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University of Pittsburgh    
2017-2018 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog 
    
 
  Mar 29, 2024
 
2017-2018 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Department of Instruction and Learning


Return to School of Education Return to: School of Education

The mission of the Department of Instruction and Learning is to provide regional, national, and international leadership in the study and improvement of teaching and learning in diverse educational settings. As part of its effort to carry out this mission, the department offers commonwealth teacher education certification and degree programs.

The department offers the MAT, MEd, MS, EdD, and PhD degrees in instruction and learning as well as various certifications and a graduate certificate in urban education. It has the following. It has the following general areas of study:

  • An area of concentration in early childhood education
  • An area of concentration in elementary education
  • An area of concentration in reading education
  • Secondary education certification and areas of concentration in:
    • English and communications education
    • Mathematics education
    • Science education
    • Social studies education
    • Foreign language education
  • Special education certification and areas of concentration in:
    • Special Education Teacher Preparation 7-12
    • Applied Behavior Analysis
    • Early intervention for children with disabilities
    • Education of students with mental and physical disabilities
    • Vision studies special education
    • General Special education
  • Additional Doctoral Degrees
    • Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC)
    • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
  • Certificate in Urban Education

A brief section for each of these areas follows. In each section, a link to the program’s Web site is provided. Readers interested in a specific program are encouraged to visit that program’s Web site for additional information. Please pay special attention to information provided on prerequisite courses and the curriculum.

Admission

Applicants for admission to any of the programs in the Department of Instruction and Learning must submit their application materials to the University of Pittsburgh, Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services, 5500 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 or telephone 412-648-2230.

Admissions Information

http://www.education.pitt.edu/FutureStudents/AdmissionsProcedures.aspx

Application for Admission

https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/fl_ApplicantLogin.asp?id=up-ed

Program Information

Early Childhood Education Program

(Area of Concentration)

The Early Childhood Education Program prepares students to teach young children (birth through grade 4) and to work collaboratively with their families and other professionals. Students develop skills for employment in public and private schools, childcare centers, homes, and other facilities in which children within this age range and their families are served.

Contact Information

Program Coordinator
Early Childhood Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/earlychilded

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the School of Education section on Master’s Degree Requirements.

The following programs offer the Master of Education (MEd) in Instruction and Learning with areas of concentration and certification options as described below:

Elementary Education Program

(Area of Concentration)

Contact Information

Program Coordinator
Elementary Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/elementaryed

Degree and Certification Requirements

Reading Education Program

(Area of Concentration)

Graduate work in reading Education is available to individuals interested in working toward:

  • K-12 reading specialist certification
  • Master’s degree in reading education

Those interested in doctoral study in the area of literacy should consult information related to the PhD and EdD Language, Literacy, and Culture area of concentration.

This program offers the following degree in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in reading education and certification and specialization options as noted below:

  • Master of Education (MEd)
  • Master of Education (MEd) + K-12 reading specialist certificate
Contact Information

School of Education
Admissions and Enrollment Services
5500 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
230 S. Bouquet Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
412-648-2230
Fax: 412-648-1889
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements.

Secondary Education Areas of Study

The secondary education area of study offers five areas of concentration:

  • English and Communications Education
  • Foreign Language Education
  • Mathematics Education
  • Science Education
  • Social Studies Education

Within each of these areas of concentration, the student can choose to pursue a Master of Arts (MAT) teaching degree with certification in one area of concentration, or a Master of Education.

English and Communications Education

(Area of Concentration)

The mission of the MAT and Instructional I Teaching Certification programs) in English and Communications Education at the University of Pittsburgh is to prepare secondary English and Communications teachers with content, pedagogical knowledge, and professional knowledge and skills to meet regional and national needs in the areas of literacy learning, language arts, and communication, especially in diverse school settings.

To achieve this mission, our programs follow the National Council of Teachers of English’s criteria for highly qualified teachers of English Language Arts by teaching sophisticated content knowledge; current “best practices” in pedagogical and assessment strategies; the developmental trajectories and needs of adolescents from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy; and professional leadership skills.

Program Requirements and Overview

Graduate work in English and communications education is available to individuals interested in working toward:

  1. English/Communications certification for grades seven through 12 and the Master of Arts in Teaching degree
  2. The Master of Education degree

This program offers the following degrees in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in English and communications education and certification options as noted below:

  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Master of Education (MEd)

All of the students admitted to our programs must meet strict requirements for admission and for continuance. They must have a bachelor’s degree in their field with an overall QPA of at least 3.0, and they must maintain this minimum QPA throughout their program.  We require that all students who come into our programs meet our prerequisite requirements in English, writing, and communications and have experience working with adolescents.

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements or Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
English and Communications Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/english

Foreign Language Education

(Area of Concentration)

Graduate work in the foreign language education area of concentration is available to qualified persons interested in pursuing K-12 Instructional I certification in French, Spanish, German, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, or Russian.

