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Academics

Tackling the toughest problems in education

Since its founding in 1877, the UNC School of Education has become a leading research-intensive organization ranked among the top 20 schools of education at public universities.

Carolina’s School of Education stands as an active hub of leading researchers and teachers, students, practitioners, alumni and staff members who have formed a community deeply engaged in the transformative work of education.

The School of Education has a long track record of preparing the state’s highest-performing teachers, while also educating and training school administrators, district superintendents, school psychologists and counselors, and educational researchers committed to tackling the toughest problems in education.

We work in service to our stated mission, as we are committed to work that contributes to breaking down barriers to opportunity, lifting up individuals, and empowering communities to rise and thrive within a democratic society facing an increasingly technological future. We pursue this work knowing this: Education is what drives every profession, every human endeavor.

With a foundation in the state’s constitution and roots that extend from 1877, the School of Education reflects North Carolina’s early and continued commitment to education and to the professional development of educators. During the last 142 years, Carolina’s School of Education has become a leading research-intensive organization ranked among the top 20 schools of education at public universities.

Our undergraduate and graduate degree programs are informed by expert scholars who understand and create the latest findings regarding the most effective teaching and learning practices and the programs are designed to develop graduates who have the knowledge and skills to become leaders in their fields and communities. Our quickly growing Human Development and Family Studies program offers undergraduates a wide number of paths into the helping professions and other careers. The Minor in Education is popular with undergraduates, many of whom are seeking to explore important topics about the role of education and its contributions to making our society more just. The UNC-BEST undergraduate program, operated in a unique collaboration with the College of Arts & Sciences, offers students majoring in math and science the additional courses needed for teaching certification in these high-need areas. We also collaborate with Carolina’s Department of Music to offer a bachelor’s program in K-12 Music Education.

For students who wish to leverage their undergraduate degree into a teaching career, we offer a Master of Arts in Teaching program. The MAT, open to undergraduates and graduates from Carolina as well as other colleges and universities, offers extensive field experiences working in classrooms and rigorous academic preparation from expert practitioners committed to preparing graduates for success as teachers. The secondary education program within the MAT is highly ranked – at No. 14 this year by US News & World Report. Our Master of Education for Experienced Teachers program is designed for working educators to deepen and extend their skills, and our Master of School Administration program helps prepare educators for careers as school leaders. The Master of Education in School Counseling program is an intensive 14-month experience that has proven effective in preparing graduates for the challenges of careers as school counselors. Our newest master’s program – the Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship — is one of the first in the nation designed to prepare students who wish to become “edupreneurs” — innovators in the education field.

The School’s doctoral programs include the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program, one of the nation’s leading programs – ranked 14th in the nation by US News & World Report — in preparing school administrators. We also offer an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction – ranked 17th in the nation by US News & World Report — that equips educators to lead in efforts to improve student achievement. Our School Psychology Ph.D. program develops scientist-practitioners prepared to embark on impactful careers with evidence-based practice and data-driven decision making.

The Ph.D. in Education stands at the heart of our research enterprise, with leading education scholars working with doctoral students pursuing new understandings of the challenges facing today’s students, schools and communities. The Ph.D. program is led by faculty who are recognized as leaders in their fields for their scholarly contributions to understandings about teaching and learning. The program is designed to foster collaboration among faculty and doctoral students in a variety of fields, strengthening capacity to establish and accomplish innovative and relevant research that discovers – and implements – improvements in education.

Carolina’s School of Education community recognizes that challenges of the 21st century confront society with new questions about how schools of education design, deliver, enact and gauge success in teaching and learning. We continuously examine our work and benchmarks of success, implementing improvements and re-imagining how to further empower our collaborative community – all aimed at deepening our impact in service to North Carolina and beyond.