College of Education

College of Education Mission

The College of Education at the University of Mary Washington prepares educators for the 21st century who are knowledgeable, skilled, collaborative, reflective, and sensitive to diverse learner needs. To accomplish this, we:

• Are grounded in a strong liberal arts curriculum
• Emphasize school-based experiences through which students solidify their understanding of the nature of the learner and effective teaching and motivational practices
• Build a diverse community of practice involving strong partnerships among students, faculty, local teachers, and administrators
• Enhance teacher aptitudes for research and critical decision making and ensure knowledge of learning theories and research-based pedagogy
• Challenge educators to respond to the changing nature of learning in the 21st century through an emphasis on multi-literacies

The College of Education administers the Teacher Education Program at The University of Mary Washington. All teacher education licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. Requirements for licensure are established by the Virginia Board of Education and are subject to change. The College is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

Requirements of the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEd) Degree Program

Additional details are available in the Education listing under the Majors section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Undergraduate Initial Licensure Program in Special Education – General Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Phase I
EDUC 206	Foundations of Education	3
EDUC 207	Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices	3
Phase II
EDSE 250	Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues	3
EDUC 290	Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students	3
EDUC 291	Practicum in Language and Learning Diversity	1
Phase III
EDUC 351A	Instructional Design and Assessment	4
EDUC 385	Managing the Secondary Classroom	3
or EDUC 388	Managing the Elementary Classroom
Phase IV
EDSE 305	Mathematics Instruction for Special Education	3
EDSE 421	Language and Literacy for Special Populations	3
EDSE 434	Assessment, Evaluation, and Instructional Planning	3
Phase V
EDSE 324	Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities	3
EDSE 439	Supporting Students with Disabilities in the General Curriculum	3
EDSE 450	Teaching Lab: Special Education	1
EDUC 460	Internship Seminar: Secondary, Pre-K-12	3
or EDUC 461	Internship Seminar: Elementary
EDUC 499	Internship	9
Total Credits		48

Secondary (Grades 6-12) Undergraduate Initial Licensure Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Phase I
EDUC 206	Foundations of Education	3
EDUC 207	Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices	3
Phase II
EDSE 250	Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues	3
EDUC 290	Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students	3
EDUC 291	Practicum in Language and Learning Diversity	1
Phase III
EDUC 351A	Instructional Design and Assessment	4
EDUC 385	Managing the Secondary Classroom	3
Phase IV
EDUC 415	Literacy and Language Across the Curriculum	3
EDUC 452	Content-Area Teaching Lab: Secondary, Pre-K-12	1
Appropriate discipline-specific course from:		3
EDUC 453	The Teaching of English and Theater Arts
EDUC 455	The Teaching of History and Social Sciences
EDUC 456	The Teaching of Mathematics and Computer Science
EDUC 458	The Teaching of Sciences
Content-area licensure courses in major as outlined on College of Education checksheets 1
Phase V
EDUC 460	Internship Seminar: Secondary, Pre-K-12	3
EDUC 499	Internship	9
Total Credits		39

PreK-12 Undergraduate Initial Licensure Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Phase I
EDUC 206	Foundations of Education	3
EDUC 207	Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices	3
Phase II
EDSE 250	Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues	3
EDUC 290	Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students	3
EDUC 291	Practicum in Language and Learning Diversity	1
Phase III
EDUC 351A	Instructional Design and Assessment	4
EDUC 385	Managing the Secondary Classroom	3
or EDUC 388	Managing the Elementary Classroom
Phase IV
EDUC 415	Literacy and Language Across the Curriculum	3
EDUC 452	Content-Area Teaching Lab: Secondary, Pre-K-12	1
Appropriate discipline-specific course from:		3
EDUC 454	The Teaching of Foreign Language
EDUC 457	The Teaching of Music
EDUC 459	The Teaching of Visual Arts
Content-area licensure courses in major as outlined on College of Education checksheets 1
Phase V
EDUC 460	Internship Seminar: Secondary, Pre-K-12	3
EDUC 499	Internship	9
Total Credits		39

¹

Checksheets are found at the College of Education web site.

