Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology at GSU

The COE’s Division of Psychology and Counseling offers an Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in School Psychology.  The advanced program is a four-year, cohort-based model that provides future school psychologists a solid professional and academic foundation that reflects the depth and diversity in both psychology and education.  Students who graduate from the Educational Specialist in School Psychology program will have also earn a M.A. in School Psychology and be eligible to apply for practice in the state of Illinois.

This challenging program requires a total of 66-credit hours, and prepares professionals to directly and indirectly deliver a continuum of educational and mental health services to children and families.  GSU’s graduates are equipped to enhance student achievement and wellness by functioning in multiple roles including treatment, assessment, and consultative modalities, as well as teaching and research roles.

An Educational Specialist in School Psychology is a rewarding career that offers the opportunity to work in a number of different settings such as public and private schools, juvenile detention centers or daycare centers and deals with students of all ages.  Practitioners in the field work with teachers as well as other educators to augment the learning process and well-being of each student they serve.  

In addition to the ED.S. in School Psychology degree, we also offer a Master of Arts in Psychology program that consists of a clinical sequence and a theoretical sequence.  Both are designed to prepare students for advanced graduate studies in psychology, and provide a broader understanding of cultural and individual differences.  Please see the College of Education’s website for the complete information and requirements on our undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.

We invite you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  Learn more about the College of Education’s quality advanced degree programs designed to prepare the leaders of tomorrow.

The Division of Psychology and Counseling Certificate Offerings

In addition to our Master of Arts in Psychology and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in School Psychology degrees, the COE’s Division of Psychology and Counseling offers several certificate programs.  The non-degree, post B.A. or M.A. certificates provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance their education and add to their current credentials.  

The Counseling Program offers a College Career Counseling Certification [AL1] (Post B.A.) that is a sequence of five 3-credit hour courses.  This certificate prepares professionals to work with adolescents and adults in order to help them develop college career readiness to successfully enter a chosen career path.  Much of the work is done online but there are face to face class meetings that help to foster a sense of community among the students. 

Another program from the Division of Psychology and Counseling is our School Counseling Certificate (Post M.A.).  This 24-credit hour program is approved to prepare students for the Professional Educator License-Endorsed in School Counseling.  To be admitted to the certificate program, students must possess a master’s degree in Counseling or Psychology.  The certificate is awarded once students meet all university requirements.

The Mindfulness in the Helping Professions Certificate also requires a B.A. degree and is a 14-credit hour multidisciplinary program offered jointly by the College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services.  The program focuses on three areas, academic, professional and personal.  The academic perspective deals with the latest research on the application of mindfulness in a variety of clinical settings.  Professionally, students develop intervention techniques to treat a variety of clinical problems and disorders, while on a personal level; they learn how to integrate mindfulness practices in their own lives. 

Please see our website for the complete details and requirements for these challenging certificates along with information on all of GSU’s College of Education programs.  Our degree and certificate programs are offered in a variety of formats that make it easy to pursue your educational goals. 

We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  Learn more about the rich history, cultural amenities and beautiful campus that contributes to making us one of the top colleges in Illinois.  

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Certificate Programs from the COE’s Division of Education

Along with our many undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the College of Education’s (COE) Division of Education offers several non-degree certificates.  These programs are designed for students who currently hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and offer the opportunity to enhance your education and add to your current credentials. 

In light of the rapidly increasing growth of fully online and hybrid format courses, there is a need for professionals to be able to develop and facilitate high-quality online learning. Our 12-credit hour Certificate in Online Teaching (Post B.A.) is specifically designed for graduate students, college faculty, K-12 teachers, community college instructors and others.  The program teaches students the most effective methods for teaching online courses.  Although it is offered year-round, the, fully online program must be taken in sequence.  Certificates are awarded to those who achieve a “B” or better in each of the four required classes.

Another post-B.A. offering is the Reading Teacher Certificate.  This program leads to an Illinois State Board of Education endorsement.  To be eligible, students must hold an Illinois or comparable out-of-state license in Early Childhood Education, Elementary, Secondary, or Special Education. In addition you must have already completed two years of teaching before taking the reading diagnosis course.  The certificate requires 24-credit hours. 

