Education Specialist Degree (EDS)
in
Coaching Pedagogy

Applications for the 2011 EDS Cohort in Coaching Pedagogy will not be accepted after June 1, 2011.  Please continue to check this site for information on the next available cohort.

If you have any admission questions, please contact Ms. Rebecca Waters in the VSU  Graduate School (229.259.2088 or rlwaters@valdosta.edu), or Dr. Stan Andrews, EDS Coordinator, (229.333.5907 or sandrews@valdosta.edu).

     It is my pleasure to announce that the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has approved the Education Specialist Degree (EDS) program in Coaching Pedagogy.  The EDS in Coaching Pedagogy will be a rigorous academic program that consists of 27-semester-hours of course work composed of onsite and integrated online courses.  It is the first program of its kind at the education specialist level to focus on coaching as an academic discipline. There will be a limited number of slots for the EDS Coaching cohort and the selection process will be competitive and not based on a “first come, first served” basis.  A point system based on the standardized test score (GRE or MAT) and the previous cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) will be the primary determinant for admission.  A waiting list will be maintained in case additional slots become available.  Summer semester classes will meet on campus three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).  All summer semester courses in the program will end on-campus meetings in time for those coaching fall sports to be available for the beginning of pre-season practice.  (Please see the program of study with class schedule below.)

1. Complete a VSU Graduate School Application and pay the $35 fee.
2. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree program from a regionally accredited institution.  Applicant must have all undergraduate and graduate official transcripts sent to the VSU Graduate School.  Official transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes from each school’s registrar. 
3. Hold a current Georgia T-5 teaching certificate (or comparable master’s degree certificate from a state other than Georgia) in Health and/or Physical Education, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Athletic Training/Sports Medicine, or other closely related field (to be determined as appropriate by the KPE Graduate Admissions Committee.)
4. Applicant must have three years of verifiable public school teaching experience and currently coaching an athletic sport recognized by the Georgia High School Association or appropriate governing organization from candidate’s state of residence. (The verification form will be included with the graduate school application.)
5. Current resume/curriculum vita must be submitted to the graduate school with application materials.
6. A GPA of 3.0 or higher on all previous graduate work attempted.
7. A score of 850 or higher on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with a verbal score of no less than 400; or a score of no less than 390 on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
8. VSU Medical Form including immunization information (the required form will be included with the application materials and can be accessed online at the “Application Related Forms” link at the Graduate School website). This document does not have to be submitted by the deadline, but may be submitted any time before enrollment. 

Complete applications along with supporting documents for the program must be received by the graduate school before any candidates will be admitted to the program. 

No Applications will be accepted after June 1, 2011.