Minor in Disability Studies

Fifteen (15) credit hours from the following list of courses. At least three (3) at the 300 or 400 level; other courses with relevant content may be substituted with approval of program coordinator. No more than three (3) courses from a single discipline may be applied toward satisfying the minor.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
IDIS 311	Introduction to Disability Studies	3
Four (4) courses from the following:		12
EDSE 250	Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues
EDSE 324	Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities
EDSE 439	Supporting Students with Disabilities in the General Curriculum
ENGL 203	Writing with Digital Media
ENGL 251VV	Fictions of Disability
ENGL 306R	Writing & Literacy Digital Age
ENGL 316A	Technical Writing
ENGL 319	Shakespeare: The Early Plays
ENGL 320	Shakespeare:Later Plays
ENGL 384	Disability and Literature
HISP 324	Urban Design
HISP 471B3	Museum Accessibility
MUHL 362	Beethoven
PSYC 320	Psychology of Exceptional Children and Youth
Total Credits		15

College of Education Admission

Admission to the Teacher Education Programs is by application directly to the College of Education. Admission is competitive and is based on academic achievement and on other indications of potential in meeting the program goals. Students are strongly advised to attend a Group Information Session on the Initial Licensure Programs. Group Information Sessions are offered throughout the academic year. At these sessions, students are informed of the features and requirements of the program. Students are advised of the required Minimum Performance Standards and are asked to apprise the department of requests for accommodations. Current UMW students and prospective transfer students who are interested in the Initial Licensure Programs should attend one of these Group Information Sessions.

Admission, continuation, and program completion

Admission, continuation, and program completion requirements are defined within a three-stage procedure:

1. Admission to UMW,
2. Admission to the College of Education, and
3. Successful Completion of the Program and Recommendation for Licensure.

Detailed descriptions of the program requirements are explained on the College of Education website.

Undergraduate Admission

For permission to take the first education courses in Phase I of the program, EDUC 206 Foundations of Education and EDUC 207 Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices, students must complete the COE Phase I Questionnaire. The Questionnaire will open during the advising period and be processed until the courses are full.

To continue in the COE, students apply for admission during Phase I of the program. Students must have earned a 3.0 or better in EDUC 206 and EDUC 207 and have an overall 2.5 GPA in at least 12 credits of UMW course work OR an overall 3.0 for transfer students. 

By the end of Phase II, all students must submit qualifying scores from the VCLA.

Applications for Phase II must be completed by February 15 to begin in the fall and by October 1 to begin in the spring. Newly admitted transfer students may submit applications on a rolling basis. To be fully admitted into the program, admission testing must be passed by the first day of the semester when Phase III courses begin.

Continuation

To continue in the program students must do the following:

1. maintain good academic standing with an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better;
2. achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better in all education courses;
3. demonstrate satisfactory progress on all Professional Competencies; and
4. achieve satisfactory evaluations in all field experiences.

A student who receives more than one C (including C+, C, and C-) in an education course will be dismissed from the program.

Completion

Successful completion of the program and recommendation for licensure to the Virginia Department of Education are contingent upon:

1. completion of all degree requirements;
2. a grade of B (including B+, B, or B-) or better in EDUC 499: Internship; minimum 3.0 (B) or higher overall cumulative GPA in all education coursework; and
3. achieving passing scores on all licensure examinations; certification or training in emergency first aid, CPR and use of the automated external defibrillators; and completion of training modules as required by the Virginia Department of Education.

College of Education Faculty

Peter S. Kelly, Dean
Jennifer D. Walker, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Assessment, and Accreditation

Faculty

Professors

Teresa L. Coffman
Peter S. Kelly
Kyle T. Schultz

Associate Professors

Janine Schank Davis
Christy K. Irish
Jennifer D. Walker
Melissa S. Wells

Assistant Professors

Alexander S. Honold
Melissa C. Jenkins
Alexis A. Rutt
Danielle N. Springston

Instructors

Rachel W. Bowman
Sean D. McDonald