Dec 08, 2024  
USC Catalogue 2024-2025 
    
USC Catalogue 2024-2025

USC Rossier School of Education


Students learn about legal issues in education.

In “EDHP 679: Legal Issues in the Administration of Higher Education,” master’s students learn from Professor Shafiqa Ahmadi about laws and policies relevant to student affairs as a profession. Photo by Brian Morri. 



The USC Rossier School of Education is one of the world’s premier schools of education. It is committed to preparing teachers, researchers, counselors, administrators and curricular specialists for leadership positions, and to having a positive impact on the field of education locally, throughout our nation and throughout the world.

The mission of the USC Rossier School of Education is to prepare leaders to advance educational equity through practice, research and policy. We work to improve learning opportunities and outcomes in urban settings and other educational settings and to address disparities that undermine the educational opportunities of historically marginalized groups. We teach our students to value and respect the cultural and linguistic resources in which they work and to interrogate the systems of power that shape policies and practices. Through innovative thinking and research, we strive to solve the most intractable educational problems.

Our vision is a world in which 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 prepare educational leaders, researchers and practitioners so that they will have the knowledge and skills needed to realize this vision. 

The USC 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 and are prepared to support them long after they leave us. 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

Pedro A. Noguera, PhD, Dean, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean’s Chair in Education

Lawrence O. Picus, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs; Richard T. Cooper and Mary Catherine Cooper Chair in Public School Administration

Darline Robles, PhD, Associate Dean of Diversity and Community Engagement

Gale M. Sinatra, PhD, Associate Dean for Research; Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education

Kathy Stowe, EdD, Associate Dean for Academic Programs

Artineh Samkian, PhD, Faculty Council Chair and Professor of Clinical Education

Stephen Aguilar, PhD, Faculty Council Vice Chair and Associate Professor

Teri Adams, Associate Dean of Administration and Finance

Rachel Beal, Associate Dean for Advancement

Eric Olsen, Associate Dean and Executive Director of Communications

David Cash, Assistant Dean for Leadership

Tabitha Courtney, Assistant Dean and Executive Director, Strategic Enrollment Services

Jessica Gibson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

Eugenia Mora-Flores, Assistant Dean for Teacher Education

Helena Seli, Assistant Dean for Academic Program Development and Professor of Clinical Education

Kenae Danley, Executive Director of Events

Rochelle Hardison, Executive Administrative Manager, Office of the Dean

Faculty

Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean’s Chair in Education: Pedro A. Noguera, PhD

Fahmy Attalah Chair in Curriculum and Instruction: Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD

Richard T. Cooper and Mary Catherine Cooper Chair in Public School Administration: Lawrence O. Picus, PhD

Veronica and David Hagen Endowed Chair in Women’s Leadership: Tracy Tambascia, EdD

Katzman/Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation: Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, PhD

Robert A. Naslund Chair in Curriculum Theory: Jessica DeCuir-Gunby, PhD

Irving R. and Virginia Archer Melbo Chair in Educational Administration: Maria Ott, EdD

Clifford H. and Betty C. Allen Professorship in Urban Education: Shaun R. Harper, PhD

Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education: Gale M. Sinatra, PhD

Dean’s Professorship in Educational Equity: Brendesha Tynes, PhD

Leslie Wilbur and Norma Lash Wilbur-Evelyn Kieffer Professor of Higher Education: Adrianna Kezar, PhD

Professors: Patricia Burch, PhD; Darnell Cole, PhD; Jessica DeCuir-Gunby, PhD; Shaun R. Harper, PhD; Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD; Henry Jenkins, PhD (Annenberg); Adrianna Kezar, PhD; Franklin Manis, PhD (Dornsife); Julie Ann Marsh, PhD; Pedro A. Noguera, PhD; Harold F. O’Neil Jr., PhD; Daphna Oyserman, PhD (Dornsife); Gary Painter, PhD (Price); Erika A. Patall, PhD; Lawrence O. Picus, PhD; Morgan Polikoff, PhD; Julie Posselt, PhD; Gale Sinatra, PhD; Brendesha Tynes, PhD

Associate Professors: Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, PhD; Huriya Jabbar, PhD; Royel Johnson, PhD; David Schwartz, PhD (Dornsife)

