USC Rossier School of Education offers a wide range of academic programs designed for aspiring teachers, experienced educators and organizational leaders at various stages in their careers. Here, Brandon Louie ‘98 engages students at Synergy Charter Academy. Photo by Meiko Takechi Arquillos.
The USC Rossier School of Education is one of the world’s premier centers for the study of urban education. The school is committed to preparing teachers, researchers, counselors, administrators and curricular specialists for leadership positions. The mission of the USC Rossier School of Education is to improve learning in urban education locally, nationally and globally. Urban areas often face challenges associated with equity and access, poverty, density, mobility and immigration, environmental degradation and strained social conditions around housing, health care and crime. Urban education takes place in many contexts including pre-kindergarten through high school, human services, higher education and workplace settings.
We seek to transform urban education by:
- Leading the search for innovative, efficacious and just solutions by engaging in collaborative translational research.
- Preparing and developing educational leaders who are change agents committed to urban education and who possess the competencies needed to address complex educational and social issues.
- Creating mutually beneficial partnerships to ensure our work is field-based and incorporates a diversity of perspectives and experiences.
Our vision is a world where every student, regardless of personal circumstance, is able to learn and succeed. We believe that USC Rossier, as a top-tier research institution, has the responsibility and the ability to train the education leaders and to develop the innovative practices inclusive of equity and access that will help realize this vision.
The Rossier School of Education is committed to our four academic themes of leadership, diversity, learning and accountability that guide all academic, research and service efforts within our school.
The USC Rossier Commitment
At USC Rossier, we stand by our students and graduates. From our classrooms to your career, our commitment to your success is unwavering. We prepare our graduates to be change agents, and equip them with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to assess challenges and implement creative solutions. If at any point in your career you’re faced with an issue in which you could benefit from the professional guidance of our expert faculty, we encourage you to take advantage of the USC Rossier Commitment. A dedicated team of faculty members will work with you to identify the issue and develop a strategic plan of action to facilitate your success.
USC Rossier School of Education
Waite Phillips Hall 301
(213) 740-0224
info@rossier.usc.edu
Administration
Karen Symms Gallagher, PhD, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean
Lawrence O. Picus, PhD, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Gale Sinatra, PhD, Associate Dean for Research
Kathy Stowe, EdD, Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Jerome Lucido, PhD, Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment Services
Teri Adams, Assistant Dean of Administration and Finance
Faculty
Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean’s Chair in Education: Karen Symms Gallagher, PhD
Irving R. and Virginia Archer Melbo Chair in Educational Administration: Rudy Castruita, EdD
Leslie Wilbur and Norma Lash Wilbur-Evelyn Keiffer Professor of Higher Education: William G. Tierney, PhD
Katzman/Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation: Alan Arkatov
University Professor: William G. Tierney, PhD
Professors: Ron Avi Astor, PhD (Social Work); Estela Mara Bensimon, EdD; Henry Jenkins, PhD (Annenberg); Adrianna Kezar, PhD; Franklin Manis, PhD (Dornsife); Harold F. O’Neil Jr., PhD; Daphna Oyserman, PhD (Dornsife); Gary Painter, PhD (Price); Lawrence O. Picus, PhD; Gale Sinatra, PhD; John B. Slaughter, PhD (Engineering)
Associate Professors: Patricia Burch, PhD; Darnell Cole, PhD; Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, PhD; Julie Ann Marsh, PhD; Tatiana Melguizo, PhD; Morgan Polikoff, PhD; David Schwartz, PhD (Dornsife); Katharine O. Strunk, PhD; Brendesha Tynes, PhD
Assistant Professors: Julie Posselt, PhD; David Quinn, PhD
Professors of Clinical Education: Mary Andres, PsyD; Reynaldo R. Baca, PhD; Rudy Castruita, EdD; Ginger Clark, PhD; Michael Escalante, EdD; Raymond John Gallagher, PhD; Pedro Garcia, EdD; Sandra N. Kaplan, EdD; Anthony B. Maddox, PhD; Azad Madni, PhD (Viterbi); Eugenia Mora-Flores, EdD; Maria Ott, EdD; Margo Pensavalle, EdD; Mark Power Robison, PhD; Darlene Robles, PhD; Julietta Shakhbagova, PhD; Julie Slayton, JD, PhD; Kathy Stowe, EdD; Melora Sundt, PhD; Kristan Venegas, PhD; Adlai Wertman, MBA (Marshall); Kenneth Yates, EdD
