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College of Education

Departmental Programs

| Department of Curriculum and Instruction |
| Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies |
| Department of Educational Psychology |
| Department of Health and Human Performance |

| Endorsements |
| Certification Programs |

Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Chair: Dr. Wilfred A. Weber

Programs
The faculty of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction endeavors to improve instructional practice in schools and other educational settings for learners three-years-old to adult. The department offers a range of graduate degrees, endorsements, and certification programs.

Degree plans leading to the Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and instruction are tailored to meet the unique needs and professional aspirations of each student admitted to the program. The program combines several supporting areas, including art education, bilingual education, curriculum, early childhood education, education of the gifted and talented, instructional technology, language arts education, literature education, mathematics education, music education, reading education, science education, social studies education, and teacher education.

Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies
Chair: Dr. Richard L. Hooker

Programs
The Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies curriculum prepares students for leadership positions in all educational settings, emphasizing management, planning, evaluation, research, and policy analysis. The program provides an understanding of schooling in relation to society and community from political, economic, legal, sociological, historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives.

Graduates of the department's programs work as educational leaders in public and private school systems (prekindergarten to 12th grade) and in various kinds of postsecondary institutions, government agencies, professional organizations, and industrial and corporate training programs. Departmental programs exist at the master's and doctoral levels and in specially designed sequences of courses that relate to Texas Education Agency certification requirements.

Department of Educational Psychology
Chair: Dr. Robert H. McPherson

Programs
The Department of Educational Psychology offers graduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels that prepare students to understand the conceptual base of theories, research, and methods of psychology and to apply these fields of study to the processes of education and human development.

The department emphasizes three major program areas: counseling, educational psychology and individual differences, and special education. Though differing in focus, all three programs emphasize preparing students to be competent in the academic and professional aspects of educational psychology. Professional competence is pursued through course work, seminars and supervised research, practice, and internship experiences.

Counseling

The master's degree program in counseling brings together the theoretical and applied principles of educational psychology that are essential to the counseling relationship, and prepares students to work as professional counselors in public and private schools, community agencies, and college counseling centers.

Graduates of the master's degree program meet the academic requirements necessary for Texas Education Agency certification as school counselors and typically are eligible to sit for the examination to obtain licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

The Doctor of Philosophy program in Counseling Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association and adheres to a scientist-practitioner training model. The program emphasizes the theory, research, and practice of working with normal populations from a broadly defined ecological developmental perspective. Graduates obtain faculty positions in colleges and universities; provide counseling supervision and consultation services in a variety of mental health settings; and serve as supervisors, program coordinators, and direct service providers in school districts. Students participate in a variety of training experiences including at least two semesters of practicum and a full-year, full-time, pre-doctoral internship approved by the faculty. Graduates of the Counseling Psychology program typically meet the academic requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist in the state of Texas.

Educational Psychology and Individual Differences

The master's degree in educational psychology program emphasizes human learning and development and individual differences and provides a strong background in psychological theory and research and their implications for education. Some of the careers that graduates of the master's program pursue are as associate psychologists, teachers of psychology at the high school and junior college level, researchers in school districts, and educational consultants for health care institutions.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences prepares students for employment as faculty members at colleges and universities. Graduates also find employment in areas such as directors of educational components of health care institutions and social service agencies. Typically, these students develop an individually tailored Ph.D. program which emphasizes theory and research in one or more areas related to educational psychology (learning and development), special education, and/or measurement and statistics.

Special Education

The college offers the master's degree in special education and gives students the option of meeting Texas Education Agency requirements for certification in a) Generic Special Education and as Educational Diagnosticians, and b) Severely Handicapped Education. Specialization in Severe Emotional Disturbance and Autism, Special Education Supervision, and Hospital Homebound Instruction can be pursued on an individual basis. Special education counseling requires admission into both counseling and special education. Students applying for specialty certificates must first satisfy the requirements for Generic Special Education. Students who wish to work toward one or more of the endorsement/certification programs may include program requirements in the elective or required areas of their degree plans.

The doctoral program (Ed.D.) prepares students to conduct research and to pursue scholarly activities germane to individual specializations. Program graduates currently hold leadership positions in local, regional, and state school agencies, as well as private and public colleges and universities.

