La Vonne I. Neal, Dean
Columbine Hall, Room 3023
Telephone: (719) 262-4996
Fax: (719) 262-4110
http://www.uccs.edu/~coe/
The College of Education (COE) prepares professional educators primarily for the Pikes Peak area, but also for southern Colorado, the State of Colorado and other states throughout the United States. The College is composed of hallmark programs developed through adherence to research-grounded and philosophical bases that have shaped various disciplines and emphasize best practice. Through these programs, the College of Education’s students are well prepared to serve as skilled practitioners in classroom, administrative and human service environments.
We believe that our state-of-the-art preparation programs are based upon best practices within the context of a democratic society that has diverse needs, cultures, ideas and perspectives. The College of Education programs incorporate culturally responsive teaching and counseling tenets. The College’s intent is that its graduates will be responsible advocates for change and adaptation and will be responsive to regional professional needs as well as those of an ever-changing global society. The College of Education promotes educational excellence, with positive and productive relationships with local school districts through partner schools and professional development schools.
Mission
The mission of the College of Education is to serve a diverse, inclusive citizenry of lifelong leaders/learners through the following:
- Unexcelled undergraduate and graduate professional programs that promote high standards of professional practice
- The development, implementation and expectation for the demonstration of the best research-based instructional practices in the preparation of professional educators
- The support of individual and collaborative research, creative work, professional development and service efforts within and outside the College and University that contribute to knowledge of best practice and student achievement
- An academic culture that supports and reinforces ethical and professional practice
Vision
The College of Education at UCCS will be the College of Education for the 21st century.
Accreditation
The College of Education’s professional education programs are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Faculty
Professors: Margaret Bacon, Carole de Casal, David Fenell, Nadyne Guzman,Mark Malone, La Vonne I. Neal, Al Ramirez, Beverly Snyder, Barbara Swaby; Associate Professors: Michael Brunn, Catherine Kelly, Randall De Pry; Assistant Professors: Larry Bryant, Dick Carpenter, Elaine Cheesman, Lindy Crawford, Clint Fisher, Barbara Frye, Christi Kasa-Hendrickson, Sylvia,Martinez, John Weathers, Joseph Wehrman, Rhonda Williams; Instructors: Catharine Beecher, Greg Button, Linda Button, Pamela Howard, Laura Huber Marshall, Harriet Napierkowski, Geralynn Olvey, Dallas Strawn.
Academic Advising
- Contact the Student Success Center Academic Advisor Bill Bannister, (719) 262-3069 or bbanist@uccs.edu for initial appointment.
- Contact COE Student Services Manager Melissa Schecter at (719) 262-4526 ormschecte@uccs.edu for COE updates and assignment of your COE faculty advisor.
The College of Education Pikes Peak Educational Research Center (PPERC) is a regional center for school-based educational research, involving students, faculty and local schools.
The programs at the academic level that are available for completion through the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs are listed on the Programs of Study table.
Elementary and Secondary Education
The College of Education offers initial preparation and recommendation for licensure at the undergraduate, post baccalaureate, and graduate levels for elementary or secondary education. Students participating at the graduate level may earn a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with additional course work. The Curriculum and Instruction MA offers five tracks: General Curriculum and Instruction (C&I), Linguistically Diverse Education (LDE—formerly ESL), Leadership, Reading, and Science Education.
Special Education
COE provides initial preparation and recommendation for licensure in Special Education at the undergraduate or graduate level. Students participating at the graduate level may earn a Master of Arts degree in Special Education.
Counseling and Human Services
COE offers licensure preparation at the graduate level for school counseling or community counseling. Students completing the counseling program earn a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Human Services. The department also offers a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Leadership in collaboration with the United States Air Force Academy. This degree does not lead to licensure.
Educational Leadership
COE offers preparation and recommendation for licensure for the principalship at the graduate level. Students participating in the leadership program may earn a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Leadership. A PhD program in Leadership, Research, and Policy is also offered by the department.
Linguistically Diverse Education (LDE) formerly ESL
COE offers preparation and recommendation for licensure at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students participating at the graduate level may earn a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with additional course work. Reading
COE offers professional endorsement in Reading at the graduate level. Students participating in the Reading endorsement program may earn a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading.
Reading
COE offers professional endorsement in Reading at the graduate level. Students participating in the Reading endorsement program may earn a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading.
Teacher-In-Residence Program (TIRP)
COE collaborates with the Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services (PPBOCES) in offering a teacher-in-residence program(TIRP) This is an alternative licensure program for persons with extensive experience substituting, teaching, and working with students. For further information, contact Dr. Rob Danin.
Extended Studies
Included within the College is the division of Extended Studies, which is the state-approved enterprise that supports professional development, off-campus course offerings, and funded projects and initiatives.
Students may take graduate courses through Extended Studies in the pursuit of graduate study if they obtain prior academic approval from the major department and the dean.
COE General Academic Policies
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For additional Undergraduate Program Policies, please refer to the General Information section of this Bulletin; for additional Graduate Program Policies, please refer to the Graduate School section of this Bulletin.
Academic Progress
Students must complete all courses taken for TEP and licensure with a grade of B- or better, and must meet the stated level of achievement on all levels of performance demonstration assessments.
Access to Teacher Education Courses
The following 300-level courses in teacher education may be taken by students who are at least at the sophomore level and are considering entering Teacher Education:
The following 500 level course in teacher education may be taken by students who are considering entering one of the graduate teacher education courses:
All other T ED courses may be taken only by students who have been accepted into the TEP of the COE or who have received special permission from the TEP Director.
Changes of Program Requirements
Program requirements may change without notification due to changes in licensure standards or state statutes.
Computer Literacy Requirements
All students admitted into COE programs must demonstrate proficiency in computer literacy prior to graduation or completion of certification.