Associate Professors of Clinical Education: Shafiqa Ahmadi, JD; Paula Carbone, PhD; Ruth Gim Chung, PhD; Jenifer Crawford, PhD; Robert Filback, PhD; Frederick W. Freking, PhD; Alan G. Green, PhD; Angela Hasan, PhD; Kimberly Hirabayashi, PhD; Emmy Min, PhD; John Pascarella, PhD; Helena Seli, PhD; Tracy Poon Tambascia, EdD
Assistant Professors of Clinical Education: Lynne Goldfarb, PhD; Briana Hinga, PhD; Jaimie Hoffman, EdD; Artineh Samkian, EdD
Associate (Teaching) Professors of Clinical Education: Michael Genzuk, PhD; Kimberly Ferrario, PhD; Corinne Hyde, EdD
Assistant (Teaching) Professor of Clinical Education: Monique Datta, EdD
Associate Research Professors: Zoe Corwin, PhD; Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, PhD
Research Assistant Professor: Yaesmin Copur-Gencturk, PhD
Senior Lecturer: Kate O’Connor
Senior Fellow: Douglas Lynch, PhD
Emeritus Professors: Earl Carnes, PhD; Richard Clark, EdD; Myron H. Dembo, PhD; Mike Diamond, PhD (Marshall); Robert Ferris, EdD; Mabel E. Hayes, PhD; Edward J. Kazlauskas, PhD; Frederick Knirk, EdD; Steven Krashen, PhD; Johanna K. Lemlech, EdD; James Magary, PhD; Merle Marks, EdD; William G. Millington, EdD; William F. O’Neill, PhD; Donald E. Polkinghorne, PhD; William M. Rideout, Jr., PhD; Robert Rueda, PhD; Audrey J. Schwartz, EdD; Robert A. Smith, PhD; Eddie Williams, EdD; Kathleen Wulf, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Education: Stuart E. Gothold, EdD; Dennis Hocevar, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology: Rodney K. Goodyear, PhD
Stoops Dean and Cooper Chair Emeritus: Guilbert C. Hentschke, PhD
Emeritus Associate Professor of Clinical Education: William Maxwell, PhD
Research Professor Emeritus of Education: Allen Munro, PhD
Minor and Degree Programs
The Rossier School of Education offers the following degree programs: Master of Arts, Teaching; Master of Arts, Teaching: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Master of Education, Teacher Leadership; Master of Education, Educational Counseling; Master of Education, Learning Design and Technology; Master of Education, Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs; Master of Education, School Counseling; Master of Education, School Leadership; Master of Marriage and Family Therapy; Doctor of Education/Master of Business Administration (EdD/MBA); Doctor of Education (EdD); Organizational Change and Leadership (EdD); Global Executive (EdD); and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Urban Education Policy.
The Rossier School of Education also offers minors in Education and Society, The Dynamics of Early Childhood, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
Graduate Degrees
Admission
Applicants for admission to graduate degree programs must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Admission to graduate programs in the Rossier School of Education is highly selective and competitive. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is usually expected as well as satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test for select programs as well as letters of recommendation. Specific prior degree, testing, and recommendation requirements vary by program. For specific information on admission and application procedures, contact the Office of Admissions and Scholarship, (213) 740-0224 or info@rossier.usc.edu.
For more details on how to apply, please visit: rossier.usc.edu/admissions/
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) or better to stay in good academic standing. Consistent with USC’s overall policies for graduate students, factors other than satisfactory grades may also be taken into consideration in decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a graduate degree program. These factors include satisfactory performance in fieldwork or credentialing requirements, or meeting program-defined professional standards, which are communicated to students at the beginning of the program.
Students who do not earn or maintain a 3.0 (A = 4.0) grade point average in an academic term will be given an academic warning in the following term. Students may also be given an academic warning if they have not fulfilled non-GPA related requirements, as defined by their degree program. The academic warning provides notification that the student is subject to dismissal. A student who is not in good academic standing is subject to dismissal, and may be dismissed from a program whenever, in the judgment of the associate dean for academic programs and the program director of the program in question, it is unlikely that the student will successfully complete his or her program.