Also the Division of Education offers an Early Childhood Education (Post-BA) Certificate.  This is a “license only” track and is for licensed Elementary or Special Education teachers.  Please keep in mind that this does not lead to a M.A. degree. 

The professional education unit at GSU seeks to offer the highest quality academic programs, balancing innovation and best practice to meet the needs of adult lifelong learners.  Please see the College of Education’s website for contact information as well as details and requirements on all of our exceptional programs.    

Academic excellence and innovation are natural partners. At Governors State University you’ll find an abundance of both.  We have a highly diverse student body and our courses are taught by gifted professors. Our rich history, cultural amenities and a beautiful campus all contribute to making us one of best colleges in Chicago.

   

Learn More about the Field of Counseling

Since there are many different types of counselors, it is important to find out as much you can about each one, and use that information to decide what kind of clients you would be best suited to serve.  According to the website Careers in Psychology.org, they suggest that, “Every one of us has special traits, empathies, attributes and interests that would make us better counselors in certain areas.”  Counseling can be an extremely rewarding profession but keep in mind that most counselors must have a masters or doctoral degree. 

At GSU’s College of Education (COE), we offer three exceptional Master of Arts in Counseling Programs: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage & Family Counseling and School Counseling.  In the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree, you will examine clinical mental health and community counseling issues.  Course work includes the study of life style and career development, workplace and vocational counseling, group dynamics and counseling program management. 

Our Marriage & Family Counseling degree provides our graduate students with course work that deals with all facets of marriage and family counseling including individuals, children, adolescents, couples and family counseling. In addition students will explore topics such as group dynamics, intervention, prevention and sexual issues.

The other COE’s M.A. in Counseling - School Counseling degree promotes excellence in professional school counseling as an integral component in the development of all students.  The primary goal of our program is to prepare responsive professional counselors in K-12 school settings who will assist students in maximizing their educational, vocational and personal/social growth and development.

If you are interested in learning more about GSU’s Counseling program, you can get answers from students who are currently in the program.  Our Counseling Peer Mentor Program allows you to ask a myriad of questions about the course work or to get an informed opinion about handling a class load while working. You will find details for the Mentor program on our website.

Source: http://careersinpsychology.org/starting-a-career-in-counseling/

We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  Learn more about the rich history, cultural amenities and beautiful campus that contributes to making us one of the top colleges in Illinois.  

The College of Education’s Endorsement Programs

At GSU’s College of Education (COE), we offer educators the opportunity to enhance their Illinois Professional Educator License with additional endorsements.  Our three offerings include the Bilingual/ESL Approval, Mathematics Endorsement and a Middle School Endorsement.

The Illinois State Board of Education’s Bilingual/ESL Education endorsement requires 18 credit hours.  To fulfill the sequence requirement for a Master of Art in Education with Specialization in Bilingual/ESL Education, 21 credit hours (including BBED 8100 Practicum in Bilingual and ESL Education) may be applied.  The courses are generally taught 2 times per week each semester, which allows teachers to earn the credential in one calendar year.  See our website for the full course requirements and details.

You can also add to your qualifications with a Mathematics Endorsement that requires just 24 credit hours.  Requirements for undergraduate students include the following classes: Early Adolescent Educational Psychology along with Curriculum and Methods for Middle School.  For graduate students, required classes include Educational Psychology Applied to the Middle School as well as Curriculum and Instruction in the Middle School.  All students are required to take Teaching Math in the Middle and Intermediate Grades.  See the COE’s website for details on this endorsement. 

The third offering from the COE is a Middle School Endorsement, which offers both on and off campus course work for currently certified teachers.  To earn the endorsement, teachers need to take the following two courses: Educational Psychology Applied to Middle School and the Curriculum and Instruction in the Middle School.  See our website for information on how to host a cohort in your school or district.

Along with our endorsement programs, the COE offers a range of excellent undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs for educators, psychologists and counselors.  Check out our website for information on all of our programs. 

We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Each college has stellar programs and world-class professors; all of which are focused on delivering academic excellence in a small-class setting.  We look forward to helping you achieve your educational and career goals.

