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Education

Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies Department

Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services Department

Educational Policy, Research and Administration Department

Inservice Professional Development

Licensure Programs for Educational Personnel

Admissions

Applications

The School of Education is dedicated to enhancing the practice of education through research that informs both the preparation of educational professionals and the develop-ment of public policy that affects education. Our approach is shaped by our fundamental commitment to social justice and diversity and by our belief in the essential importance of national and international perspectives as we approach the improvement of education.

The School of Education is a National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) approved comprehensive professional school. It is organized into three major departments: the Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies Department, the Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services Department, and the Educational Policy, Research and Administration Department. The School offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Education (M.Ed.), Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology. It also awards a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.). Although graduate students are admitted to and administratively attached to specific departments, they are encouraged to develop, under faculty supervision, programs of study that draw upon the resources of the entire University. Graduate programs in the School of Education provide opportunities for advanced study and research in education and foster the development of innovative responses to challenges in the field of education.

Graduate program concentrations are designed to meet licensure guidelines, licensing requirements, professional association recommendations, School and University requirements, and individual student's goals.

Current information on courses offered is available from the departments or the School's Website: www.umass.edu/education/.

All licensure programs are approved by the campus Teacher Education Coordinating Council and the Massachusetts Department of Education. For further information on licensure opportunities, contact the Teacher Education Office, 125 Furcolo Hall, tel. (413) 545-2701.

Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies Department

The Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies Department is committed to the preparation and ongoing professional and intellectual development of teachers and educational specialists in Pre K-12 and post-secondary school settings. It focuses on providing instruction, conducting research, and offering service that supports its commitment to preparing educators, examining curriculum frameworks and school organizational patterns, and developing educators who through their leadership contribute to equity and excellence in education in Massachusetts and throughout the nation.

The department offers doctoral concentrations that integrate course work, clinical experience, and research in the areas of:
Child and Family Studies
Language, Literacy, and Culture
Mathematics and Science Education
Teacher Education and School Improvement

The department also offers Master's concentrations in:
Bilingual/E.S.L./Multicultural Education
Child Study and Early Education
Elementary Teacher Education
Reading and Writing
Secondary Teacher Education
Educational Technology

Through the department's academic programs, graduate students may also pursue state-approved educator licensure in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and in a variety of academic subject areas.

Related programs leading to teacher licensure are also offered through the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Foreign Languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) and Classics (Latin). Music and Art students may pursue teacher licensure as an additional concentration within the Master of Music and Master of Arts degree.

Through the department's academic programs, graduate students may also pursue state-approved initial teacher licensure in the following areas:

Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services Department

The Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services Department focuses on the development of the individual student within the context of a variety of formal educational settings. Research and scholarship are linked to the study of individual students and their relationships and interactions in educational systems, families, and communities.

Graduate students participate in the development of research-based model programs and develop a deeper understanding of individuals and groups in formal educational settings.

The department is home to a Ph.D. program in School Psychology and a doctoral (Ed.D.) concentration in Social Justice Education. The graduate program in School Psychology and graduate concentrations in the areas of School Counselor Education, Special Education, and Social Justice Education are offered for students pursuing a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree or a Certificate of Advance Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.). Graduate students may also pursue state-approved pupil personnel service licensure in the following areas:
Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities
School Guidance Counselor
School Psychologist.

Educational Policy, Research and Administration Department

The Educational Policy, Research and Administration Department is concerned with the social foundations and perspectives needed to enrich educational practice; prepares leaders in educational policy and administration; and advances educational research and evaluation methodologies that provide the basis for effective decision making and knowledge generation. Graduate programs prepare students for educational policy-making, planning, administration, college or university faculty, and research positions. Integral to these programs is preparation to work in local, national, and international contexts.

The department supports programs of study in the areas of Educational Policy and Leadership, Research and Evaluation Methods, Educational Administration, International Education, Higher Education, and Policy Studies in Education.

Through the department's academic programs, graduate students may also pursue state-approved educational administrator licensure in the following areas:
Principal/Assistant Principal
Special Education Administrator
Supervisor/Director
Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent.

Inservice Professional Development

K-12 professional development programs. These programs provide access to graduate work for K-12 educators. Programs and courses are delivered in field-based, after-school, summer school, and distance-learning formats. Special arrangements can be made for Professional Development courses to be delivered on site. Visit the School of Education website for more information.

Licensure Programs for Educational Personnel

Graduate students may pursue coursework that qualifies them for licensure in Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Middle and Secondary Education in English, History, Political Science/Political Philosophy, Mathematics and the Sciences; English Learning; Reading Specialist, Special Education; School Guidance Counseling; School Psychology; Administrator of Special Education; Supervisor/Director; Principal; and Superintendent.

Related programs leading to teacher licensure are also offered through the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in the Art and Asian Languages and Literatures Departments (Chinese), the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Foreign Languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) and Classics (Latin). Music and Art students may pursue teacher licensure as an additional concentration within the Master of Music and Master of Arts degrees.

The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) are required for educational licensure in Massachusetts. The University's policy regarding the MTEL requires that graduate candidates for licensure must pass the Communications and Literacy Skills test in their first semester of study. All candidates must pass the Subject Test required for their licensure field (if a test has been developed for that license before enrolling in the practicum).

Students who completed licensure requirements at the University in 2003-04 had the 100% pass rates on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure:

Communication & Literacy Skills: 100% (Reading Subtest, 100%; Writing Subtest, 100%).

Academic Content Areas*: 100% (Early Childhood, 100%; General Curriculum {formerly Elementary}, 100%; English, 100%; History, 100%; Music, 100%). Mathematics, 100%; General Sciences, 100%; Biology, 100%; Latin and Classical Humanities, 100%; Visual Art, 100%) (*Rates for specific secondary subjects—Social Studies, Physics, Chemistry, French, Spanish and Italian—are not calculated because fewer than ten students took the specific subject assessment test.)

Information on licensure programs and the MTEL is available from the Teacher Education Office, 125 Furcolo Hall, tel. (413) 545-2701.

Admissions

Admission for graduate study in the School of Education is contingent upon meeting University Graduate School requirements as well as those of the academic area of study to which the candidate applies. Candidates apply for admission to the Graduate School, using Graduate School application forms. To make certain that the application is reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee, applicants must indicate degree or certificate (Ed.D., Ph.D., Ed.D./M.Ed., C.A.G.S., or M.Ed.) and the academic area of study (under subfield or special interest) to which they are applying. Initial inquiries and requests for detailed information about programs may be addressed to the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs, 123 Furcolo Hall, School of Education, tel. (413) 545-6984.

Applications

Ordinarily, applications are accepted for fall semester admission. Some programs of study also admit students for the spring semester. Additional general information on the School of Education's graduate degree programs can be found on the website www.umass.edu/education/. Specific information on graduate degree and certification programs may be obtained by writing to the Department Offices: Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies Department (Furcolo Hall), Student Development and Pupil Personnel Services Department (Hills South), and Educational Policy, Research and Administration Department (Hills South).