Graduate study in education prepares students for a variety of career tracks in and out of the classroom. Schools of education offer a wide variety of programs and degrees. Some focus on bringing young educators into the field, or on helping professionals from other fields make a career change to education. Others focus on deepening mid-career teachers’ knowledge of educational, management, and subject theory and practice, with the goal of further advancing their careers or of moving into specialties such as curriculum development or administration.
The following table lists some schools of education with highly regarded graduate programs. (Most schools offer doctoral programs as well.) This is by no means a complete list of outstanding education programs. There are many other schools and universities that are worth considering, especially if you are interested in an educational specialization or are committed to staying within a certain geographical area. For more information about applying to graduate education programs, see the lower part of this page.
| School | Notes |
|---|---|
| Harvard Graduate School of Education Admissions Office 111 Longfellow Hall Appian Way Cambridge, MA 02138Tel: (617) 495-3414 Fax: (617) 496-3577 Email: gseadmissions@harvard.edu |
Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) (2 yr FT) App. deadlines: Jan 7 Notification by April 1For recent M.Ed. classes: Total students: about 630 Age range: 20–59, avg 27 Avg work experience: 4 yrs GRE avg scores: 585 verbal, 651 quant, 5.1 analytical writing |
| Stanford University School of Education 485 Lasuen Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096Tel: (650) 723-2109 Fax: (650) 725-7412 Email: info@suse.stanford.edu |
MA w/teaching credential(2 yr FT) App. deadlines: Jan 4 Notification in MarchFor 2003-2004: 158 total students 65% female, 35% male Avg. age: 28 |
| The Graduate School of Education and Information Studies The University of California at Los Angeles Office of Student Services Box 951521, 1009 Moore Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521Tel: (310) 825 8326 Fax: (310) 206 6293 Email: info@gseis.ucla.edu |
Master of Education (M.Ed.) (2 yr FT) App. deadlines: Jan 14 |
| Teachers College Columbia University Office of Admission Box 302 525 West 120th Street New York, NY 10027-6696Tel: (212) 678-3710 Fax: (212) 678-4171 Email: tcinfo@tc.columbia.edu |
Master of Education (M.Ed.) (2 yr FT) M.S. and M.A. (1 yr FT) App. deadlines: Priority deadline – Jan 15 Final deadline – Apr 15 Notification starting March 15 |
| Peabody College of Education and Human Development Vanderbilt University Office of Graduate Admissions Peabody #327 230 Appleton Place Nashville, Tennessee 37203-5721Tel: (615) 322-8410 E-mail:peabody.admissions@vanderbilt.edu |
M.Ed. – professional orientation (2 yr FT) M.S. – research orientation (2 yr FT) App. deadline: Dec 31. Late applications may be considered on a space available basis. |
| Graduate School of Education University of California, Berkeley Student Services/Admissions Office 1600 Tolman Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-1670Tel: (510) 642-5345 Email: gse_info@berkeley.edu |
M.A. (2 yr FT) App. deadline: Dec 1 Notification in spring |
| School of Education University of Wisconsin – Madison 1152 Educational Sciences Bldg. 1025 W Johnson St. Madison WI 53706Tel: (608) 263-2701 Fax: (608) 265-3135 E-mail:edadmin@education.wisc.edu |
M.S. (2 yr FT) App. deadlines: Apr 1 for fall, Nov 1 for spring |
| The Graduate School of Education The University of Pennsylvania Office of Admissions 3700 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216Tel: 877-736-6473 (toll-free) 215-898-6415 or 6455 (local) Fax: 215-746-6884 Email: admissions@gse.upenn.edu |
M.S. in Education (MSEd) M.S. M.Phil. App. deadlines: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Most programs allow either a fall or spring start, and full or part-time study. |
| The School of Education The University of Michigan 610 East University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259Tel: (734) 764-7563 |
M.A. and M.S. (2 yr FT) M.A. w/Certification – 1 yr, intensive program for professionals transiting to teaching App. deadlines: Jan 1. Late applications may be considered on a space available basis. |
Master’s programs usually require two years of full-time study. Intensive, one-year programs are available for mid-career professionals. Many schools offer part-time programs for working professionals, and some have paired with local school systems to provide graduate training to new teachers recruited through alternative certification programs.
Admissions committees at schools of education usually like to see applicants who have some experience working in an educational setting. Work or volunteer experience as a tutor, leading a study group, or working as a camp counselor are some examples of relevant experience. This background shows familiarity with the realities of teaching and suggests that the applicant is truly committed to a career in education.
In choosing a graduate education program, it is important to think carefully about what you want out of your future work. A graduate degree program represents a significant investment of time and money. You will want to be sure that the program you choose will help you achieve your work and life goals. High turnover is one of the biggest problems afflicting the educational field – as many as 50% of new teachers leave the profession within five years. Making sure that you know what you want and understand what your chosen work will involve, and choosing a program that will give you the right preparation for that work, is a key first step in assuring that you do not become one of the ‘early outs.’