Time Limit for Degree Completion
The time limit for completing a master’s degree is five years. The time limit for completing a doctoral degree is eight years. For students who earned an applicable master’s degree within five years prior to admission to the doctorate, the time limit for completion is six years.
The time limit begins with the first course at USC applied toward a specified degree and ends the semester during which all requirements are met.
A primary consideration of the setting of time limits is the currency of the course work and research with respect to the date the degree is to be conferred. Equally important is the concern that the faculty members serving as advisers or committee members be available to the student for the duration of graduate studies at USC.
Occasionally a student finds it impossible to comply with prescribed time limits for completion of a degree. If a significant delay is likely to occur, the student must make arrangements in advance by petitioning for an extension of time. Such petitions will be considered when there is clear justification based on sound academic or critical personal reasons. An academic department may grant an extension of up to one year at a time for a maximum of two years.
Doctoral Degrees
The Rossier School of Education offers the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education Policy (PhD) and the Doctor of Education (EdD). Both doctoral programs place strong emphasis on the acquisition of inquiry skills and on the collaborative and interdisciplinary study of issues mutually engaging to both students and the Rossier School of Education faculty members. Both degrees emphasize the acquisition of appropriate research and inquiry skills, but the application of these skills is expected to differ. The EdD student is trained to use inquiry skills to solve contemporary problems, while the PhD student is trained to contribute to the general and theoretical knowledge about educational issues. The EdD is administered by the Rossier School of Education; the PhD is administered by the Graduate School.
PhD students must also consult The Graduate School section of this catalogue for regulations and requirements pertaining to the degree.
Credential Programs
A credential is a license issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) to persons wishing to legally teach or perform certain other professional services in California’s public schools. USC is one of several institutions authorized to recommend qualified persons to the CCTC for receipt of credentials.
There are two categories of credentials offered in the Rossier School: teaching and service. Requirements for these credentials may be obtained by calling the appropriate phone number listed below. Credential requirements may change due to state law. Students are advised to consult periodically with the Rossier School of Education for current credential requirements.
Teaching Credentials
California has a two-tier credential structure. A five-year preliminary credential is the first credential issued after an individual meets basic credential requirements. A clear credential is issued when all credential requirements have been completed. Upon successful completion of the MAT program candidates are recommended for a Preliminary credential. Internships and Induction programs that lead to clear credentials are currently satisfied under the purview of your district of employment.
Multiple Subject Teaching (MST) authorizes the holder to teach in a self-contained classroom such as the classrooms in most elementary schools. A teacher authorized for multiple subject instruction may be assigned to teach in any self-contained classroom (preschool, grades K–12 or many subjects within a self-contained classroom). This classroom situation is generally found in preschool and elementary grades or in classes organized primarily for adults. In addition, the holder of a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential may serve in a core or team teaching setting.
Single Subject Teaching (SST) authorizes the holder to teach a specific subject(s) named on the credential in departmentalized classes such as those in most middle schools academic area. This classroom situation is generally found in middle and senior high schools. A teacher authorized for single subject instruction may be assigned to teach any subject on his or her authorized fields at any grade level: preschool, grades K–12 or in classes organized primarily for adults.
Education Specialist Credential (ES) authorizes the holder to conduct Educational Assessments related to student’s access to the academic core curriculum and progress toward meeting instructional academic goals, provide instruction and Special Education Support to individuals in the area of specialization listed on the credential. Currently the ES curriculum in the MAT program prepares candidates to work with students who have Mild/Moderate Disabilities (M/M). This preliminary ES credential will also authorize candidates to provide autism instructional services to students within the M/M specialty area setting.
All Preliminary Credential teacher candidates must meet the following requirements in order to be recommended/endorsed for a teaching credential: Basic Skills Competency, Content Subject Matter Competency, successful completion of all MAT course work, evidence of successful completion and passing of the TPA (Teaching Performance Assessment) and verification of training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that covers infant, child and adult CPR skills.
