College of Education
Thomas E. Hodges, Dean
Angela C. Baum, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Ali S. Brian, Associate Dean for Research
Meir Muller, Associate Dean for Community Empowerment
Chris J. Burkett, Assistant Dean for Student Services
Rob L. Dedmon, Assistant Dean for Academic Management and Planning
Brytnee Reichert, Assistant Dean for Business Operations
Cindy Van Buren, Assistant Dean for Professional Partnerships
The College of Education is a member of the National Network for Education Renewal and the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. The College of Education is the anchor of the Professional Education Unit (PEU) of USC, which includes five other colleges/schools and carries full accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The College of Education, in cooperation with the other colleges and schools of the PEU, prepares collaborative educational leaders and advocates, offering programs for teacher certification, counselor certification, and advanced degrees for educators.
Admission
Regulations and requirements for admission to graduate study and graduate degree candidacy in the College of Education correspond to those of The Graduate School. Admission decisions in the College of Education are based on multiple indicators and vary by program. Application requirements for each program are specified on the Graduate School’s prospective student page .
Progression in the College of Education
All students enrolled in graduate courses are subject to the academic regulations of The Graduate School. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of these rules and regulations. The College of Education has additional progression regulations and academic standards for progression.
Graduate Coursework Grade Requirement
The College of Education stipulates that 12 hours of credit below a grade of B on graduate course work while admitted to a College of Education graduate degree or certificate program will disqualify a student from continuation in and completion of that program. Individual program areas may have more stringent progression requirements.
Graduate Assessments
Students enrolled in a graduate degree program in the College of Education will have a maximum of two opportunities to pass required progression assessments. These progression assessments include the master’s comprehensive assessment, doctoral qualifying exam, doctoral comprehensive exam, and doctoral dissertation defense.
Doctoral Dissertation and Capstone
A minimum of 12 credit hours of 899-Dissertation Preparation is required for all Ph.D. students. Students in the Ed.D. degree must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of 899-Dissertation Preparation or 898-Capstone Research Preparation coursework. The maximum number of credit hours for 899-Dissertation Preparation or 898-Capstone Research Preparation coursework without an approved petition is 24 credit hours.
Ph.D. and Ed.D. students who receive two (2) grades of Unsatisfactory (U) in an 899-Dissertation Preparation or 898-Capstone Research Preparation, will be formally notified that they are at risk of program dismissal and must submit and be approved through a formal petition to continue in the program. The petition should include a written plan for improvement, outlining specific strategies and milestones to support successful progress in future dissertation or capstone research preparation coursework.
Students who receive three (3) grades of Unsatisfactory (U) in 899-Dissertation Preparation or 898-Capstone Research Preparation coursework will be disqualified from further enrollment in a doctoral program within the College of Education.
Ph.D. Research Requirement
All Ph.D. programs in the College of Education require a minimum of 18 hours of research coursework.