Passion of Education Graduates Earns National Recognition

“These recent accolades serve as testament to the rigor of our programs, as well as the quality of instruction and the capabilities of our students,” College of Education Dean Sheila Austin said. “Our graduates are passionate about serving the educational needs of students in P-12 settings and we are serious about their preparation.”

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recognized the alternative master’s degree program in early childhood education for its effectiveness in preparing future K-6 educators. AUM’s program provides a pathway to teacher certification for students who did not major in education as undergraduates and who lack a teaching certificate. The graduate program has yielded a pass rate in excess of 80 percent for the past three years.

The NAEYC evaluates programs on their success in meeting Specialized Professional Association (SPA) standards, demonstrating teacher candidate content knowledge and professional competency and utilizing assessment data to inform program change and improvement.

AUM’s master’s degree programs in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling each earned accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP President and CEO Sylvia Fernandez wrote that AUM’s programs “deserve to be commended” for earning accreditation for an 8-year period that will run through 2026.

The instructional technology master’s program, which prepares educators to integrate online components into preschool through college educational environments and industry settings, is the only program of its kind in Alabama to earn national recognition from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

The college’s physical education undergraduate and alternative master’s programs earned recognition from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). The programs prepares students to teach physical education in P-12 settings.