The following degrees in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in foreign language education and the certification options are defined below:

  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Master of Education (MEd)
  • Master of Education (MEd) and a University Certificate in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Foreign Language Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/foreignlanguage

Degree and Certification Options and Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements or Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Mathematics Education

(Area of Concentration)

This program offers the following degrees in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in mathematics education and secondary school teacher education certification as detailed below:

  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Master of Education (MEd)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7454
Fax: 412-648-7081
Email: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/mathematics

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements or Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Science Education

(Area of Concentration)

The School of Education offers innovative graduate-level degree and certification options (biology, chemistry, earth and space science, general science, and physics) for science area majors interested in careers in teaching. The certification options in science education prepare the candidate for teaching assignments in grades seven through 12.

This program offers the following degrees in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in science education and certification programs as defined below:

  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Master of Education (MEd)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Science Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/science

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements or Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Social Studies Education

(Area of Concentration)

The social studies education concentration offers courses of study leading to certification for grades seven through 12 and a master’s degree.

This program offers the following degrees in instruction and learning with an area of concentration in social studies education and certification options as defined below:

  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Master of Education (MEd)
  • Master of Arts in History Education (MAHE)
Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Social Studies Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/socialstudies

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements.

Special Education Area of Study

(Area of Concentration)

The special education area of study within the Department of Instruction and Learning offers a variety of graduate study opportunities to individuals whose career goals include working with people with disabilities.

A master’s degree (MEd) in instruction and learning is offered in each of the program’s areas of concentration:

  • Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities
  • Education of Students with Mental and Physical Disabilities
  • General Special Education
  • Special Education Teacher Preparation
  • Vision Studies Special Education

Work toward graduate degrees may be combined with special education teacher certification study, autism enforsement and vision studies. The areas of concentrations include academic and field work for full-time or equivalent part-time study. Field work appropriate to the individual areas is carried out at cooperating schools, agencies, and clinics in Western Pennsylvania.

The program also offers courses of study leading to eligibility for certification as supervisor of special education. At the doctoral level, the program provides opportunities for specialization studies with a particular emphasis on applied behavior analysis, learning disabilities, vision studies, orientation and mobility, or early intervention.

Degree and Certification Options and Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degrees, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements or Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Applied Behavior Analysis

(Area of Concentration)

The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program prepares practitioners who are qualified to assess, design, implement, and evaluate ABA programs for a range of populations, but with an emphasis on developmental disabilities and behavioral health issues. Successful completion of the coursework and practicum experiences allows students to seek certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). With the growing number of children presenting with unique behavioral challenges and requiring additional supports, mental health providers, agencies, and school districts are increasingly seeking the services of professionals with highly specialized training in ABA. The ABA Area of Concentration offers two programs.  Supervision of practicum experiences required by the national BACB is also available within the program.

Degree and Certification Options and Requirements

This degree requires a minimum of 90 credits.

For additional degree requirement information, see the school section on Doctoral Degree Requirements.

Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities

(Area of Concentration)

This concentration prepares students to teach infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities from birth to 5 years of age in hospital, home, and center-based settings, to support families of these young children in decision-making and resource identification, and to collaborate with other professionals in service delivery. The degree options are as follows:

Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Early Intervention Special Education
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/ei

Education of Mental and Physical Disabilities

(Area of Concentration)

The major goal of the Special Education PhD and Ed.D degree is the preparation of leadership personnel. Graduates must have leadership skills to identify the significant issues of the day and the ability to make decisions about the most effective use of new technologies and information to serve the nation’s disabled population. They will also become researchers and scholars committed to furthering the knowledge and empirical base needed for enhancement of special education practice and of the training of special education personnel. Graduates will serve infants, children, youth, and adults with disabilities through roles as teacher educators, researchers, administrators, consultants, and supervisors.

As they have in the past, it is expected that graduates of this program will have a significant impact on the quality of educational opportunities for persons with disabilities by providing leadership for local education agencies, state educational agencies, private foundations and agencies, colleges, and universities.

This option is available for students with at least three years experience in teaching children with Mental and Physical Disabilities. (i.e., learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional/behavioral disabilities, etc.). The full-time only program requires a minimum of 90 credits of course work including dissertation research.

Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Education of Mentally and Physically Disabled
Department of Instruction and Learning
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/mpd

Vision Studies Special Education

(Area of Concentration)

The vision studies concentration prepares professionals to educate children and adults with visual disabilities. This specialization enables students to acquire dual certification as teachers of children with visual disabilities and/or as Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists with a Master of Education degree. In addition, a component of the program provides the student with both didactic and clinical course work in early intervention with children who are blind and visually impaired. Teachers of children with visual disabilities provide instruction in educational placements that include public schools, resource rooms, and full-time classrooms for children with visual disabilities, or in approved private schools. Graduates provide specialized educational services as an itinerant teacher, a full-time classroom teacher, or a teacher consultant with children birth through age 21. O&M specialists provide necessary instruction to visually disabled children and adults to enable safe, independent travel. Training includes integrating skills such as orientation in space in conjunction with the use of a long cane, dog guide, or an optical or electronic device. Students in the vision studies specialization participate in both didactic and practicum experiences to gain a broad range of specialty skills.

