Administration
Vision and Mission
Facts about the College
Undergraduate Programs
2,677 undergraduate students at 20 campuses, including University Park
23 teacher preparation areas leading to state certification at elementary and secondary levels
Additional programs in Rehabilitation & Human Services, Workforce Education, and Education & Public Policy
Award-winning Professional Development School teacher preparation program (4 major national awards in the past 10 years)
550 student teachers placed in schools each year throughout Pennsylvania and beyond
Outstanding success rates on Praxis standardized tests for educators
Award-winning post-graduate programs to assist with induction into the world of practice
98% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year of graduation
Starting salaries for teachers as high as $52,365 in Pennsylvania
Student Scholarships
More than $1.45 million in College and University scholarships awarded annually to undergraduate and graduate students
Graduate Programs
All graduate programs that are ranked by U.S. News & World Report appear in the top 20, with six in the top 10. As a whole, the college is ranked 26th.
Higher Education Administration #1
Workforce Education #3
Rehabilitation Counseling #4
Student Counseling/Personnel Services #5
Administration/Supervision (Educational Leadership) #6
Education Policy #9
Secondary Education #12
Educational Psychology #12
Curriculum & Instruction #12
Special Education #13
Elementary Education #14
A major center of graduate education at Penn State with 1,313 graduate students
137 international graduate students from 24 countries
14 fields of study leading to master's and doctoral degrees
Graduate fellowships and assistantships support many incoming and continuing graduate students
5 master's degrees and 9 post-baccalaureate certificates available via Penn State's World Campus
Renowned Faculty
Faculty members serve as members of numerous private and government panels, governing boards for state and national organizations, and editorial boards for major journals—one of many criteria for national rankings
13 Fulbright Fellowships in the last 5 years
8 Spencer Fellowships
Editorial responsibilities for more than 30 major journals in education, including the following:
American Journal of Distance Education
American Journal of Education
The Career Development Quarterly
Comparative Education Review
Journal of Counseling & Development
Journal of Research in Rural Education
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education
Journal of Teacher Education
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice
Learning and Instruction
Rehabilitation Education
Science Education
Funded Research and Private Support
More than $18.5 million in externally funded grants and contracts in 2009-2010
An endowment whose market value exceeds $30 million, part of the University's general endowment of $1.546 billion
Approximately 51,500 alumni
National Accreditations
- Fully accredited by all pertinent agencies, including NCATE, APA, NASP, CORE, and CACREP
- All of the college's professional education certification programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Points of Pride
The College is involved in a number of initiatives and programs that advance both education research and practice. Included here is a sample of these endeavors.
Research
- Center for the Study of Higher Education
The Center engages researchers, practitioners, and policy leaders alike in examining significant issues of practice and policy confronting higher education at the campus, state, national, and international levels. - Krause Innovation Studio
This new initiative focuses on research and development around innovative technology-supported pedagogy in higher education. The largest gift ever the the College—$6.5 million from Gay and Bill Krause—allows faculty to draw upon emerging technologies to transform their teaching and scholarship. - Adult and Family Literacy
Both the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy provide national leadership to improve literacy education through research and its application to practice and professional development. - Mid-Atlantic Center for Mathematics Teaching and Learning
The Mid-Atlantic Center is increasing the supply of Ph.D.’s in mathematics education and conducting research into the teaching and learning of mathematics. - Mid-Atlantic Regional Education Laboratory
This collaborative research lab, under a $34 million contract with the U.S. Department of Education, has been established to enable educators, parents, and state agencies to reach out to researchers for quick answers about instruction and learning. - Institute for Research in Training & Development
The Institute works with Penn State Outreach to provide research and outreach programs to support workforce training and development in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as nationally and internationally.
Academic Programs
- Professional Development Schools
This teacher preparation partnership with the State College Area School District has won four major national awards in the past 10 years—most recently the 2011 Spirit of Partnership Award, given by the University of South Carolina's PDS National Conference Planning Team. - Distance Education Programs
Penn State's World Campus offers 14 high-quality online master's degree and certificate programs, including a graduate certificate in children's literature, to help teachers achieve their career goals. - Humphrey Fellowship Program
This program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, enables midcareer educational leaders from around the world to develop leadership skills in education. - American Indian Leadership Program
This program, the longest-running program of its type in the U.S., prepares American Indians/Alaskan Natives for leadership positions in educational organizations. - Applied Behavior Analysis
Winner of the 2003 Outstanding Credit Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education, this program prepares caregivers to work with people with autism and related disorders. - Joint Degree Programs in Law and Education Policy Studies
Students work concurrently toward two degrees: a Juris Doctor degree and an advanced degree in one of four Eduation Policy Studies programs.
Outreach
- Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS)
A University-wide initiative housed in the College of Education, the Center is devoted to professional development and outreach in science education in the K–12 schools of Pennsylvania and beyond. - Aerospace Education Services Project
This $27.3 million project with NASA provides professional development and other services to teachers throughout the United States. Education specialists work with schools to infuse cutting-edge science content into extended instructional units.
- LifeLink PSU
This collaborative partnership with the State College Area School District provides an enrichment program with age-appropriate peers for special-needs students. - Diversity Programs for High School Students
The Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) is a well-established after-school tutoring program for middle and high school students in urban areas. The Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE) is a summer residential program designed to raise the achievement and aspirations of high school students from urban areas. - Personnel Professional Development Center
The PPDC offers career development opportunities for Pennsylvania citizens who wish to teach in occupational or technical training programs.
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