School of Teacher Education

113 McWhinnie Hall, (307) 766-3130
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/ste

School Director: Alan Buss

School of Teacher Education offers a wide variety of undergraduate teacher education degrees and minors, graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction, as well as several endorsement and certificate programs to prepare our students to be successful educators. Explore our diverse programs, career opportunities, and research possibilities with our dynamic faculty members.

Admission to the B.A. and B.S. Programs in the College of Education

New first-time students who meet the University of Wyoming’s standards for admission may declare their major in Elementary Education, Secondary Education in a specific content area, or Education Undecided (EDUD), provided that they have a minimum ACT Composite score of 21 and an ACT Math score of 21 or a minimum new SAT combined score of 1060 with a minimum SAT Math score of 530. A lower ACT/SAT Math score can be replaced by a Math Placement Examination (MPE) score of 2 or higher. Education Undecided majors should decide on a specific content area no later than the first semester of their sophomore year.

All incoming students pursuing teacher certification and/or teacher endorsement programs must undergo an initial criminal background check prior to full admission to the College of Education. A second background check is included as part of the state application process for the Wyoming Substitute Teaching Permit, which is required for continuing the B.A. and B.S. programs after 60 credits.

For those students who do not meet the above admissions requirements, it is suggested that they major in exploratory studies (EXPL) so that they will receive more appropriate advising and access to support services through Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies until they have attained a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average (with at least 15 UW credits), and successfully complete an approved background check.

Current UW students who wish to change their major to Education but do not yet have a UW grade point average must wait until they meet the requirement of a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average, with at least 15 UW credits posted to their transcript. It is recommended that they complete a Program Change form and contact the College of Education Office of Student Success in McWhinnie Hall, room 100 to initiate the background check process. Students’ progression through the Education curriculum could be delayed until all requirements are fulfilled and their major officially changed to Education.

Transfer students from out of state institutions, as well as from Wyoming community colleges wishing to declare a major in Education must have completed a minimum of 15 transferable credits, including the USP 2015 “Q” requirement (as determined by the UW Registrar), with a final grade higher than a C- to do so. Transfer students must have a minimum Transfer GPA of at least 2.750 and successfully complete an approved background check.

For transfer students not meeting these requirements, it is suggested that they major in exploratory studies (EXPL) so that they will receive more appropriate advising and access to support services through Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies until they meet requirement of a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average (with at least 15 UW credits), and successfully complete an approved background check.

Re-admitted students who return to UW after two or more semesters away, and wish to (re-)declare a major in Education, must have a minimum 2.750 UW GPA (with at least 15 UW credits) to do so and successfully complete an approved background check.

The following curricula summarize the programs offered by the College of Education. Students complete content courses in their major as well as professional education courses, some of which can also be counted towards their University Studies Program requirements. The University Studies Program requirements include:

FY course or USP elective Credits: 3

Communication I (COM1) Credits: 3

Communication II (COM2) Credits: 3

Communication III (COM3) Credits: 3

Quantitative Reasoning (Q) Credits: 3

Physical and Natural World (PN) Credits: 6

Human Culture (H) Credits: 6

U.S. & Wyoming Constitutions (V) Credits: 3

The minimum total credit hours required to complete a degree in Education is 120. Of the minimum credit hours required to complete a program, 42 credit hours must be completed at the upper division level (3000-level or higher), with 30 of those credits being completed at UW. Additional College of Education requirements are:

1. 2.750 UW Total Institution grade point average

2. 2.500 grade point average in the content courses required for each specific major

3. A valid Wyoming substitute teaching certificate

Academic Advising

Students are assigned an academic advisor who will assist in planning a program combining University Studies requirements, core content requirements, and professional education courses. Students are expected to consult with their advisor regularly. The College of Education Student Success Center coordinates advising and provides students and faculty with assistance in areas related to academic advising.

Further information on each program is available in:

College of Education Student Success Center

McWhinnie Hall, room 100

Dept. 3374, 1000 E. University Ave.

Laramie, WY 82071

(307) 766-2230

Acceptability of Coursework

Courses taken to satisfy professional education requirements and major content requirements must be taken for a conventional grade (A-F) unless offered for S/U grading only.

Professional education courses taken at another institution must come from an accredited Educator Preparation Program (e.g. NCATE, CAEP, AAQEP) to be accepted for a degree and/or teacher certification program. Courses remain subject to review for applicability to UW requirements by the Registrar’s Office and by the College of Education Student Success Center. Syllabi of completed courses may be requested.

The College of Education does not accept transfer credits for professional education or content area courses with equivalents at UW for courses with final grades of a C- or less.

The College of Education encourages students to take teaching methodology and student teaching coursework or credits from the University of Wyoming whenever possible.

Student Responsibility

College of Education students are responsible for knowing and meeting graduation requirements. Students are expected to maintain a 2.750 UW Total Institution grade point average to enter the advanced teacher education sequence to graduate. Prior to enrolling in professional education courses, students are expected to have met the specific program and course prerequisites as listed in this publication. Students are expected to make reasonable academic progress toward completion of a degree.

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Science

Agricultural Education, B.S.

Bachelor of Applied Science

Career and Technical Education

Secondary Career & Technical Education, B.A.S.

Bachelor of Arts

Elementary Education

Elementary Education, B.A.

Elementary/Special Education

Elementary Education/Special Education, B.A.

