The Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership offers coursework leading to bachelor's degrees, master’s degrees, graduate certificates, and doctoral degrees.
Through the full integration of content for general educators with special education, and second language learning, candidates gain knowledge and valued skills that make them highly qualified and marketable. Nationally recognized research faculty design and teach undergraduate and graduate courses that prepare educators in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and educational technology with a strong foundation in working with diverse and urban populations.
The following Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership degrees are available, along with associated state educator certifications, through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Undergraduate degrees:
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Early Childhood Education
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Elementary Education
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Physical Education
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Secondary Education
Master's degrees:
Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education
Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Secondary Education
Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education
Graduate Certificates:
Applied Behavior Analysis
Autism Studies
Early Childhood Teaching
Elementary School Teaching
Elementary and Special Education Teaching
Secondary School Teaching
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Teaching of Writing, Gateway Writing Project
Doctoral Degrees
Teaching-Learning Processes
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Minors
Athletic Coaching
Mission
Our mission is to advance scholarship and promote teaching and learning as a lifelong process for all.
Goals
Through undergraduate and graduate programs and faculty engagement, the Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership seeks to:
Create new ideas about and knowledge of teaching and learning processes.
Utilize general, content, and pedagogical knowledge to design curriculum and enact instruction.
Reflect on and evaluate teaching practices and research to improve learning.
Develop educators who model the dispositions necessary to teach all students in a diverse society.
Integrate learning tools by adapting instruction to changing technologies.
Apply current research on assessment in culturally responsive ways to document and facilitate learning.
Engage with community members to promote justice and develop active democratic citizens in a global world.
Foster learning communities through collaboration with partner families, peers, and communities.
Career Outlook
Undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary secondary and special education are most directly applicable to teaching at the level appropriate to the program emphasis. Demand for career-ready educators who have significant clinical experience working with youngsters, and who demonstrate contemporary, best-practice knowledge, skills, and strategies continue to create school-based employment opportunities for UMSL graduates. As in the past, elementary education graduates are attractive candidates for employment in varied positions that require preparation and training in social and behavioral sciences. Positions that serve the general public, such as sales, service, public relations, and general business, are common examples. Future expansions of opportunities in schools are tied to population growth, increased specialization of services, and reduction in ratios between professional staff and children served.
The employment outlook for special education teachers continues to be favorable, as they are in great demand among certain regions of the country. In addition to inclusion classroom teaching, graduates are typically employed as resource-room or self-contained classroom teachers, clinical diagnostic personnel, itinerant teachers, educational resource teachers, curriculum and/or behavior specialists, consultants, educational therapists, job coaches, supported employment and sheltered workshop evaluators, and in various supervisory and administrative positions among agencies and schools. In combination with related areas of expertise in systems supports, assessment, and educational psychology, for example, many occupations incorporate the skills, interventions knowledge, insights, and programmatic expertise learned in the UMSL Master's Degree of Special Education.
The employment outlook in the middle and high schools continues to be positive, especially in mathematics, sciences and modern languages. Recent placement years have yielded excellent employment opportunities to UMSL graduates. In addition to middle school, and high school teaching, more limited opportunities exist in athletic training, dance, research, sports management, and exercise leadership fields serving persons of all age categories.
Through the integration of content in general, special, and second language learning, candidates may earn certifications and endorsements with valued skills that make them highly qualified and marketable. Nationally-recognized research faculty teach undergraduate courses that prepare future educators in instruction and assessment with a strong foundation in working with diverse, urban populations.
Educator candidates actively engage in unique practicum experiences in the Studio School Model for clinical practice. The College partners with numerous public, private, and charter schools. As a College, we take great pride in preparing "community educators" who are well-experienced to impact all students in a wide variety of settings, and with a much broader understanding of education's role in society. Our candidates make a collective impact as faculty members in the differentiated staffing model. Sought after by partner districts and agencies, many of our graduates are hired directly into the studio schools or districts where they complete their clinical preparation.
