College of Education

The mission of the College of Education is to prepare educators, counselors, administrators, and other professionals to be life-long, innovative, informed, reflective decision makers effectively trained to achieve the goals, competencies, and skills identified by the accrediting and professional organizations for each program.

Non-certification programs in psychology are offered through the College of Education at Dothan, Montgomery, Phenix City, Troy, and various University College locations. Offerings include a comprehensive 54-semester-hour program, a 36-semester-hour major, and a 18-semester-hour minor.

The Teacher Education Unit is comprised of all certification programs in the College of Education.  All certification programs are approved by the Alabama State Board of Education.  Certification programs are offered at the Dothan, Phenix City, and Troy campuses. 

Only certification programs offered at the Dothan, Phenix City and Troy campuses are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036; phone (202) 466-7496. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. 

As part of ongoing planning and evaluation, the College of Education regularly evaluates student learning outcomes for each degree program.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM AVAILABILITY

	Dothan	Mont-gomery	Phenix City	Troy	University College*
Non-certification Programs
Psychology
· Comprehensive Program (54 hours)				X
· Major (36 hours)	X	X	X	X	X
· Minor (18 hours)	X	X	X	X	X
Certification Programs
Early Childhood Education (Grades P-3)	X
Elementary Education (Grades K-6)	X		X	X
Collaborative Teacher (Grades K-6)	X			X
Secondary Education (Grades 6-12)
· Biology	X			X
· Chemistry	X			X
· History	X			X
· English/Language Arts	X			X
· General Science	X			X
· Mathematics	X			X
· Social Science	X			X
Interdisciplinary Education (Grades P-12)
· Art				X
· Health and Physical Education				X
· Music, Instrumental				X
· Music, Choral				X
· Physical Education				X

*consult University College site

Non-Certification Programs

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is the science concerned with the understanding of behavior and mental processes.  A major in psychology provides students with (1) a useful foundation for further study at the graduate level, leading to various careers in psychology, or to study in the health professions and social work; (2) skills related to employment at the baccalaureate level for the pursuit of careers in mental health services, industry, human services or areas where the knowledge of behavior would be deemed beneficial; and (3) a sound preparation for describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling the events in their own lives.  Students who obtain an advanced degree have a growing range of new opportunities for employment in medical settings, sports, business, the military, as well as private practice, university teaching, and research.

The 36-hour psychology major provides students an opportunity to select courses from three major areas of psychology to meet professional and personal objectives.  These areas are natural science, social science, and applied psychology. The 54-hour psychology program is a more structured major, emphasizing the core areas of psychology and methods of scientific investigation.

PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR (36 Hours)

Specialized General Studies Requirements

 

Area IV

 

Select PSY 2200 or 2201 from the list of approved courses in Area IV. General Psychology is a prerequisite for all psychology courses. See the general studies section of this bulletin for additional general studies information.

 

Required Courses

 

 

Select 27 hours of additional psychology courses. 

 

NOTE: PSY 2200 or PSY 2201 will not count in this major.  However, either PSY 2200 or PSY 2201 is a prerequisite for all psychology courses.

 

Natural Science courses

Select nine hours from the following:

 

 

Social Science courses

Select nine hours from the following:

 

 

Applied Psychology courses

Select nine hours from the following:

 

 

 

PSYCHOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM (54 Hours)

(Available only at Troy campus)

 

Specialized General Studies Requirements

 

Area IV

 

Select PSY 2200 or 2201 from the list of approved courses in Area IV. General Psychology is a prerequisite for all psychology courses. See the general studies section of this bulletin for additional general studies information.

 

Required Courses

 

 

Select at least 24 hours of additional 3000/4000-level psychology courses. 

 

NOTE: PSY 2205 will not count in this program.

PSYCHOLOGY MINOR (18 hours)

Select two courses (six hours) from each of the group elective categories listed in the psychology major.

Psychology minors may receive credit for PSY 3301 and 3311 in the applied category.

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Certification Programs

Conceptual Framework

The ultimate goal of the College of Education Teacher Education Unit at Troy University is the effective initial and continuing preparation of candidates, teachers, and other school personnel. The conceptual framework evolved from research-based models (e.g. Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, 1973, Colton and Sparks-Langer, 1993) and is aligned with nationally accepted standards.

 

The unit’s commitment lies in training educators whose formal preparation meets federal and state requirements and responds to the expectations and needs of the communities served.

 

The conceptual framework reflects the commitment to produce innovative, informed, and reflective decision makers. The unit is committed to proven fundamentals and continuous review of practice and research. Effective teachers must demonstrate exceptional abilities and skills in their knowledge, their pedagogy, and their dispositions.

Teacher Certification

All teacher education certification programs are approved by the Alabama State Department of Education.  Students seeking teacher certification should refer to the specific program for eligibility and program completion requirements.  Only those students who are properly admitted to an approved teacher certification program and complete all current requirements will be recommended for certification. 

 

Certification in Alabama

Candidates completing an approved teacher certification program are eligible to apply for the Alabama Class B professional certificate, provided they meet the following:

• a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on all undergraduate coursework attempted in the professional studies and in the teaching field(s);

• a grade of C or better in all coursework which applies to certification; and

• Successful completion of the Praxis II examination in all areas of initial certification.

Any candidate who applies for a professional certificate is subject to all regulations set forth by the Alabama State Department of Education, including a comprehensive background check.  Additional requirements (e.g., standardized examinations to demonstrate content mastery) may be added as the Alabama State Board of Education and other accrediting agencies modify regulations.  Implementation of additional requirements may be mandated by the Alabama State Department of Education and could supersede a student’s stated program requirements.  Candidates should consult their education adviser for details.

 

Only candidates properly admitted to an approved certification program and who successfully fulfill all program and certification requirements will be recommended for certification. The Certification Officer, appointed by the Dean of the College of Education, is the only Troy University official authorized to recommend candidates for certification in any state.

 

Certification in Other States

Other states may grant professional certification to candidates completing the Troy University teacher education program. Some