Teacher certification rules and requirements vary greatly by state. Completion of a CCTC-approved program does not guarantee certification or licensure in another state. Prospective teacher candidates are strongly advised to learn about their state’s requirements. The USC Credential Office will provide support and program verification information as appropriate and necessary during the direct licensure application process to states outside of California.
Indiana
Accredited in Indiana by the Indiana Commission on Proprietary Education (CPE).
Minnesota
The University of Southern California is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Registration does not mean that credits earned at the institution can be transferred to all other institutions.
Washington
University of Southern California is authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act. This authorization is subject to periodic review and authorizes University of Southern California to offer specific degree programs. The Council may be contacted for a list of currently authorized programs. Authorization by the Council does not carry with it an endorsement by the Council of institution or its programs. Any person desiring information about the requirements of the act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the Council at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430.
Prospective Washington state students are advised to contact the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction at (360) 725-6320 or profed@k12.wa.us to determine whether this education program is approved for teacher certification or endorsements in Washington state. In addition, teachers are advised to contact their individual school district as to whether this program may qualify for salary advancement.
Missouri
USC is approved by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education to deliver its online program to residents.
Tennessee
USC is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. This authorization must be renewed each year and is based on an evaluation by minimum standards concerning quality of education, ethical business practices, health and safety, and fiscal responsibility.
If a complaint is not settled at the institutional level, the student may contact the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Nashville, TN 37243-0830, (615) 741-5293. If the institution uses a mediation clause in its enrollment agreement, the catalogue must describe the steps required of the student and/or the institution to initiate the mediation process.
For inquiries, contact the MAT@USC office at (213) 743-2127.
Services Credentials
The Administrative Services Credential authorizes the holder to provide a variety of services in grades 12 and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. USC recommends candidates for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. This credential is offered through the School Leadership Academy. For more information please contact professional.development@rossier.usc.edu.
The Clear Pupil Personnel Services Credential: Candidates in the Master’s Degree in Social Work program have the option to earn a Clear Pupil Personnel Services Credential, which authorizes the holder to provide both of the following services:
- School Child Welfare and Attendance in grades 12 and below, including preschool, and in programs organized primarily for adults: access appropriate services from both public and private providers, including law enforcement and social services; provide staff development to school personnel regarding state and federal laws pertaining to due process and child welfare and attendance laws; address school policies and procedures that inhibit academic success; implement strategies to improve student attendance; participate in school-wide reform efforts; and promote understanding and appreciation of those factors that affect the attendance of culturally diverse student populations.
- School Social Work in grades 12 and below, including preschool, and in programs organized primarily for adults: assess home, school, personal and community factors that may affect a student’s learning; identify and provide intervention strategies for children and their families, including counseling, case management, and crisis intervention; consult with teachers, administrators and other school staff regarding social and emotional needs of students; and coordinate family, school and community resources on behalf of students.
For inquiries, contact the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at 1.877.700.4MSW (1.877.700.4679)
Special Programs
Professional Development
The Office for Professional Development offers a variety of non-degree and certificate programs for aspiring and current professional educators in both fully customized and open enrollment programs.
Areas of expertise include English Language Development; Literacy; Differentiated Curriculum; Gifted Education; School District Leadership Development; and School Business Management.
Certificate programs are offered in online, face to face and blended formats and include: The Reading Certificate, Differentiated Curriculum for Gifted and High-Ability Learners, Differentiating the Common Core State Standards, School Business Management, and an Equity Educators Certificate. In addition we offer two credential programs: Induction for New Teachers and Preliminary Administrative Credential.
Professional Development also offers the in-person Summer Gifted Institute and Teacher Demonstration School and the Secondary Writing Instruction Institute.
New programs launching include Early Childhood Education, Individualized Learning Experiences for Educators, Teaching with Technology, Accreditation and Evaluation Certificate Program, Clear Credential Induction for New Teachers and Assessment.
The office also offers national programs customized specifically for districts, including coaching, classroom demonstration, curriculum instruction and consultation responding to standards (Common Core, NGSS, ELD, VAPA) and International Teacher Training Institutes customized for student teachers, faculty, administrators and scholars seeking immersion in an American education environment.
For further information, contact the Office of Professional Development at (213) 740-8536.
Minor
Master’s Degree
University Certificate
Dual Degree
Doctoral Degree
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