Education
Division of Social Sciences
The Education Department is characterized by a highly nurturing and personalized environment, intellectual rigor, and a performance milieu within a liberal arts context. Education is not a subject major; the Department offers an interdisciplinary major in Human Development, a minor in Education Studies, and a minor in Museum, Field, and Community Education in addition to two teacher certification programs. As the department is a member of the Social Sciences Division, the foundational sequence courses (EDU 251 Principles of Education and EDU 252 Educational Psychology) can fulfill distribution requirements in the social sciences.
Department Mission
Together, faculty and students in the Department of Education engage in interdisciplinary inquiry of the processes and institutions by which societies enculturate, socialize, and educate their youth, an inquiry that is grounded in the liberal arts and enables students to become citizen leaders and lifelong learners.
Learning Goals (Our students will be able to…)
- Demonstrate an understanding of social, cultural, psychological, philosophical, and historical foundations of education (and their applications to practice)
- Integrate and apply knowledge of human development across the fields of anthropology, education, psychology, and sociology
- Use content knowledge to design, evaluate, and interpret field experiences
- Communicate effectively in a variety of formats and media
- Display global consciousness and cultural sensitivity as emerging leaders
The Education Department offers teacher certification programs in Elementary and Secondary Education. Program requirements are in alignment with the Maryland Redesign of Teacher Education and standards of assessment are based on the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards. The Department has established eleven school partnerships in two local counties; this facilitates the implementation of state requirements that each teacher candidate completes an extended internship in a partner school in two consecutive semesters, including the student teaching experience. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has reciprocal certification agreements with 47 other states.
Entry Requirements for Teacher Certification Programs
- cumulative GPA of 3.0 (and GPA of 3.0 in the teaching field for secondary certification);
- recommendation from a professor in the student’s major field of study (secondary only);
- a Maryland passing score on one of the following exams: Praxis Core (reading, writing and math), SAT-composite score (math and reading), ACT-composite score, or GRE-composite score
- approval of the Education Department following a formal interview with the Chair and departmental colleagues. The following are some of the personal and professional attributes that are considered for approval: maturity, oral and written communication skills, professional attitude, flexibility, initiative, collaboration, and overall potential to be successful in a teaching internship. (Please note: An interview for the Elementary Education Program will only be granted to students who meet all entry requirements.)
Applicants for the Teacher Certification Programs should realize that Education Department faculty may use all prior interactions, within the Department and in clinical field experiences, as input for program entry.
Admission to the elementary and secondary programs generally occurs during the fall semester of the junior year. Where possible, the Department will make accommodations for ‘late deciders.’ The Maryland State Department of Education requires a grade of “C” or better in all courses applied toward certification.
It should be noted that Washington College Teacher Certification Program requirements may be modified because of evolving state requirements for approved programs in teacher education.
Program Completion
Students will be recommended for Maryland Approved Program teacher certification when they
- earn an academic degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (and a GPA of 3.0 in their major for secondary certification);
- complete the Washington College Teacher Certification Program;
- complete national examinations according to Maryland standards,
- complete an exit interview with the program Certification Administrator; and
- earn a grade of “B-” or better in EDU 405 Secondary Teaching Internship orEDU 413 Elementary Teaching Internship and EDU 414 Elementary Teaching Internship.
I. Elementary Education
The Elementary Certification Program (grades 1-6) is made up of three required components:
- completion of selected core courses in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics-Natural Sciences;
- an academic major, usually in Human Development; and
- a required sequence of Education courses and field experiences.
Consultation with the Coordinator of Elementary Education should be held during the first semester of the freshman year to insure proper scheduling and selection of courses.
The required education courses for students who wish to become certified as elementary teachers are listed under the Human Development major.
Double-counting considerations
BIO: Students majoring or minoring in Biology may only double count two courses for the BIO major / minor and the MFCE minor, specifically BIO 111 General Biology I with Lab and 1 upper-level BIO course.
CHE: The Department of Chemistry recommends CHE 120 Chem Principles Org Molecules with Lab and one additional course from CHE 220 Quantitative Chemical Analysis with Lab or CHE 235 Art in the Anthropocene/ART 235 Art in the Anthropocene.
ENV: Students majoring in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies may only double count two courses for the major and the MFCE minor, specifically ENV 101 Intro to Environmental Studies with Lab/ENV 102 Intro to Environmental Studies Lab (course plus lab) and one upper-level ENV course.
HDV: Students majoring in Human Development may only double count two courses for the major and the MFCE minor, specifically EDU 252 Educational Psychology and EDU 341 Designing&Measuring Learning Experience. HDV majors will be required to complete the 8 content course credits in a listed area of study; these content courses may not double count with the HDV major.
SED: Students in the Education Studies Minor may only double count two courses, EDU 252 Educational Psychology and EDU 307 Literacy in the Content Area, for the Education Studies minor and the Museum, Field, and Community Education minor.