Why should you consider this advanced graduate program?

• Distinctive Orientation
• Top National Ranking
• Close Contact with a Renowned Faculty
• Outstanding Students
• Program Depth and Flexibility
• Rich Student Experiences
• Promising Professional Outcomes

Distinctive Orientation

In the MSU College of Education:

• We prepare professionals to play significant roles in education.
• We seek both to understand and to reform education.
• We focus on the border between educational theory and practice.
• We examine issues of teaching and learning across the life span.
• We practice what we teach.

Top National Ranking

In 2005, this program was ranked #1 in the U.S. among all advanced graduate programs in elementary and secondary education by U.S. News and World Report, and it was ranked #2 among all programs in curriculum and instruction.

Close Contact with a Renowned Faculty

Quality of faculty is the central issue in choosing a Ph.D. or Ed.S. program. Consider a few measures of the quality of the faculty in this program:

• At recent annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, MSU faculty and students have presented more papers than any other university.
• Students report that the best thing about their experience in the program is the close working relationship they develop with faculty members.
• Professors in the program are remarkably accessible, and they develop close ties with students through seminars, advising, colloquia, and teaching/research assistantships.

Outstanding Students

We draw students with strong academic capabilities and broad professional experience. About two-thirds of our students have a record of high accomplishment as classroom teachers. About one-quarter are from other countries, where they have played key roles in educational policy, research, and practice.

Program Depth and Flexibility

This is an integrated program located within a large department (60 tenure-stream faculty). Instead of providing a series of specialized advanced graduate programs, we offer a single program with multiple options, which allows students to select the area and degree of specialization that is best for them.

The program is designed to maximize flexibility and educational breadth without sacrificing depth. Students receive a broad preparation in teaching and learning, teacher education, and educational policy. At the same time, they pursue specialized study that provides in-depth understanding of a selected field.

Students can develop a course of study in curriculum, teaching, and learning, which allows them to pursue a specialty in a particular area of subject-matter education – math, science, literacy/English, or social studies. Students can also choose to focus primarily on teacher preparation and teacher learning. A third option is to focus on educational policy and social analysis. In addition, students can create a plan of study that cuts across fields.

Rich Student Experiences

Our students gain a wide range of rich professional experiences while in the program. These include:

• Teaching in a variety of roles within our highly-regarded teacher preparation program.
• Doing research in a wide range of funded research projects. During the 2001-2002 academic year, the College of Education faculty won more than $50 million in research grants, which provide a variety of hands-on research experiences for our students.
• Participating in professional development and educational reform projects in Professional Development Schools and other school settings around the state.

Promising Professional Outcomes

Graduates from our program go on to play important roles as teacher educators, educational researchers, policy analysts, policymakers, and exemplary practitioners. They end up working in a variety of settings, including leading universities, departments and ministries of education, school district offices, and K-12 classrooms. The program’s flexibility allows students to craft a specialized plan of study that will meet their own professional goals.