Educator preparation is both engaging and innovative. Our high quality undergraduate educator preparation programs are designed around research-based scholarship and practical community-based contexts. Early course-based experiences provide candidates with practical understanding of how youth learn subject matter in a variety of informal settings. Every future educator is guided through approximately 100 clock hours of volunteer academic instruction and support for a local partnering community youth-serving agency. The community-based experiences broadens candidates’ understanding of their own identity as educators as well as enhancing their ability to build relationships, extend their skills, and understand family/community dynamics and interactions.
For their final year-long practicum, teacher candidates are immersed in Studio Schools. These partnering K-12 schools participate in our innovative, collaborative approach to educator preparation. Drawing on their studies during carefully sequenced coursework, teacher candidates enter their final two-semester clinical experience as collaborative teams of 6-14 candidates and work in a Studio School. In Studio Schools, candidates work with experienced teachers to deepen learning and increase student achievement. Rather than being placed as individuals with one cooperating teacher, our candidates work with multiple teachers learning from each one. This process is supported and facilitated on-site by a specially trained UMSL clinical educator who leads bi-monthly seminars, conducts observations, and provides candidates with regular feedback to guide their growth.
Teacher candidates inquire deeply into how their students are learning, and use data to inform their instruction. All participate in appropriate school and district professional development and school-wide activities, thereby becoming professionals who are part of the fabric of a school, not just a temporary teacher candidate. We believe that these community and school-based experiences create educators who understand learning in a broader context. In short, graduating educators have experienced an innovative education which prepares them for their future career as educational leaders in our region and beyond.
The following Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership degrees have been accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE):
Undergraduate degrees:
Bachelor of Educational Studies (BES)
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Early Childhood
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Elementary Education
Special Education and TESOL emphasis
Special Education emphasis
TESOL emphasis
Middle School Certification for English
Middle School Certification for Mathematics
Middle School Certification for Science
Middle School Certification for Social Studies
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Physical Education
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. Ed) in Secondary Education
Biology concentration
Chemistry concentration
English concentration
Mathematics concentration
Modern Language, French K-12
Modern Language, Spanish K-12
Physics concentration
Social Studies concentration
Certifications:
Teacher Certification in Music
Teacher Certification in Art
Graduate Studies
The Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership offers three Master's degrees, sixteen concentration areas, four Graduate Certificate programs, and joins with the College of Education Faculty to offer two Doctoral degrees.
Master of Education (M.Ed): A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
Become a distinguished educator. Whether you are a PreK-12 classroom teacher, a school administrator, or an educator/trainer in a museum, business or youth serving organization, these concentration areas provide a broad spectrum of interests that gives a path to expertise.
The Masters of Education Degree programs and Graduate Certificate programs are designed for graduates to attain the following learning outcomes:
Understand the major theories in the discipline of study.
Attain a solid foundation in the overall field of education in general, including areas of social justice, educational leadership and advocacy, educational psychology and research.
Attain a depth of knowledge in the primary discipline.
Think critically.
Develop skills as a reflective practitioner to be able to create and sustain change.
Conduct teacher research.
The Master's Degree consists of:
6 credit hours of foundations courses that examine history, the impact of community on our youth, issues of social justice, teacher leadership and student advocacy;
18 hours that provide the core of expertise in the areas you choose and give you the depth and expertise in areas that match the needs of your students;
and a 6 credit hour capstone where you become a researcher in your own organization or classroom to fully understand how to ask the right questions, collect meaningful data, and analyze and present it in a way that informs others.
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
The non-degree option is suited for those who have a Master's Degree or are not quite ready, and simply want to gain more in-depth knowledge about a particular area listed in the concentrations below.
Elementary Education
The M.Ed. program in elementary education has a General program option, an emphasis in Reading option, an emphasis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL),and an Early Childhood education option (18 credit hours) as well as focused concentrations in a variety of interest areas listed below. Additional hours may be necessary for reading specialist certification.
