Teacher education programs in the College of Education and Human Ecology rank among the top in the country, according to the latest "Best Graduate Schools of Education" by U.S. News & World Report.
“Our teacher education programs are consistently highly ranked because of our comprehensive approach to supporting students,” said Tami Augustine, director of teacher education at the Ohio State Columbus campus and clinical associate professor.
“The college’s wonderful faculty members provide students with rigorous experiences that represent forward-thinking ideas about the realities, but also the possibilities, of teaching and learning,” she said.
Programs in the Department of Teaching and Learning offer prospective teachers multiple layers of academic support, including a faculty advisor, peers in the same program and a program manager. “The manager for each program helps students bridge research to practice and guides them throughout their experience,” Augustine said.
The programs emphasize equity and inclusion, which helps students explore the impact of an increasingly diverse U.S. society.
The college’s strong relationships with its many school partners also allow students to gain classroom experience throughout their preparation. “Each student experiences placement in two out of three types of schools: urban, rural and suburban,” said Ruth McKoy Lowery, interim chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning,
2021 U.S. News & World Report rankings
Overall
- No. 1 college of education in Ohio
- No. 6 college of education among the 14 Big Ten universities
- No. 17 among public universities
Department of Teaching and Learning specialties
- Curriculum and Instruction – No. 6
- Elementary Education – No. 9
- Secondary Education – No. 11
Department of Educational Studies specialties
- Counseling and Personnel Services – No. 8
- Higher Education Administration – No. 9
- Educational Psychology – No. 11
- Administration/Supervision - No. 12
- Special Education – No. 17
- Educational Policy – No. 23
“The teachers who welcome our students into their classrooms are invaluable,” Augustine said. “They mentor students as they grow into wonderful teachers. These carefully integrated strengths of our programs create transformative experiences for our students.”
Higher education, special education make largest moves
The college’s Higher Education and Student Affairs program moved up three places to No. 9 in the rankings. Its faculty members are consistently recognized for turning out well-prepared graduates who serve at colleges and universities across the nation.
Students can study for a master’s degree, a doctoral degree or a doctor of education degree — meant for leaders in higher education or K-12 practitioners. The Student Personnel Assistantship program provides funded work experience for master’s and PhD students, either at Ohio State or other central Ohio institutions.
The program is distinctive, said program chair Professor Matthew Mayhew, because each faculty member studies different aspects of college student development and success, as well as collegiate environments and contexts.
Current faculty research focuses include student learning and identity development, student activism, minority-serving institutions and leadership development.
In addition, Dean Don Pope-Davis is recruiting top scholars to add to the college’s excellence and diversity. Three of the 15 faculty who joined last autumn are in the Higher Education program:
- Lori Patton Davis, professor and chair of the Department of Educational Studies, brings expertise in higher education to the college’s leadership decision-making.
- Penny Pasque, professor and the college’s director of qualitative research, is co-editor of The Review of Higher Education, a leading higher education journal.
- Stephen John Quaye, associate professor, is associate editor of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and former president of ACPA: College Student Educators International.
The 2021 rankings also elevated Ohio State’s Special Education program, advancing it seven places to land within the top 20.
The dean’s hiring initiative welcomed Donna Y. Ford, who returned to Ohio State as a professor of special education. Her expertise in the study of gifted minority youth is bringing benefit to the program.