The vision studies special education concentration offers the applicant a number of degree and certification options:

  1. Commonwealth Certification in Vision Education
  2. Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) Certification in Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
  3. Dual Certification in Vision Education and O&M
  4. MEd in Instruction and Learning with Vision Education Certification
  5. MEd in Instruction and Learning with O&M Certification
  6. MEd with Dual Certification in Vision Education and O&M
Contact Information

Specialization Coordinator
Vision Studies Special Education
5300 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-624-7254
Fax: 412-648-7081
E-mail: dil@pitt.edu
www.education.pitt.edu/visionstudies

Degree and Certification Requirements

For additional degree requirement information for the following degree, refer to the school section on Master’s Degree Requirements.

General Special Education

(Area of Concentration)

Individually designed master’s degree specializations (36 credits minimum) are available for those students who hold Pennsylvania special education teaching certificates or for regular educators who just want to learn more about special education. These specializations are designed to accommodate individualized professional goals but do not provide students with special education certification. Students may also pursue study for other certifications and/or other specialized study.

Language, Literacy and Culture

(Area of Concentration)

The Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC) doctoral program brings together four previous doctoral programs in the Department of Instruction and Learning: English Education, Foreign Language Education, Reading Education, and Social Studies Education. LLC takes an inter- and multi-disciplinary approach to the study of cultural, linguistic, social, psychological, and political perspectives on educational studies. Changing immigration patterns, the population of K-12 schools, and new empirical and theoretical advances in education together indicate the need for diverse approaches and disciplinary lenses on the fields of teacher education and classroom teaching and learning. The focus is on the examination of educational issues using sociocultural, linguistic and critical theoretical approaches that are rooted in the promotion of equity, social justice and democratic values.

The LLC area of concentration is appropriate for students with backgrounds in subject matter disciplines (such as reading, English education, foreign and second language learning, applied linguistics, and social studies education) as well as for students interested in pursuing the kinds of interdisciplinary studies in instruction and learning listed above. The interdisciplinary emphasis provides students the opportunities to work with a group of dedicated faculty with diverse backgrounds in addition to being matched with an advisor who is appropriate to their interests.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics EdD

(Area of Concentration)

The STEM Doctor of Education (EdD) program is intended for teachers and educators who desire the skills and credentials needed to advance their practice-oriented careers. It offers a rigorous theoretical and practical orientation for scholar practitioners aspiring to become leaders in K-12 schools and institutions of higher learning, in positions such as district curriculum supervisor, faculty member at a teaching-focused university or district leader in the STEM fields. Candidates for the program must have a master’s degree in a related field as well as extensive instructional work experience.

Four core courses examine ideas that lie at the intersection of research in STEM (based primarily in mathematics and science education) in the areas of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and Professional learning.  Across these courses are threaded considerations of Equity (issues of fairness and justice in how people are treated and of how to provide access and opportunity to all learners), Policy (how policies are created, interpreted, and enacted, and their relationship to educational practice), Methodology (different procedures for studying educational phenomena in STEM education research and their implications) and Theories of learning (different perspectives on how people learn and their influence on instructional decision-making).

Urban Education

(Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Area)

The School of Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Urban Education addresses the social-emotional and learning needs of diverse students in urban schools locally and nationally in an effort to achieve greater equity in opportunity and experience.  The program enrolls both preservice and in-service teachers.

The Urban Education certificate program aims to increase a teacher’s level of effectiveness for their students in urban schools as well as increasing their marketability and longevity in the field. The certificate program is built upon the following themes developed through asset-based knowledge, understanding, attitudes, dispositions, beliefs, skills and practices: 

  • Social/Cultural/Relational Dynamics - deeply understanding our students, their families and communities, to best develop meaningful relationships from which to learn and teach.
  • Authentic Teacher Self-Excavation - teachers deeply understanding themselves and their impact on students.
  • Pedagogical/Curricular/Classroom Learning and Dynamics - deeply understanding and creating positive, responsive, effective classroom student experiences.  

The program leads to a University Certificate in Urban Education and does not lead to commonwealth certification. 

Contact Information

Erika Gold Kestenberg
Certificate in Urban Education Program Coordinator, Department of Instruction and Learning
Associate Director, Center for Urban Education
4118 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
412-961-1994
Email: erikagk@pitt.edu
www.cue.pitt.edu

Certificate Requirements

The Certificate in Urban Education is a 15-credit program.  Students are required to apply to the certificate program.  They must have earned a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution and meet the University’s requirements for admission to graduate school.  Applicants need not be concurrently enrolled in a graduate degree program in the School of Education. 

For additional degree requirement information, refer to the Center for Urban Education website and the Department of Instruction and Learning website.
 

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