Alternative Class A program


What is the Alternative A (5th Year) program?

Alt A Overview

The Alternative Class A (5th Year) Program is a graduate teacher education program designed for candidates who hold a baccalaureate degree in any field but do not yet hold a teaching certificate. Successful completion of the Alt A program will result in a Master's of Education Degree and eligibility for an Alabama Class A Teaching Certificate.

 

What Alt A programs are offered by UNA?

Alt A Programs at UNA

All teaching fields listed below are offered by UNA's Alternative A program. Click one of the links below to view the program of study for that teaching field.

Biology 6-12

Business/Marketing Education 6-12

Chemistry 6-12

Choral Music P-12

English/Language Arts 6-12

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) P-12

General Science 6-12

History 6-12

Instrumental Music P-12

Mathematics 6-12

Physical Education P-12

Social Science 6-12

 


How do I apply?

 Application procedures for the Alt A program

1. Submit an application for admission to the UNA graduate admissions
    office.

2. Have official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions attended
    sent to the UNA graduate admissions office.

3. Have official test scores from your chosen entrance exam sent to the
    UNA graduate admissions office. See "Conditional Admission #3"
    below for acceptable entrance exams.

After the graduate admissions office has received all necessary application components, your file will be processed. If accepted, you will receive a letter of acceptance into the program listing the name of your assigned advisor.

*Students must meet with education advisor to initiate "Content Area Review" prior to registering for any coursework.*


Requirements for Admission to UNA's Alt A program
All students admitted to an Alt A program are admitted on a conditional basis. Students must formally apply for unconditional admission through the Office of Teacher Certification. Candidates are limited to a total of five (5) graduate courses prior to unconditional admission. Any coursework exceeding the five-course rule may not be used for certification purposes.

Requirements for Conditional Admission to the Alt A program
1. Candidates must have earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a
    regionally accredited institution.

2. Candidates must have a GPA of 2.5 (4.0) or higher documented on
    the earned degree and must be the GPA used as the basis for
    granting the degree.

3. Candidates must submit documentation of a passing score on an
    acceptable entrance exam. A passing score on the appropriate
     Praxis II exam is required for unconditional admission;
     therefore, it is recommended that the Praxis II be used for
     conditional admission purposes. Candidates without the
    appropriate Praxis II test score may submit a score of 388 on the
    Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or a combined score of 800 on the verbal
    and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
    for conditional admission. Whichever entrance exam you choose to
    take, make sure to have your test score sent to UNA (institution
    code 1735).

    a. MAT - this test is given on UNA's campus about once per month.
        A passing score of 388 or higher is required for admission to the
        University. For more information about the MAT, click here.

    b. GRE - this test is not given on the UNA campus, so we cannot
        provide further details about this one. For more information about
        the GRE, click here.

    c. PRAXIS II - this exam is based on your area of content. There
        are many different subjects available, so you need to decide what
        you want to major in before you take this exam (i.e., if you
        choose to major in biology, you will need to take the Praxis II
        exam in biology; whereas if you choose to major in mathematics,
        you will need to take the Praxis II exam in mathematics). For more
        information about the Praxis II exam, click here.
 
Requirements for Unconditional Admission to the Alt A program

 These requirements are effective for candidates who are unconditionally admitted on or after March 1, 2012.

 All requirements below will be discussed in ED 000.

1. Passing grade in ED 000.

2. Official application filed with the Office of Teacher Certification.

3. ABI/FBI fingerprint clearance.

4. Passing grade in ED 382, ED 401, and ED 480W with a grade of C or
    higher. These courses will be taken concurrently with your graduate
    classes after enrolling in the Alt A program. Candidates will not be
    allowed to register for these classes prior to being enrolled as an
    Alt A student at UNA.

5. Content prerequisite coursework may be recommended based on
    your admission audit. Your advisor will discuss this with you at your
    first advising appointment.

6. Passing TEP interview (limited to 2 attempts).

7. Passing score on all three parts of the Basic Skills Exam (Reading,
    Writing, and Math).

8. Passing score on the appropriate Praxis II exam.
I've been unconditionally admitted, now what?

 Completing the Alt A program
Now that you have been unconditionally admitted to the program, you need to complete the following:
1. Complete remaining coursework on official checklist.

2. Complete all required field experience hours. These hours must be
    logged in the format required by each individual instructor. Alt A
    students must satisfy 51 additional hours of field experiences outside
    of class requirements.

3. Submit proof of having completed an acceptable Spanish Experience
    to the Office of Teacher Certification (applies to candidates who first
    entered college in Fall 2002 or after).

4. A nine (9) hour internship is the last requirement before graduating
    and applying for certification. Before a candidate can be admitted to
    internship, the following requirements must be met:

    a. Submit application for internship to the Office of Teacher
        Certification by the posted due date.
    b. Complete all coursework required on official Alt A GTEP checklist
        with grade of "C" or better.
    c. Maintain graduate GPA requirement of 3.0 or better.
    d. Complete all required field experience hours.
    e. Pass all three parts of the Basic Skills Exam.
    f. Pass appropriate Praxis II exam.
    g. Document an acceptable Spanish experience.
    h. Provide documentation of a negative tuberculosis test that is less
        than one year old.
    i. Maintain successful background clearance by the ABI and FBI.

5. A professional portfolio is required of each candidate during their
    semester of internship. Additional information outlining portfolio
    requirements will be presented in the internship syllabus.

6. Content Area Assessment requirements vary by department.

7. Apply for graduation two (2) semesters in advance.

8. You will receive the necessary paperwork to apply for teacher
    certification during your internship semester.

 

What other important information should I know about the Alt A program?

1. Candidates who hold a degree with less than the required 2.5 GPA will
    not be allowed to take coursework to improve that GPA. The Alabama
    State Department of Education will only accept the GPA that was  
    used as the basis for granting the earned degree.

2. If a graduate degree was used as the basis for admission to the Alt A
    program, no graduate credit from that degree may be applied to the
    Alt A program for certification purposes. However, if an
    undergraduate degree was used as the basis for admission to the Alt
    A program, then master’s level coursework previously taken will be
    reviewed and may be applied to an Alt A teacher education program
    if approved by the college of education.

3. Although UNA does offer some online courses, there is a significant
    portion of this degree that requires student presence on campus.
    Graduate courses are offered in the late evening/night timeframe to
    accommodate the working professional.

4. This program typically takes students two-three years to complete.
    It cannot be completed in one year.

5. For cost of attendance, please contact Student Financial Services at
    (256) 765-4278 or you may visit their webpage at
    http://www.una.edu/financial-aid/.

6. SAC employment status must be initiated by an employing
     superintendent. Candidates will not be eligible for a SAC until
    unconditionally admitted to the Alt A graduate teacher education
    program.

 

If I have additional questions about this program, who should I contact?

Alt A Contact Personnel

If you are not yet a UNA student, and you have questions regarding the information presented above and/or additional questions that were not addressed above, please contact Ms. Simpson at:

Ms. Jill Simpson
Phone: 256.765.4860
Email: jmsimpson1@una.edu

If you are already enrolled in the Alternative A program at UNA and are seeking advisement, please contact Dr. Lewis at:

Dr. Linda Lewis
Phone: 256.765.4575
Email: lllewis@una.edu