Department of Health and Human Performance
Chair: Dr. Dennis W. Smith

Programs
The Department of Health and Human Performance offers graduate programs in three major areas: allied health education and administration, health education, and physical education.

Allied Health Education and Administration

The doctoral degree in Allied Health Education and Administration is a cooperative program with Baylor College of Medicine. The curriculum leading to the Ed.D. degree consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours of course work and a dissertation (minimum of six hours). The student completing this degree is prepared for employment in institutions of higher learning and health care institutions that require research, teaching, and educational administration skills.

The master's degree in Allied Health Education and Administration is part of a cooperative program with Baylor College of Medicine. Faculty at both institutions provide the course work. Offered since 1972, this program is open to licensed/certified/registered allied health professionals preparing for positions as educators or educational administrators in schools for allied health professionals, colleges or universities, clinical settings, or community health agencies. Program requirements for the M.Ed. include 36 hours of course work in foundations of education, allied health education and administration, and advisor-approved electives. A practicum/internship is also required. In addition to course requirements, students must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination covering their major field of study after 27 hours of course work.

Health Education

At the master's level, the health education concentration is designed to provide students from diverse disciplines opportunities to apply the principles of health education and health promotion in school, agency, community, worksite, and patient care settings. A total of 36 semester hours is required, with specific course work in foundations of education, health education, and advisor-approved electives. In addition to course requirements, students must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination covering their major field of study after 27 hours of course work. Graduates from this program are anticipated to meet the educational criteria to become a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Physical Education

The master's degree is designed for physical education teachers, administrators, sport theorists, and exercise specialists. It meets the specific needs of students who are preparing to pursue an advanced degree, those who are seeking certification to teach physical education, and those who wish to continue their professional development.

Physical education teachers, athletic coaches, administrators, and curriculum specialists at the public/private school levels can benefit from this program through study beyond the bachelor's degree. The program also provides appropriate preparation for specialists working in adult fitness programs in corporate and medical settings. The master's program has four emphasis areas including physical education pedagogy, sports/fitness administration, exercise/health related fitness, motor behavior.

1. Foundations of education (nine semester hours)
2. Disciplinary foundations and applied aspects of physical education (18 semester hours)
3. Electives (nine semester hours)

Students seeking teacher certification must complete additional prescribed courses.

The doctoral program has three areas of emphasis:

1. Physical education pedagogy with focus on the design and implementation of physical education programs and the preservice and inservice education of physical education teachers
2. Measurement and research in exercise science, which focuses on measurement theory, research design, and statistics used in the physiological or psychological aspects of exercise science
3. Psychological basis of movement, which focuses on psychological theory and research in learning and performing motor skills All students select course work within the emphasis area and complete a core of courses in physical education. Elective hours should reflect the emphasis interest area.

Prerequisites include a master's degree with at least 12 semester hours of graduate physical education. PEP 6305 (Measurement in Physical Education), PEP 6340 (Principles of Motor Learning), and PEP 6301 (Physiology of Exercise) are specific requirements that cannot count toward the 27 semester hours required within physical education. Students must make up all deficiencies by adding courses in the areas of deficiency to the degree plan. Normally, students must have two years of teaching or other professional experience.

Exercise Science

The master's degree (M.S.) in exercise science is designed to accomplish two objectives. First, it is to prepare students for employment in medically oriented environments that place an emphasis on research. Secondly, it is to provide students with academic and research skills needed for doctoral study in exercise science. Areas of emphasis within this program include exercise physiology, measurement and research in exercise science, and motor behavior. This degree is a 36 hour minimum program including:

1. Research core (9 semester hours)
2. Disciplinary core (6 semester hours)
3. Cognate courses outside department (6 hours)
4. Thesis required (6 hours)
5. Approved electives (9 hours)

Endorsements
Endorsements have a prerequisite of a bachelor's degree and a valid Texas teacher certificate. Most require a year or more of successful teaching experience and/or student teaching or a practicum experience.

Certification Programs
Students can receive

• Initial Teaching Certificates
• Professional Certificates