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Abraham S. Fischler
College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Applied Professional Experience

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The M.S. in Education, M.S. in Educational Leadership, or Ed.S. in Education all culminate in the completion of a capstone project. Capstones allow students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom to real-world settings. Capstone project options typically involve working with students in a variety of settings, such as schools, community centers, or after-school programs. Through their chosen capstone, educators can develop their skills in teaching, classroom management, and student support. They can also learn about different philosophies and practices.

Capstone projects at NSU Fischler College of Education include:

  • Administrative/Educational Leadership Internship
  • Applied Field Experience
  • Applied Professional Experience
  • Educational Applied Research Project,
  • Field-Based Project
  • Supervised Reading Practicum

The field experiences and administrative internships are completed concurrently with the coursework in this program, to allow for ongoing real-world application of knowledge and theory

The Applied Professional Experience courses (3 credits, one session, 7-8 weeks) require a certain number of hours of field experience in one or more educational settings appropriate for the specialization. 

The Applied Field Experience courses (field-based project or practicum) involve the design and implementation of an education-related intervention project appropriate to each student’s specialization, in an educational setting. These courses run the full term (16 weeks). View the online schedule for these courses.

The Administrative Internship provides an opportunity to perform the duties of a school or district administrator. Under the guidance of an experienced cooperating administrator and a faculty supervisor, the intern will observe, interview, and work with the assigned administrator for a minimum of 300 contact hours. In addition, students will maintain leadership portfolios where they will show evidence of their growth in the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the roles of educational leaders.

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Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for an Applied Professional Experience course if you have met the following requirements:

  • Program requirements prior to registration:
    • Students enrolled in all programs except TESOL and CSE – must complete CUR 0526
    • Students should check their program of study for specific prerequisites for their 0699/0697 course
    • Have a minimum of 3.0 GPA
    • Complete and sign the NSU Student Enrollment Agreement (SEA)
  • Credit hour requirements:
    • Complete 24 credit hours prior to LANG 0699 & TSOL 0699
    • Complete 27 credit hours prior to CSE 0699, ELE 0699 & ESE 0699
    • Complete 33 credit hours prior to MAT 0697 & SCI 0699

Apply for Applied Professional Experience

All capstone courses are closed to online registration (i.e., you cannot register yourself in WebStar) and require you to download, complete, and submit an application packet. Students must apply for course admission at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the session in which they wish to take this course.

Step 1: Download, complete, and submit the application packet (PDF), which includes:

  1. The application form
  2. The Administrator Consent form
  3. The checklist
  4. The Student Transaction Form

In which session(s) these courses will be offered is provided on the form, but you need to go to the online schedule to obtain the Course Reference Number (CRN) to add to the Student Transaction Form. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Follow the directions on the application form for submission.

Step 2: Complete the Student Enrollment Agreement (SEA) form after you have received notification of application approval, so that you can be registered for your course. The SEA requires students to agree to meet and uphold NSU’s standards and policies. For questions about the SEA, please call 954-262-7200.

To complete the SEA:

  1. Log into SharkLink.
  2. Locate the “Records and Academics” section on the Student tab and click on “Course Information."
  3. Select “Registration-Add/Drop” to access and complete the SEA.

After the application has been approved, the student will be notified via NSU email and, after completion of the SEA, registered for the course.

All applied professional experience courses require a minimum of 24 completed credits (33 for ESE and MAT; 18 for IDDE), which must include EDU 5000, CUR 526, and EDU 600 (except IDDE, which does not require EDU 600). Students applying for ECSE 699 must have completed 24 credits, including CUR 526, EDU 5000, EDU 600, EP 5265, EP 5270, and EP 5275. Students must have access to an educational setting for the full session.

If you need a placement in a school, contact the Office of Placement Services at (954) 262-7900 (1-800-986-3223, ext. 27900) to arrange your placement within a school in any given school district. Certain requirements must be met, such as gaining security clearance, and they vary from district to district. 