Academic Advising for COE Students

GSU’s College of Education (COE) prepares individuals who wish to pursue careers in the field of education, psychology or counseling with a selection of outstanding undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs.  Our students receive a solid balance of theory with lots of practical experience so they are able to make a smooth transition from the university to a community agency, classroom or administrator’s office. 

The COE not only offers small class sizes to ensure personalized attention and a world-class faculty, but we also provide professional academic advisors to guide and mentor students.  Within each of the COE’s divisions, we have academic advisors who will act as your first contact when you are enrolled in one of our degree programs.   

Getting guidance from an academic advisor is helpful at different stages throughout your time at GSU, and is especially important when you are considering transferring into one of our degree programs.  And again, once you are admitted into the program, the advisor will help you to develop a plan of study as well as evaluate your transfer credits.  Even for current students, advisors are helpful in addressing questions or comments regarding the program’s policies, procedures and requirements.  

The College of Education’s advising staff includes: Maya Blackwell - Psychology, B.A. and M.A.; Bonnie Gregg - Counseling, M.A. and Ed.D; Terrance Felker - Education, Multi-categorical Special Education; Cynthia Hutson -       Early Childhood, Elementary Education;      Carla Johnson - Educational Administration, Interdisciplinary Leadership Ed.D, and Reading;    and Eileen Lally - Urban Teacher Education. 

Please refer to our website for contact information as well as details and requirements on all of our exceptional programs.  The COE’s mission is to prepare students to be reflective lifelong learners; advocates for diversity and social justice; and engaged, effective, transformative educators and mental health professionals.

Academic excellence and innovation are natural partners. At Governors State University you’ll find an abundance of both.  We have a highly diverse student body and our courses are taught by gifted professors. Our rich history, cultural amenities and a beautiful campus all contribute to making us one of best colleges in Chicago.

The Challenging Job of a School Superintendent

What makes a successful school superintendent?  While there is no doubt varying opinions, there is some consensus on the basic characteristics of an effective school superintendent.  A survey of recognized top superintendents from around the country indicates that effective communication from the school’s leadership has a significant impact on the success of moving the district’s vision forward.  

The National School Public Relations Association (NPRA) survey shows the “need for good communications as an integral ingredient in superintendent success was cited by every superintendent in this study. Although leadership, vision, and strategic thinking were listed as the most important skills for superintendent success, every superintendent in the study ranked good communications skills as a “very important” component of each of those skills.”

The superintendents mentioned that communication is especially important during times of institutional changes such as implementing “No Child Left Behind and other accountability requirements; changes in curriculum; redrawing attendance boundaries; grade configuration changes; and closing schools.” 

An article on GreatSchools’ website states that successful superintendents have a clear vision, goals and objectives for the district, and work toward achieving those goals.  They noted that the best superintendents understand they are instructional leaders and strive to ensure their students are learning and achieving at the highest levels possible.  This means a superintendent must be “knowledgeable of the best practices for maximizing student achievement and is supportive of teachers in the district.”

Superintendents are managers, and as such, must effectively evaluate the performance of their district.  They are also responsible for seeing to it that school principals are equally effective leaders in their buildings.  Finally just as good communicator skills are a must, the best superintendents are good listeners.  

GSU’s College of Education offers an Interdisciplinary Leadership, Ed.D degree program with a Superintendent (P-12) as one of the concentrations.  The program’s other concentrations are Higher Education Administration, Public Safety, and Not-for-Profit/Social Entrepreneurship.  The doctoral program provides students a comprehensive set of core courses in leadership, research, planning, communication, globalism and finance.  Please refer to the College of Education’s website for the complete requirements and details of our Interdisciplinary Leadership ED.D. 

Sources:

http://www.nspra.org/files/docs/CharacteristicsOfEffectiveSuperintendents.pdf

http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/94-what-makes-a-great-superintendent.gs

At GSU you will discover a highly diverse student body made up of individuals of all ages and backgrounds and courses that are taught by gifted professors.  At the College of Education we offer undergraduate, graduate, cohort and non-degree certificate programs to prepare you with the credentials you need to be a successful education or mental health professional. Contact us for more information.