DEPARTMENTS
Each of the six departments house programs that reflect the best that individual disciplines have to offer. Pride, preparation and professionalism are the keys to successful academic programs. Each School of Education student has the opportunity to learn from faculty who are dedicated to their success.
The Department of Counselor Education prepares counselors with the specialized knowledge and skills required for placement in elementary, middle, and high schools. Consistent with this approach are the program goals of graduating students who have knowledge of basic counseling theory and practice, possess competencies in essential counseling services, have the skills necessary to evaluate relevant research, and are committed to evaluating their counseling interventions.
The Department of Educational Leadership prepares critically reflective practitioners who are instructional leaders. Through coursework and other experiences, the program prepares leaders who are able to develop positive school cultures that enhance student learning.
The Department of Foundations of Education provides an essential link between practice and theory that makes effective reflection and decision-making possible. Foundations enhances the ability of educators to be reflective decision makers who make effective use of complex judgments and critical thinking. Educators are prepared for intelligent, responsible leadership in a variety of educational careers and settings for teaching, research, administration and policy-making.The Department of Health and Human Performance offers four undergraduate concentrations. The Applied Health Science concentration prepares professionals for careers in health and fitness programs in the corporate, commercial or university settings with apparently healthy individuals; the Clinical Exercise Science concentration prepares professionals who apply exercise and physical activity prescriptions in cardiac, industrial and clinical rehabilitation settings; the Community Health Education concentration prepares professionals for health related careers in private, public, medical and corporate sectors to facilitate developing healthy communities; and the Teacher Education in Health and Physical Education concentration prepares professionals to teach health and physical education at the elementary, middle and high school levels. A graduate program provides advanced course work for students interested in the application of health and movement science principles to exercise science, teaching and sports medicine.
The Department of Special Education and Disability Policy prepares skilled, effective, critically reflective practitioners who can meet the educational needs of children and youth with disabilities and their families. Through graduate degree programs and alternative licensure programs, students discover new evidence-based instructional and service delivery strategies. They share information on these strategies to a wide audience through collaborative relationships with children and youth with disabilities, their families, educators, local, state and federal government agencies, and other professionals throughout the U.S.
The Department of Teaching and Learning offers comprehensive programs of study in: Adult Learning, Early Childhood/Elementary Education (Pre-kindergarten through grade 6), Middle Education (grades 6 through 8), Secondary Education (grades 6 through 12), Reading, ESL, and Instructional Technology (IT). Using as its foundation the concept of the teacher as a reflective practitioner, the department both imparts knowledge and skills and asks that students question and inquire regarding pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, child, adolescent and adult learners, and the school in society.