Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can USP or Related Courses be used to count for Minor support areas? If it isn’t written on the document then it is allowable? Should any courses be counted twice?
A: Our document only lists that your Natural Science USP cannot be counted for your Related Studies USP. Therefore counting STA 291 and CS 101 toward a support area are allowable as is anything else that you want to do that doesn’t violate this rule.
Q: Can you mix and match GRE scores?
A: It is our understanding that you may report your best score for each individual portion, as the grad school doesn’t have a clear policy on this. However, it should be noted that attaining the minimal scores this way still does not guarantee admission to the MIC program.
Q: What does the honors program cover as far as USP’s are concerned?
A: (From the UK Bulletin) The Honors colloquia offer a special means of meeting the University Writing Requirement and University Studies Program Requirements. Students who complete two colloquia satisfy the USP Writing Requirement. Students who complete a third colloquium satisfy the Graduation Writing Requirement. Each Honors course also fulfills either a USP humanities, social science, natural science, or inference credit. Honors students who complete all four colloquia also satisfy the USP Electives Requirement; this frees six credits for them to pursue other course work in Honors or elsewhere.
Q: Who should be advised by MIC advisors?
A: Anyone with a 2.5 GPA and 60 earned hours must be advised by an MIC advisor. If you are currently being advised in TEB 166, see the “Advanced Standing” section for details on advising.
Q: How many classes can one take pass/fail? What areas can they be in?
A: One can take three courses pass/fail. However, a course required for a degree program or a course required for USP credit cannot be taken pass/fail. This leaves only courses you need to fulfill the 128 graduation credit hours that have not been taken in your program for pass/fail credit. Talk to your advisor before you pursue this option.
Q: When and how will MIC applications be handled? Will the application be online? If so, what date?
A: MIC applications will be handled online again this year. The online application is currently open. Please refer to the application procedures on the Advising webpage. Applications are due February 1 prior to the Fall students would like to begin the MIC program.
Q: Is it “Engineering Drawing” or Engineering and Drawing as two separate areas on Plan 3?
A: It is two separate categories. You may count courses from Engineering or Drawing in Plan 3 in addition to the other available courses.
Q: If you declare a university minor do you have to finish it?
A: No. If you declare a minor you do not have to finish it. This is necessary in some fields to be eligible to register for classes. For our programs purposes it isn’t necessary to complete the minor unless you are using Plan 1.
Q: Can students use education courses from other universities to fulfill their plan 3 requirements?
A: At the current time the answer is no. This will be corrected shortly. For now, if you have Education credits from another university you can petition for these courses to count under Plan 3.
Q: Can you split a summer between graduate and undergraduate courses?
A: You may take undergraduate courses in the first summer session and graduate courses in the second summer session. However, you may not do it in reverse. Your undergraduate degree must be completed in order to start graduate courses.
Q: Who is teaching EDC 610 in the spring?
A: Please call DH 335 at 7-4661 for the contact information.
Q: How many hours may be transferred into the MIC program?
A: Students may transfer up to 9 graduate hours into the MIC program. These are often the program electives.
Q: What do I have to do to get into the MIC program?
A: Students who have completed an approved undergraduate program with a 2.75 GPA can apply for the Masters with Initial Certification (MIC) program. MIC applications can be found online. Please refer to the advising homepage as to the instructions for completing this application. Students must also apply and be admitted to the graduate school; online applications are available at http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/. Finally, meeting minimum GRE requirements is required for entry into the graduate school and the MIC program.
Q: What is considered an “approved program”?
A: The typical “feeder” programs for the MIC are the UK Secondary English, social studies, science, and math education programs. Students with subject area only undergraduate degrees, as well as students from other universities can apply and be considered; however, students from these programs may have to complete undergraduate courses that fulfill the requirements of the feeder program before applying to the MIC.
Q: What is the MIC application composed of?
