retake those classes. Subject to your advisor’s approval, you will substitute a 7000-level class from the superintendent track for each class you’ve taken in the master’s program. However, you cannot take the 7000-level Field Study or Supervised Internship class as substitutes. Example: You took School and Community Relations in your MSE program. You will not take it again but will substitute a 7000-level class such as School District Administration in its place. Credit used for a master’s degree may not be used again for the EdS degree.
5. When is the Supervised Internship class offered?
The Supervised Internship class (and Field Study for the EdS) is offered each semester – fall, spring, & summer.
6.I’ve just started my degree program and would like to get a schedule of all my classes telling me when they are offered for the next two years. Can you provide me with a published schedule?
Generally we try to develop a course rotation schedule for 12 months and have these posted on the website. However, because a number of factors affect the schedule each semester, a class may be added or deleted at the last minute. You should check Banner Self Service to see which classes are offered
7. I received my MSE in Educational Leadership from A-State to obtain my building level administration license. Can I pursue the EdS – Principal Track to earn a higher degree?
No, the EdS tracks (other than the superintendent track) are designed for individuals who have a master’s degree in some area other than educational leadership but who want to obtain their license as a principal, curriculum director, special education director, etc. Normally, those individuals would complete a program of study consisting of a minimum of 18-24 hours from the MSE program. A-State added four 7000-level classes to the program of study classes and offered those individuals a means of obtaining a higher degree than a master’s. In your case, you would have completed 18 hours (six classes) in the MSE degree which means you would have to substitute six 7000-level classes for the EdS degree. A specialist degree must consist of a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond a master's degree and courses used to obtain a master's degree cannot be used again to earn a specialist degree.
8. I started my degree in the MSE-Building Level Administrator program and noticed that you now offer a specialist (EdS) degree as a principal. Can I switch from the MSE program to the EdS program?
Yes, BUT only if you already have a master’s degree in some other area. If you do not have a master’s degree you cannot enroll in the specialist program since you must have a master’s degree to be admitted to the program.
9. I received my METP degree from AState and started the EdS –Superintendent Track program. I noticed that you now offer several EdS tracks. Can I switch from the Superintendent Track to one of the new tracks?
Yes, but be aware that some of the 7000-level classes that you’ve already taken may not count toward the new track. Check the course requirements to see which ones are required in the new track.
10. I just finished my second class and the instructor told us to put an assignment into LiveText. We were not told to put any assignments into LiveText in the first class. Should I be putting specific assignments from each class into LiveText?
Most classes have some assignments that must be used in your portfolio. Those assignments are listed in the Supervised Internship Handbook found in My Organizations on the home page of Blackboard when you first log into Blackboard. You will place these activities in your portfolio.
I would suggest that you store all assignments in LiveText for safekeeping so they'll be present when you construct your portfolio. This is why most instructors (but not all) are telling you to put assignments in LiveText. They are not graded there for a class grade but are being stored there for future retrieval. We've heard several horror stories from students who have finished their coursework and started their portfolio only to discover that their flashdrive containing their files was missing or reformatted, hard drives crashed, computers were stolen, etc. By storing files on LiveText you have access to them at all times and LiveText has redundant servers so if one crashes the files are stored on another as well. (You can use LiveText to store files other than those required for your portfolio. Just be aware that LiveText accounts are only valid for a few years.)
There are instructions for storing files in LiveText located here. To purchase a subscription to LiveText follow these directions.
11. I rely on financial aid to take classes. How many classes must I take to be eligible to receive financial aid?
You must be enrolled in at least three hours of credit. This applies to each semester. Summer is considered a semester for financial aid purposes so you can take 3 hours in summer term I or 3 in summer term II and be eligible.
12. I live in Mississippi and want to get an administrator’s license. Will the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership allow me to do this?
We have five EdS tracks. All EXCEPT the EdS – Superintendent Track can be used to get a license in Mississippi according to the latest information I’ve received from the Mississippi Department of Education. However, you should check with the MS Dept of Ed to ensure that the degree will be accepted by MS. Be sure to tell them that the degree will result in licensure in Arkansas as a principal/curr director/sped director/gt director (whichever track you are in).
13. I live in Mississippi, started an EdS degree program in educational leadership at ASU, and am now being told that it will not lead to licensure in Mississippi. What is going on?
Some Mississippi residents started the EdS degree before the new degrees were added. The original EdS degree, known now as the Superintendent Track, was (and still is) designed to prepare school leaders to become school superintendents in the state of Arkansas. The Mississippi Department of Education states it will award an administrator’s certificate to anyone who receives an advanced degree from AState IF they are eligible to receive an administrator’s license in the state of Arkansas. The problem is that the original EdS superintendent degree does not lead to licensure in Arkansas as a building principal, curriculum director, etc. It only leads to licensure as a superintendent. AND, in Arkansas, you must hold a “lower level” (principal, director, etc.) license before you can obtain the superintendent license. Therefore, unless you hold a principal’s license (or director, etc.) you cannot obtain a license using the original EdS degree. To obtain a principal license in Arkansas (and Mississippi) you must be enrolled in the EdS – Principal Track degree program.
14. I started the EdS degree in one track but now I want to switch to another track. Some of the courses I’ve already taken are not required in the new track. Can they be substituted for some of the classes in the new track?
The answer is, unfortunately in most cases, “No”. Each degree track has specific courses required to meet Arkansas requirements for licensure.
15. I rely on financial aid to pay for my courses and must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 hours each semester to be eligible for aid. This semester there are no hours offered in my program in which I can enroll. Can I enroll in an extra course that’s not in my program in order to have the minimum 3 hours?
The answer is, “It depends.” It’s my understanding that the Federal government has placed restrictions on federal financial aid by insisting that only courses required for a degree are eligible for aid. This requirement was put in place because so many students were defaulting on student loans. You should contact the Financial Aid office to see if this restriction applies to you. Sometimes you can modify your program of study by adding hours to it. For example, your program may not require Special Education Law but you might want to add it to your program because of its benefit.
16. Where can I find information about the internship, portfolio, and handbook?
Log into Blackboard. In the center column on the page you’ll see a section called My Organizations. Click on Internship & Portfolio Information.
17. I’m seeking the Ed.S. (Principal Track) degree. Which internship handbook do I use? The MSE Handbook is for the principal and the EdS Handbook is for the superintendent. I’m confused.
Check the site mentioned in question 16. It should have the handbooks clearly identified for you.