Secondary Education

Teaching Endorsements

A teaching endorsement is not a standalone teacher certification program. Endorsements are issued by the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) to state-licensed Elementary (K-6) and Secondary (6-12) teachers qualified to teach in specific subject areas, in addition to their initial certification(s). By state statute, the University of Wyoming’s College of Education is allowed to provide institutional recommendations for add-on endorsements in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics to those who have completed programs leading to licensure in secondary-level Science content areas.

Graduate Programs

Master’s Programs

There are three master’s programs in the College of Education and two of the three have additional specialization areas. They are designed to provide advanced study for educational professionals. Consult the School of Teacher Education for program requirements and expectations.

Doctoral Programs

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The College of Education Ed.D. program prepares students for scholarly inquiry and professional leadership in education. The program consists of (1) applied research, (2) courses and professional experiences in education and related fields designed to develop a comprehensive academic basis for leadership roles in education, and (3) applied professional experiences tailored to individual needs and career goals. Each student works closely with an advisor and a supervisory faculty committee to select courses, topics of research, and professional opportunities.

Preparation in the above areas combine to:

Convey deep scholarly knowledge of education and foster its application in practice;
Promote a broad understanding of various methods of inquiry in education and foster its application in practice settings;

Advocate practices that demonstrate a commitment to diversity in education;
Foster ethical and professional research and practice in education;
Promote excellence in applied professional practice.

The degree of Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is offered to those who wish to pursue a program of study in preparation for professional service and leadership in education. The program is designed to meet the needs of those for whom intensive research is not a practical prerequisite to professional goals. Doctoral students are expected to participate not only in organized coursework but also in other activities that will ensure breadth of outlook and technical competence.

Concentrations in the Doctor of Education are:

Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction
Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Mathematics Education

All Doctor of Education students will use research methods to explore practical leadership problems. Applied projects are problem-based and may be collaborative. Projects may involve evaluating curriculum, designing and implementing professional development or training, developing applications to be used in local settings (e.g., early childhood-12 education, corporate and government centers), as well as other projects designed to advance knowledge in a specific field or setting.

The following requirements apply to all projects:

Research-based (literature review)
Scholarly, academic writing using APA style
Primary or secondary data
Authored by individual or small groups of students
Uploaded to ProQuest for dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format, and uploaded to the Mountain Scholar Digital Collections for projects in a non-dissertation format

Suggested project formats and brief descriptions are:

Dissertation of Practice

A dissertation of practice is original practice-based empirical research with data collection expected from primary sources.

Local Case Study

A case study is a descriptive, exploratory, or explanatory analysis of a person, group, or event. Thomas (2011, p. 354) offered the following definition of case study: “Case studies are analysis of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or others systems that are studied holistically by one of more methods.”

Faculty Directed Individual or Team-based Inquiry

This type of inquiry involves individual or a small group of students working together on a single project under the guidance of a faculty member. Data can be obtained from primary or secondary sources.

Documentary on an Educational Issue

A documentary is an in-depth and extensive study with an analysis presented in video form accompanied by a written summary of the purpose and outcome.

Submitted Manuscript

A full-length research manuscript must be submitted to a refereed mid- or top-tier national or international scholarly journal.

Program Evaluation

A program evaluation report typically uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods to examine and collect data on a current program that is in place in a school or another organization.

Additional project formats may be proposed and approved by the student’s committee as long as they meet the requirements listed above.

Final Project Processes

As in the traditional dissertation process, all students are expected to meet with their committees to gain project approval (at the pre-prospectus and/or prospectus stage). The Report of Final Examination will indicate whether or not the final project is acceptable to the committee. The deadline for submitting projects to Mountain Scholar Digital Collections or dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format to ProQuest is the same as the Report of Final Examination, the last day of classes for the semester during which a student intends to graduate. All projects will be evaluated by committee members and also by the student.

Please note: After submitting the required steps for the Mountain Scholar Digital Collections you will receive a confirmation email. Please forward this email to your chair and the School of Teacher Education staff.

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction (Ph.D.)

The College of Education Ph.D. program prepares students for careers of scholarly inquiry and teaching in higher education. The program consists of (1) continuous research or inquiry, (2) courses and professional experiences in education and related fields designed to develop a comprehensive academic basis for future work in research and teaching, and (3) teaching and other related experiences tailored to individual needs and career goals. Each student works closely with an advisor and a supervisory faculty committee to select courses, topics of research and inquiry, and teaching experiences.

All coursework in the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction program addresses the following goals:

To convey deep scholarly knowledge of education and related fields

To promote a broad understanding of various methods of inquiry in education and develop competency in several of those methods

To advocate practices that demonstrate a commitment to diversity in education

To foster ethical and professional research and practice in education

To promote excellence as a college teacher

Effective preparation for the Ph.D. stems from collaborative research and inquiry into topics of mutual interest by students and faculty scholars/researchers. A major portion of the program consists of the individual student and selected faculty members(s) jointly engaged in research and inquiry. Successful Ph.D. applicants tend to have high aptitude for research and inquiry and express interest in general topics which the faculty of the college are actively inquiring and researching.

Concentrations in the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction are:

Curriculum Studies

Literacy Education

Mathematics Education

Science Education

Program Specific Graduate Assistantships

Applicants interested in a Graduate Assistantship must submit a graduate assistantship application at the time of the admission application process or communicate with the advisor and school director there in after.

The two schools of the College of Education provide support for masters and doctoral degree programs. Faculty and staff work to deliver these programs by providing campus-based courses, courses taught on-site at different locations in Wyoming, courses taught online, and courses taught in hybrid formats.

Programs

Bachelor of Applied Science

Minor

English as a Second Language Minor

Courses

Agricultural Education

Curriculum and Instruction

Early Childhood Education

Educational Studies

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