Assistant Professors: Stephen Aguilar, PhD; Dwuana Bradley, PhD; Adrian Huerta, PhD; Adam Kho, PhD

Professors of Clinical Education: Shafiqa Ahmadi, JD; Brinell Anderson, PsyD; Mary Andres, PsyD; Theodore Burnes, PhD; David Cash, EdD; Ruth Chung, PhD; Ginger Clark, PhD; Jenifer Crawford, PhD; Rudolph Crew, EdD; Monique Datta, EdD; Robert Filback, PhD; Gregory Franklin, EdD; Frederick W. Freking, PhD; Alan Green, PhD; Angela Hasan, PhD; Kimberly Hirabayashi, PhD; Sandra N. Kaplan, EdD; Christina Kishimoto, EdD; Cathy Krop, PhD; Jerome Lucido, PhD; Anthony B. Maddox, PhD; Azad Madni, PhD (Viterbi); Courtney Malloy, PhD; Emmy Min, PhD; Eugenia Mora-Flores, EdD; Maria Ott, EdD; John Pascarella, PhD; Mark Power Robison, PhD; Darline Robles, PhD; Artineh Samkian, EdD; Helena Seli, PhD; Julie Slayton, JD, PhD; Kathy Stowe, EdD; Tracy Poon Tambascia, EdD; Patricia Tobey, PhD; Kenneth Yates, EdD

Associate Professors of Clinical Education: Nasser Cortez, EdD; Briana Hinga, PhD; Akilah Lyons-Moore, EdD; Shanta Smith, EdD

Assistant Professors of Clinical Education: Sheila Banuelos, EdD; Cory Buckner, EdD; Yajaira Curiel, PhD; Atheneus Ocampo, EdD; Rudy Roman, PhD

Teaching Professors of Clinical Education: Paula Carbone, PhD; Kimberly Ferrario, PhD; Corinne Hyde, EdD; Marsha Riggio, PhD

Associate (Teaching) Professors of Clinical Education: Stephanie Dewing, EdD; Douglas Lynch, PhD; Ekaterina Moore, PhD; Jennifer Phillips, DLS; Rufus Tony Spann, PhD; Don Trahan, PhD

Assistant (Teaching) Professors of Clinical Education: Eric Canny, EdD; Esther Kim, PhD

Research Professors: Zoë Corwin, PhD; Ronald Hallett, PhD; Jon Fullerton, PhD; Brandi Jones, EdD

Associate Research Professors: Kendrick Davis, PhD; Joseph Kitchen, PhD

Assistant Research Professors: Steve Desir, EdD; Mabel Hernandez, PhD; Xiaofei Yang, PhD

Emeritus Professors: Lloyd Armstrong, PhD; Estela Mara Bensimon, EdD; Richard Clark, EdD; Myron H. Dembo, PhD; Mike Diamond, PhD (Marshall); Robert Ferris, EdD; Rodney K. Goodyear, PhD; Edward J. Kazlauskas, PhD; Frederick Knirk, EdD; Steven Krashen, PhD; Johanna K. Lemlech, EdD; David Marsh, PhD; William F. O’Neill, PhD; Robert Rueda, PhD; William G. Tierney, PhD; Kathleen Wulf, PhD

Emeritus Professors of Clinical Education: Rudy Castruita, EdD; Raymond J. Pat Gallagher, PhD; Michael Genzuk, PhD; Stuart E. Gothold, EdD; Dennis Hocevar, PhD; Margo Pensavalle, EdD; Sylvia Rousseau, EdD; Julietta Shakhbagova, PhD; Melora Sundt, PhD

Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology: Rodney K. Goodyear, PhD

Stoops Dean and Cooper Chair Emeritus: Guilbert C. Hentschke, PhD

Research Professor Emeritus of Education: Allen Munro, PhD

Degree and Minor Programs

The USC 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, 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, Enrollment Management and Policy; Master of Science, Marriage and Family Therapy; Doctor of Philosophy, Education/Master of Public Policy (PhD/MPP); Educational Leadership (EdD); Global Executive (EdD); Mental Health Leadership (EdD); Organizational Change and Leadership (EdD); and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education.

The USC Rossier School of Education also offers minors in Education and Society, The Dynamics of Early Childhood, and Education Policy  (with the Price School of Public Policy).