Extended Studies Course Work
Students may take graduate courses through Extended Studies in the pursuit of graduate study if they obtain prior academic approval from the major department and the dean.
Graduation Requirements
The Bulletin that governs a student’s graduation requirements is the one in effect at the time of a student’s most recent admission into the college of the student’s degree program.
Graduation Procedures: Please contact the COE at the end of the semester prior to the intended semester of graduation for appropriate paper work. Failure to submit required graduation materials prior to the first day of classes in the semester of intended graduation may result in a delay of graduation.
Transfer Credit
All work accepted by transfer must come within a six year time limit. All transfer course work must have been taken at an accredited four-year institution and have been awarded a letter grade (not pass/fail). College work more than seven years old may not count or may require updating, especially in the teaching field, counseling, and in professional education.
Credits transferred from other institutions to the University of Colorado will be limited to the type and amount of credit given for similar work in the University of Colorado. Course work completed at another CU campus will most likely transfer.
Work already applied toward a Master’s degree received at another institution cannot be accepted for transfer toward a Master’s degree at the University of Colorado; extension work completed at another institution cannot be transferred; and correspondence work, except to make up deficiencies, is not recognized.
Credit will not be transferred until the student has established, in the Graduate School of his University, a satisfactory record of at least one semester in residence. To be eligible for courses to be considered for transfer, a student must have an overall B average in all courses taken at the University of Colorado in Graduate School.
Transferred credit will not reduce the residency requirement at this University, but it may reduce the amount of work to be done in formal courses.
Excess undergraduate credits from another institution may not be transferred to the Graduate School.
Seniors in this University may, however, transfer a limited amount of advanced resident work (up to 9 credit hours) to a graduate program provided such work:
- Is completed with distinction in the senior year at this University
- Comes within the six-year time limit
- Has not been applied toward another degree
- Is recommended for transfer by the department concerned and is approved by the dean of the Graduate School.
Transfer Credit: Unclassified Students
A COE department may recommend to the graduate dean the acceptance of as much as 9 hours of credit toward the requirements for a master’s degree for courses taken either as a student at another recognized graduate school, as an unclassified student at this University, or both.
Unclassified Students Graduate Programs
Many persons professionally engaged in education need to update their competence or are required to complete a specified amount of graduate study for certificate renewal, advancement in salary, change of assignment, or the like. If they are not interested in earning a graduate degree, they should apply to the UCCS Office of Admissions (not the COE) for admission as University unclassified students. Upon admission they may enroll, and, after completing the term, receive an official record of work completed. They may confer with COE faculty about courses in which to enroll.
Students enrolled in the following courses within the College of Education will be charged the following course fees:
Note: Fees listed above are based on the best information available at the time of publication. Actual fees may differ.
College of Education Admission Requirements
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Undergraduate Programs
Admission processes for TEP, ALP and SELP are detailed within these individual program descriptions.
Graduate Programs
An interview with at least one faculty member prior to applying is required.
Prerequisites
In addition to the general requirements of the UCCS Graduate School, the student admitted to regular graduate standing in the College of Education must meet the following requirements:
- Satisfactory Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores. Special Education does not require GRE or MAT tests.
- An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale for regular admission. Occasionally students with an undergraduate grade point of 2.74 or below may be admitted provisionally if other factors warrant acceptance. These may include marked improvement in upper division work compared with lower division work, high GRE or MAT scores, excellent references from paid or volunteer work experiences relating to the area of proposed graduate study, and/or well articulated verbal and written statements of goals. A student who seeks admission but does not have an acceptable grade point average may take graduate course work as an unclassified student to demonstrate ability to do graduate work. A maximum of 9 transfer credits may apply toward the degree.
Preference will be given to students who have a sound program of undergraduate work in the liberal arts and in a teaching field, a valid teaching certificate, and teaching experience (with the exception of counseling students).
Transfer Students
Students transferring from accredited collegiate institutions must meet the same requirements as students entering teacher education. Formal application along with the required documentation must be made both to the University and to the
COE within the stated deadlines. See also Transfer Credit under Academic Policies above.
Licensure and Endorsement General Requirements
All students in initial teacher education programs must pass specific required tests prior to licensure. Elementary, secondary, and special education licensure candidates must pass the PRAXIS II or PLACE Content Test prior to student teaching. Special Education licensure candidates must also pass appropriate PLACE tests. Students should request specific information from the COE.
Provisional Licensure Opportunities
Undergraduate Programs
Students acquire licensure to teach through the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and the Special Education Licensure Program (SELP). TEP and SELP course work for undergraduates is included as a part of a four-year degree program in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (LAS). Initial licensure through TEP, Elementary or Secondary, requires two semesters of study during the “professional” college year, plus one to four courses during the prior summer session for Elementary and two to four courses for Secondary, and additional course work before the “professional” year begins.
Graduate Programs
TEP licensure may also be pursued after a bachelor of arts degree has been earned in a liberal arts program. This program is a one year program and requires a bachelor’s degree to be accepted.
The Alternative Licensure Program provides training for initial licensure for secondary only. Students must have a bachelor’s degree to apply.
SELP licensure may also be pursued after a bachelor of arts degree has been earned in a liberal arts program. This program is a one year program and requires a bachelor’s degree to be accepted.
Principal Licensure and Administrative Licensure are provided as a graduate program.
Additional Endorsements
Certified/Licensed teachers seeking an additional teaching area endorsement to an existing credential should see a TEP or LDE adviser to determine the requirements. Special programs can be developed to meet the requirements. The appropriate area of the PRAXIS II or PLACE Content Test is required.
Doctor of Philosophy
Licensure
Master of Arts
Counseling
Curriculum and Instruction
Leadership
Special Education
Teacher Education
Educational Psychology