A: The MIC application consists of: Admission Sheet, Character and Fitness Review, Major Sheet (where students document the courses they’ve had in the subject area), Minor Sheet (where students document the courses they’ve had in their minor area), Field Hours Documentation Sheet (where students document 100 hours of field experience working with 14-18 year olds), and three recommendation forms. Students must also include official transcripts reflecting all previous coursework as well as official documentation of GRE scores (copies of score reports or transcripts will not be accepted). Finally, there is a $30 application fee that must be returned at the time of application submission.
Q: Who should complete the recommendations?
A: Ideally, at least two faculty members from the student’s subject would complete the recommendations. The third can be completed by the EDC mentor teacher or a work or personal reference. Recommendations can be submitted with the MIC application (in a sealed, signed envelope) or mailed to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Q: What are the minimum GRE scores for the MIC program?
A: Students must have an “800” composite on the verbal and quantitative sections and a “4.0” on the writing section. For mathematics, we specifically look to see if you have scored in the 50th percentile or above on the quantitative section of the GRE.
Q: What happens after I complete the MIC application?
A: After reviewing the applications, the faculty will set up interviews with a certain number of applicants (that number will vary among programs). Interviews typically take place at the end of February/beginning of March. After the interviews, faculty will again review the applicants and then notify each student as to whether or not they have been accepted into the program.
Q: What is the timeline for this process?
A: Students can submit applications anytime before February 1. Interviews are typically at the end of February/beginning of March, with acceptance letters mailed out in early April.
Q: What are my chances of getting into the MIC program?
A: This varies from department to department and there is not a certain number of applicants who will be interviewed or accepted. The MIC program produces some of the best teachers for the Commonwealth of Kentucky; therefore, our program in mathematics education is very competitive. High GPAs, high GRE scores, and exhibited professionalism in all courses and interactions throughout tenure and interest at UK is of the utmost importance. Interested students should therefore take time to prepare for the GRE, accurately complete the application, be mindful of their professionalism, and prepare for the interview.
Q: How do I fill out the major course and support area forms in the application?
A: Only the courses listed under your major area are listed on the major sheet. This should total to 11 courses in all for mathematics. There are 9 core courses and 2 electives. Calculate the GPA by dividing the quality points by the quality hours. To find the number of quality points, multiply the number of hours by the point value for the grade (A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1). For the support area sheet include all of your support area classes on one sheet. If you are on plan 2 then both support areas will be on one sheet. For plan 1 you will have only your minor courses. For plan 3 you will have several courses from multiple areas. Do not list USP or Related Studies courses on this sheet. Related Studies courses have their own sheet to fill out.
Q: What transcripts do I need to provide in my application?
A: We need official transcripts from any other university that you have attended in addition to UK. It is important to note that the graduate school will require an official transcript from UK. Any coursework completed while still in high school is listed on your UK transcript and therefore we do not need a transcript of this credit.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: The application deadline is February 1, 2008. Only applications received in their entirety at this date will be considered for the MIC program for the 2008-2009 school year.
Q: Do I need an official GRE score sheet in my application?
A: No. A copy of your official scores will suffice for your MIC application. However, the official scores must be sent to the graduate school for their records.
Q: Do I need to fill out the field hours documentation sheet if I completed EDC 362?
A: While it is not necessary to fill out the form entirely, it is helpful if you state on the first line of the sheet that you completed EDC 362 to fulfill this requirement. Please indicate where you completed your EDC 362 requirement.
Q: How do I document field hours if I did not complete EDC 362?
A: Use the documentation sheet to list all of your experiences. These must be detailed with activities and time spent in the schools. While it would be nice to take your word for your hours, it is necessary to have a school official verify that these hours have been completed. This usually occurs by having the cooperating teacher sign your field hours documentation sheet. These must be accurate to ensure the diversity of your experiences in education. Please do not take these hours lightly as many students have recognized that the education field is not what they expected nor would they like to have a career in the education. Please document your hours on the online application. Please turn in your signed copy of your hours to Ms. Betty McCann with the rest of your application materials.
Q: I'm a math major. Can I take 400G courses in the Math Department during the 6/6 program as graduate credit?
A: Yes you may. These would be considered as part of your graduate hours for the program.