Secondary Education
The M.Ed. program in Secondary Education has several areas of specialization: General, Curriculum and Instruction, Middle Level Education, Reading, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Additionally, students may seek initial teacher certification while also studying for the M.Ed. A set of prescribed courses needed for certification fill the emphasis area. A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
Special Education
The M.Ed. Program in Special Education includes a representation of the important core knowledge in Special Education. The primary goal is to empower professionals to be thoughtful teachers who use best practice when working with students with disabilities. Research and data-based decision making are emphasized throughout the program. Graduate students will translate research into practice in their courses, and learn to analyze multiple types of assessment data. The M.Ed. Program in Special Education consists of an initial required core of courses, an opportunity to develop an area of specialization, and a capstone or exit course.
Graduate Certificate Programs: A minimum of 18 credit hours is required.
Graduate Certificate programs are specialized programs of study that are not degree programs but are shown on the academic transcript so that readers are aware of the concentrated program of study. Graduate Certificates are unrelated to teaching certificates.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D) Program: BRIDGE THEORY AND PRACTICE WITH SCHOLARSHIP
The Doctor of Education in Educational Practice is a doctoral degree intended for practitioners. Areas of study available are the themes around which learning communities are formed. Members of the learning communities advance through the program as a cohort in three to three-and-one-half years. The degree program requires 80 credit hours, and the Master's degree is recognized and applied toward the 80 credit hour requirement. A Dissertation in Practice is the capstone. The program applies an Inquiry as Practice model of scholarship. Graduates gain the ability to use data to inform decision-making and enhance their practice by gathering, organizing, judging, aggregating, and analyzing situations, literature, and data. The Doctor of Education degree program places emphasis on preparing scholarly practitioners for their professional work rather than emphasizing research for the purposes of building theory and preparation for the professoriate in higher education.
The curriculum of the Doctor of Education degree is intended to prepare practicing professionals to transform both their practice and the field by working in community, just as practitioners collaborate with key stakeholders to address complex problems of practice. Students are admitted to the degree program and simultaneously to a learning community of practice formed around a theme such as Language, Literacy, and Culture, Curriculum and Instruction, STEM, Higher Education Student Services, Global Learning, Social Justice or Heritage Leadership. The learning community and a mentor team of faculty and practitioners work together throughout the program using the learning community seminar, which is required every semester, as a mechanism by which to cultivate community and build the unique skills needed for education practitioners. The skills to work collaboratively to develop, test, and advance innovative solutions to high-leverage problems of practice are fostered throughout the program.
In addition to the thematic learning community of practice format, the curriculum features Laboratories of Practice and a Dissertation in Practice as culminating activities. The Laboratories of Practice take the doctoral studies away from the University campus and to a context where theory, inquiry, and practice can intersect and the implementation of practice can be measured. The Dissertation in Practice allows the learning community to address a high leverage problem of practice through collaborative and connected work beyond what a single individual could do alone. Individuals contribute work that feeds into group work. The Dissertation of Practice is characterized by generative impact.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, a national group of over 100 universities that are re-designing and re-orienting the Doctor of Education degree as a program that is distinct from Doctor of Philosophy in Education degree programs. Our program reflects our commitment to the work of the Carnegie Project and its working principles.
Doctor of Philosophy of Education (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. degree in Education, offered in cooperation with the School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the College of Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is designed for educators who desire directed research experience promoting scholarly inquiry in education.
The Ph.D. program is designed for graduates to attain the following learning outcomes:
Understand the major theories in their primary and secondary disciplines.
Attain a breadth of knowledge in education in general and a depth of knowledge in the primary discipline.
Think critically.
Locate literature in the primary and secondary disciplines.
Understand research methods in education.
Conduct research.
Demonstrate leadership skills and attributes.
Categories of coursework and credits Required are: 1. Research Methods (15-18 hrs.); 2. Disciplinary Specialization (24-26 hrs., 16 in residence as Ph.D. student); 3. Foundations Courses (10-14 hrs.); 4. Proposal Writing (EDUC 7950; 1 hr.); 5. Comprehensive Examination; and 6. Dissertation Research (6 hrs.).
The minimum total credit hour requirement to complete the Ph.D. in Education degree is 90 credit hours of post-baccalaureate coursework. Up to 44 credit hours of graduate coursework, typically the Master’s degree and post-Master’s credit hours, can be applied to the foundations, research methods, and disciplinary specialization categories as appropriate.
