Secondary & Higher Education

Faculty

Associate Professor: Steven Thurston Oliver, Chairperson

Professor: Cleti Cervoni, Jacy Ippolito

Associate Professors: Sovicheth Boun, Leslie Duhaylongsod, Melanie Gonzalez, Vijay Kanagala,

Assistant Professors: Perla Barbosa, James Noonan

Faculty Emeriti

Professor: Allan Shwedel

Associate Professor: Mary Ni

The Secondary and Higher Education Department prepares undergraduate students to work in secondary education and community education settings. The department also prepares professionals and graduate students

for roles in school counseling, school adjustment counseling, higher education and student affairs, library studies, and educational leadership.

The Secondary and Higher Education Department offers an integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree program (4+1) with an application process occurring in the second year. Students planning to teach a specific content area complete a major in the College of Arts and Sciences in the field of knowledge for which the teaching license is sought, along with either a second major or minor in Education. The approved 4+1 licensure programs in conjunction with the teacher education major/minor are Biology (8-12), English (8-12), History (5-8 or 8-12), Mathematics (5-8 or 8-12), Physical Education (Elementary or Secondary) and Spanish (5-12).

Detailed information about educational licensure program requirements and resources for learning and educational practice may be found in the McKeown School of Education Handbook.

The Department also offers a concentration in Educational Studies with a focus in Community Education or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

The Community Education focus area is designed for students who wish to work as educators and interpreters in settings such as museums, wildlife sanctuaries, the National Park Service, other historical sites, non-profit organizations, and after-school programs.

The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) focus area is designed to prepare students who wish to either teach English in international settings, teach English to adult learners, or go on to enter a graduate TESOL program for public school licensure.

Finally, the Secondary and Higher Education Department houses multiple graduate programs. The department offers M.Ed. programs in School Counseling, School Adjustment Counseling, and Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA), a graduate certificate in Teacher Leadership, a CAGS degree in Educational Leadership, along with MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) programs in English, History, Library Studies, Mathematics, Physical Education, Spanish, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The Higher Education and Student Affairs program is designed for those seeking a career in student affairs at the post-secondary level. Meanwhile, the one-year Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership is available for educators who want to take an informal leadership role in a school setting (e.g., team leader, instructional coach, etc.). Alternately, our CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study) two-year program in Educational Leadership is a post-master’s degree program for candidates seeking licensure as a principal or assistant principal.

Teacher Education Major or Minor

All students seeking to enter the integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs in the Arts & Sciences will complete either a Teacher Education major or minor as part of their combined program. For more information on the major/minor requirements view the relevant content area program page or visit the program page for the Teacher Education major/minor. The major/minor is only open to students majoring in Biology, English, History, Mathematics, Physical Education and Spanish and application to the major/minor will be completed as part of the application to the combined undergraduate/graduate degree program.

Educational Studies Minor

The Educational Studies minor consists of five (5) courses (15 credits) in Education, selected with the approval of the Chair of the Department. The minor is available to students in any major.

Practicum Failure Policy

To review the School of Education Practicum Failure Policy, visit the Academic Policies section of the catalog.