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 USC 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 letters of recommendation and personal statements. The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is not required. Specific prior degree, testing and recommendation requirements vary by program. For specific information on admission and application procedures, contact the Office of Admission and Scholarships, (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 with the exception of the PhD program, which requires students to maintain a 3.5. 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 the required grade point average in an academic term may 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 the 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 USC Rossier School of Education offers the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD) and the Doctor of Education (EdD). Both doctoral degrees 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 USC 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 USC 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 USC Rossier School of Education: 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 USC Rossier School of Education Credential office or the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) ctc.ca.gov/ 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. Upon successful completion of the MAT program candidates are recommended for a Preliminary Credential. Internships and Induction programs that lead to Clear Credentials can be satisfied under the purview of your district of employment. All Preliminary Credentials from the MAT include the English Language Learner Authorization (previously known as a CLAD certificate) and authorization of specialized use of technology in educational settings as mandated by the State of California.

Multiple Subject Teaching (MS) 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 (SS) authorizes the holder to teach a specific subject(s) named on the credential in departmentalized classes such as those in most middle schools and high schools, in grades preschool, 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 to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) due to learning differences. This preliminary ES credential will also include the state mandated additional autism authorization, which authorizes candidates to provide instructional services to students on the autism spectrum with the M/M specialty area setting.

All Preliminary Credential teacher candidates enrolled in the MAT programs must meet the following requirements in order to be recommended/endorsed for a teaching credential: Certificate of Clearance*; Basic Skills Competency; Content Subject Matter Competency; successful completion of all MAT course work; negative tuberculosis test valid within six months of beginning student teaching; Clinical Fieldwork Experience Agreement form; Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA)**; Healthy Environments modules; evidence of successful completion and passing of a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA)–USC MAT program uses the EdTPA, U.S. Constitution requirement; verification of training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that covers infant, child and adult CPR skills according to the American Heart Association (AHA) and/or the American Red Cross (ARC); and 800 hours of student teaching.

*Please note the Certificate of Clearance can only be issued by the CCTC and requires applicants to provide a Social Security Number (SSN).

**RICA is required for Multiple Subjects and Education Specialist Credential candidates only.

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. See online.usc.edu/state-disclosures/.

For inquiries, contact the MAT Programs Office at askmat@rossier.usc.edu.

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 for the Master of Education in Educational Counseling, Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy and Master of Education in School Counseling have the option to earn a Clear Pupil Personnel Services Credential, which authorizes the holder to provide the following services:

  • School Counseling authorizes the holder to perform the following duties in a K-12 environment: develop, plan, implement, and evaluate a school counseling and guidance program that includes academic, career, personal and social development; advocate for the high academic achievement and social development of all students; provide schoolwide prevention and intervention strategies and counseling services; provide consultation, training, and staff development to teachers and parents regarding students’ needs; and, supervise a district-approved advisory program as described in California Education Code, Section 49600.

Candidates in the Master of 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 (213) 740-2711; MSW (855) 725-4679.

Special Programs

Office of Professional Learning

To better help educators address today’s challenges, we are reframing professional learning experiences by reimagining professional development that promotes sustained learning over the quick fix and prioritizes educators’ voices and agency as they enhance their ability to teach and lead in a changing world. We want to close the “knowing-doing gap” and enact praxis by drawing on the reflections and experiences of both researchers and practitioners.

Certificate and credential programs are offered in online, face-to-face, and blended formats and include:

  • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Certificate Program
  • Breakthrough Leadership Institute
  • Mindfulness for Educators Certificate Program
  • Mathematics Instructional Added Authorization Program – Teaching Credential required
  • Equity Educators Certificate Program
  • Reading and Literacy Added Authorization Program – Teaching Credential required
  • School Business Management Certificate Program
  • AASA-USC Urban Superintendents Academy
  • School Leadership Academy: Preliminary Administrative Services Credential
  • Project Change: Differentiated Curriculum

Many of our professional learning programs offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) upon successful completion.

For further information, contact the Office of Professional Learning at rossierprolearn.usc.edu.

Programs

Minor

Master’s Degree

Dual Degree

Graduate Certificate

Doctoral Degree

Courses

Curriculum, Teaching and Special Education

Education Counseling

Higher and Postsecondary Education

Educational Policy, Planning and Administration

Educational Psychology and Technology

Education

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