The Master’s degree work can usually be applied without regard to the age of the degree, but post-Master’s coursework should be recent (4 to 6 years old). There is an 8-year time limit for completing the Ph.D. in Education.
The final program configuration, including how previous coursework is applied to the degree requirements, is determined at a meeting of the student, the student’s advisor, and two additional faculty members in the area of study, where applicable. This meeting typically takes place 2 to 3 semesters after program entry.
Courses
Courses offered by the department can be found at the links below:
Nancy Robb Singer Associate Professor and Interim Chair Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Rebecca Rogers Curators’ Distinguished Research Professor and E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Tutorial Education Ph.D., University of Albany-SUNY
Charles Granger Curators' Teaching Professor Ph.D., University of Iowa
Marvin W. Berkowitz Sanford N. McDonnell Professor of Character Education Ph.D., Wayne State University
Miriam Jorge Dr. Allen B. and Mrs. Helen S. Shopmaker Endowed Professor for Education in collaboration with Springboard to Learning Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Jerome E. Morris E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Urban Education in Conjunction with St. Louis Public Schools Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
William C. Kyle, Jr. E. Desmond Lee Family Endowed Professor of Science Education I Ph.D., University of Iowa
Michael V. Smith E. Desmond Lee and Family Fund Endowed Professor in Music Education Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Kim Song Professor Ed.D., Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Ann Taylor Professor and Dean Ph.D., Washington University
Amber Candela Associate Professor Ph.D., University of Georgia
Vanessa Garry Associate Professor Ph.D. , University of Missouri - St. Louis
April Regester Associate Professor Ph.D. , University of California-Santa Barbara
Alina Slapac Associate Professor Ed.D., University of Northern Iowa
Lindsay Athamanah Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago
Shea Kerkhoff Assistant Professor Ph.D., North Carolina State University
Na Young Kong Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Kansas
Timothy Makubuya Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Andresa De Souza Assistant Professor Ph.D,, University of Nebraska - Omaha
Doris Villarreal Assistant Professor Ph.D. , University of Texas - Austin
Phyllis Balcerzak Associate Teaching Professor Ph.D. , Kent State University
Martille Elias Assistant Teaching Professor Ph.D., University of Missouri - Columbia
Jennifer Fisher Assistant Teaching Professor Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Lynn Navin Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of University Child Development Center Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Katherine O'Daniels Assistant Teaching Professor Ed.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Julie Smith-Sodey Assistant Teaching Professor Ed.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis
Tom Stephens Assistant Teaching Professor Ed.D., St. Louis University
Thomas E. Jordan Curators' Professor Emeritus Ed.D., Indiana University
Lloyd I. Richardson, Jr. Curators' Professor Emeritus Ph.D. , Vanderbilt Univeristy
Richard Burnett Professor Emeritus Ed.D., Indiana University
Charles J. Fazzaro Professor Emeritus Ed.D., West Virginia University
Kathleen Haywood Professor Emeritus Ph.D., University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
E. Louis Lankford Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Florida State University
Wendy Saul Professor Emeritus Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Helene J. Sherman Professor Emeritus Ed.D., University of Missouri-St. Louis
Paul D. Travers Professor Emeritus Ed.D., George Peabody College
Harold E. Turner Professor Emeritus Ed.D., George Peabody College
Douglas Turpin Professor Emeritus Ed.D., Washington University
Cathy Vatterott Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Huber Walsh Professor Emeritus Ed.D., University of California-Los Angeles
Jane Zeni Professor Emeritus Ed.D., University of Missouri-St. Louis
Kathleen Sullivan Brown Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Washington University
Bruce A. Clark Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., University of Illinois
Thomas J. Loughrey Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., University of Iowa
Virginia L. Navarro Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Washington University
Charles G. Smith Associate Professor Emeritus and Athletic Director Emeritus M.S., Washington University
Gwendolyn Turner Associate Professor Emeritus Ed.D., University of Arkansas
Gayle A. Wilkinson Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
George J. Yard Associate Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Saint Louis University
