<p>Entomom suggested I post this here as well so I hope the double post is ok. </p>
<p>I'm doing a bit of research for my wife. She is completing her RBA at WVU in December and wants to continue her education with a MA in Special Ed, also from WVU. The problem is that her GPA (mostly due to a bad start to college in 2004) will only be 2.5 when she graduates. The MA program at WVU requires 2.75. She's asked the Chair of the Special Ed department what can be done to admit her and she said nothing.</p>
<p>So, what can really be done? </p>
<p>She was thinking of asking the Dean of Student Services to act on her behalf. I'm not sure if this is worth it or not. She hasn't taken any college classes since 2011 before completing her RBA. Has anyone ever petitioned a university for admittance with credentials less than what they require? </p>
<p>Instead of seeking direct admission to the MA program, she should meet with the head of the department and ask about enrolling in one course as a special or non-degree grad student. Provided she does well in that course, she should get permission to take another. Wash, rinse, repeat. Many MA programs will allow students to transfer in a certain number of credits that they have taken in non-degree status when they do finally enroll. This route could work for her.</p>
<p>I would look into the admission requirements of other MA programs and see if she can attend another program. Do you have other schools in your area that offer a MA? Also, unless you NEED a master’s to get a special ed teaching position, your wife would be better off to find a position. Then, as she works, she could take graduate courses part time. First off, the school system may pay toward the MA program, lessening your wife’s costs, and secondly, I found that a good deal of my grad courses expected me to be in a classroom where I could try out practices, do research, create realistic lessons from the actual curriculum, etc. If I were not in a classroom, it would have made things close to impossible for some classes.</p>
<p>The MA she wants to take leads to licensure, which she currently doesn’t have. About 60% of the classes requires her to be in a classroom setting for a certain amount of hours a week. She’s capable of that after she gets off work. There are a few other MA programs that are online in our state, but none that lead to licensure. I was hired as a full-time teacher with 70% of the program completed since we have a teacher shortage in the state of WV. That means I had 30% of my MA paid for. She’s hoping to do the same. </p>
<p>It’s also a big sticking point that a ton of applicants are looked at favorably if they attend the university she’s looking at (WVU).</p>
<p>When I did the math using a GPA calculator, it was something along the lines of 15 straight A’s or 45 extra credits. It was a good deal of classes, for sure.</p>
<p>I would do as calla1 suggests, and look into the possibility of repeating courses she did poorly in. I think that is the only way to bring her gpa up to admissions standards. What is a “RBA”? Does your state offer any other routes to certification in high need areas?</p>
<p>An RBA is a Regents Bachelors Degree, also from WVU. She has to finish her undergrad at WVU since her current university, Mountain State University, went bankrupt.</p>