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for an Applied Field Experience course if you have met the following requirements:

  • Program requirements prior to registration:
    • Students enrolled in MS in Reading Education program must complete CUR 0526, RED 0554, RED 0555, RED 0570 & RED 0575 prior to registering for RED 0587
    • Students enrolled in the EDS in Mathematics Education program must complete EDU 0708 prior to registering for APR 0750
    • Minimum of 3.0 GPA
    • Complete and sign the NSU Student Enrollment Agreement (SEA)
  • Credit hour requirements:
    • Minimum of 24 credit hours completed prior to registering for RED 0587 or APR 0750
    • Your school principal agrees to the Principal Information & Consent form

Courses 

APR 650, APR 750, RED 587, and RED 787 are offered Fall and Winter terms (16 weeks). These courses are not offered during the Summer term.

APR 650 (Master’s level) and APR 750 (EdS level)(3 credits) are for students not seeking initial certification. These courses may be taken at a site or online. 

The M.S.Reading Practicum, RED 587 (3 credits),is the culminating applied professional experience for students in the M.S. Reading Education program. It is a requirement for students enrolled in the endorsement program or those pursuing certification in reading (check with your state’s department of education for specific requirements).

The Ed.S.Reading Practicum, RED 787 (3 credits), is the culminating applied professional experience for students in the Ed.S. reading education program.

Apply for Applied Field Experience

All capstone courses are closed to online registration (i.e., you cannot register yourself in WebStar) and require you to download, complete, and submit an application packet. Students must apply for course admission during the registration period for the chosen term and at least three weeks prior to the beginning of the term in which they wish to take this course.

Step 1: Download, complete, and submit the application packet (PDF) which includes:

  1. The application
  2. The Administrator Consent form
  3. The checklist
  4. The Student Transaction Form

Go to the online schedule to obtain the Course Registration Number (CRN) to add to the Student Transaction Form. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Follow the directions on the application form for submission.

Step 2: Complete the Student Enrollment Agreement form after you have received notification of application approval, so that you can be registered for your course. The SEA requires students to agree to meet and uphold NSU's standards and policies. For questions about the SEA, please call (954) 262-7200.

To complete the SEA:

  1. Log into SharkLink.
  2. Locate the “Records and Academics” section on the Student tab and click on “Course Information.”
  3. Select “Registration-Add/Drop” to access and complete the SEA. 

All applied field experience courses require a minimum of 24 credits completed, which must include EDU 5000, CUR 526 (EDU 708 for EdS students) and EDU 600---for MS reading students, Students applying for RED 587 must have also completed RED 554, RED 555, RED 570, and RED 575. Students must have access to an educational setting for the entire term.

If you need a placement in a school, contact the Office of Placement Services at (954) 262-7900 (1-800-986-3223, ext. 27900) to arrange your placement within a school in any given school district. Certain requirements must be met, such as gaining security clearance, and they vary from district to district.

All school-based field placements must be arranged through the Office of Placement Services. 

If you are not currently employed by a school or school district, you must contact the Office of Placement Services at (954) 262-7900 (1-800-986-3223, ext. 27900) at least 3 months prior, to arrange your placement within a school in any given school district. Certain requirements must be met, such as gaining security clearance, and they vary from district to district.

Each school district determines how school-based field placements are arranged with their district's schools. Direct school contact by teacher candidates is not permitted without prior approval from the Office of Placement Services. Because the amount of time needed to secure school-based field placement varies by school district, students need to request placement immediately after registering for a course that requires any activity in a PreK-12 classroom or school. Requests should be made no later than Week 1 of class. Placements in some school districts can take as long as four weeks.

Not adhering to a school district's specified procedures could result in a violation of NSU's agreement with that district and a withdrawal of privileges for NSU students to complete activities in that district's schools.

Steps to Obtain a Field Placement in All Courses Other than Undergraduate 12-Week Internship

Step 1: If you are requesting your first placement, the first step is Security Clearance (background check). Once obtained, it is your responsibility to keep your Security Clearance current throughout your program. Please note that most school districts require an annual renewal of a Security Clearance, and this may require an additional fee.

Step 2: Email the Placement Request Form to Jodi Miller at jmiller2@nova.edu with your entire semester's schedule. Please include any additional information that could aid the request process, such as, if you are employed by the school district in any capacity or have a current security clearance.

Upon completion of a School-Based Field Placement assignment, you must report the completion. Instructions will be provided by the course instructor or you may contact the Office of Placement Services for assistance.

All students seeking educational leadership certification must complete an administrative internship (EL 698 or EL 699). Go to: Administrative Internship Application (PDF) for the application.

Students must apply for course admission at least six weeks prior to the term in which they wish to begin their internship.