College of Education

Cynthia Dillard, PhD, Dean
Manivong J. Ratts, PhD, Associate Dean

Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/education/

Mission

Guided by Seattle University’s Jesuit tradition, the mission of the College of Education is to prepare ethical and reflective professionals for excellent service in diverse communities. These professionals will contribute positively to the values, principles and practices of their communities, workplaces and professional associations.

These five principles, integral to the Mission Statement, guide decision-making:

1. The College of Education strives to be a scholarly learning community of students, staff and faculty characterized by collegiality and collaboration.
2. The College of Education strives to lead by collaboratively serving others from a grounding in the ethics and values of the Jesuit tradition.
3. The College of Education strives to provide a curriculum relevant to the needs of its profession and the greater society and supported by the best practice and research.
4. The College of Education strives to welcome and represent the diversity of our society through its teaching, programs, students, and personnel.
5. The College of Education strives to produce graduates who are compassionate and effective professionals in their respective areas of preparation.

Admission Requirements

Master’s degree programs each have a specified grade point average (GPA) and other admission requirements found in their program descriptions that follow this section.

College of Education General Requirements:

• Four-year equivalent bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and initial certification (where applicable). Applicants from bachelor’s degree programs with neither letter nor numerical grading must submit GRE or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores as determined by their program.
• Completion of the College of Education Self-Assessment Form
• If English is not applicant’s native language, official English proficiency scores meeting the university’s entrance requirements must be submitted. See policy 2008-01 in Admissions Policies for details. International students with lower English proficiency scores than required by SU admission policy are not able to be admitted to a College of Education program through the Culture and Language Bridge program.

General Format of Degree Studies

Following are typical programs for each major field (except master in teaching). While details vary from program to program, all education graduate degree programs contain the following components:

• Admission as degree applicant (see general admission requirements )
• Students accepted on probation must remove all conditions of probation before completing more than 15 credits of degree work at Seattle University.
• Initial course work: 15 credits of course work to include EDUC 5000  Introduction to Educational Research, plus the designated first course in the major field and other courses designated at admission or by the program advisor.
• Candidacy: Entrance into candidacy status provides students and program faculty with an audit of student progress. Candidacy does not ensure successful program completion. Admission to degree candidate status is based on the following criteria:
  • 3.00 (B) grade point average (GPA) in the first 15 credits; (20 credits for counseling and school psychology majors)
  • Recommendation of major program advisor
  • Submission of a planned program of studies approved by advisor
• Advanced course work:
  • Completion of major field course work. The amount varies from program to program and student to student.
  • Completion of core and approved electives. The amount varies by degree, from program to program, and student to student.
  • In the programs requiring a practicum or internship, there are two evaluation points beyond initial admission-at candidacy and just prior to the practicum or internship-to further determine the candidate’s capabilities to function effectively in the practicum or internship role.
• Comprehensive examination:
  • Satisfactorily complete a written comprehensive examination covering the major area of study. The student may seek an examination appointment as soon as all major area course work is completed. Depending on the program, an examination can be offered up to three times each year.
  • Some programs offer an alternative to the comprehensive examination. School Psychology requires the School Psychology Praxis II test. Counseling requires the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE). Other programs require satisfactory completion of an e-portfolio rather than a comprehensive exam.

Grade Point Average

A 3.00 (B) GPA must be maintained during graduate study. In addition, individual programs may have minimum grade requirements for specific courses. Please check individual program student handbooks for details.

Time Limit

All degree work must be completed within six years. This limit includes transfer credit which should be no older than six years at the time the Seattle University degree or certificate is granted.

Residency

Students in in-person programs are encouraged to spend at least one quarter in full-time study, preferably the first summer quarter (except counseling). Eight hours or more per quarter constitutes full-time graduate study for financial aid purposes. Seattle University full-time graduate study is 6 or more credits per quarter. A minimum of 9 quarter credits is required for any graduate student attending on a student visa. Students in the online clinical mental health counseling program complete a weekend summer residency after the first and second years in the program.

Certification Program Records and Information Release Form

All applicants to College of Education programs preparing for Washington state certification in the P-12 schools (program administrator, principal, school counselor, school psychologist,  teacher) are required to sign a release form. This release form allows Seattle University to share records and information with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for the purpose of program approval and OSPI’s investigation of a candidate’s character and fitness for the role for which the candidate is preparing. Applicants are required to sign this release form prior to enrolling and attending their first class in their certification program.

Degree Work and Certification Combined

By careful planning some students may combine degree work with a program leading to teacher endorsement, initial principal or program administrator’s certificate, school counselor or school psychologist certificate.

Enrollment Limits for Employed Students

Anyone holding full-time employment is ordinarily limited to six hours per quarter. (This may be exceeded when added courses are an integrated part of the working day, e.g., internship, and certain independent studies and graduate projects.)

Non-matriculation Limits

Non-matriculated students must check with a program advisor, department chair, or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for available courses and credit limits.

Commencement Participation Requirements

Graduate students who have six or fewer credits of degree requirements remaining to be satisfied and who meet the grade point standards for their degree programs are eligible to participate in commencement. All students enrolled in the master in teaching program scheduled to complete degree requirements in the summer quarter are eligible to participate in commencement the preceding spring. Different rules may apply to the EDLR program; students should consult the program handbook for further guidance.