Introduction
The College of Education at Michigan State University (MSU) is a community of students, educators and researchers aimed towards education and kinesiology. The college is aimed towards to improving practice together through exemplary research, teaching and service. With a five-year teacher preparation program, training for health-related careers and several nationally ranked graduate programs, the College of Education prepares leaders to impact learning and human development around the world.
The College of Education at MSU has four departments that offer doctoral, graduate, undergraduate and online courses:
- Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education (CEPSE)
- Department of Educational Administration (EAD)
- Department of Kinesiology (KIN)
- Department of Teacher Education (TE)
The College of Education has a mission of leadership, scholarship and service. They prepare professionals for leadership roles in education; seek to understand, reform and improve education and examine issues of education across the lifespan. Through this, the College of Education at Michigan State University has established a reputation for excellence and visionary thinking in its efforts to improve teaching and learning across our nation and world, particularly within the contexts of urban and global education. The faculty remains committed to addressing the educational and physical needs of all learners across the life span, and to working closely with educators, leaders and policymakers in the field.
The MSU College of Education is located in East Lansing, MI and is the primary education school of MSU.
History
Michigan State University established its first formal course in education in 1902 called the "History of Education." Over the next fifty years, the Department of Education grew in course offerings and faculty, and became the School of Education in 1952. The next year, in 1953, the school welcomed its first dean, Clifford Erickson. That same year, the Department of Physical Education also became part of the school. In 1985, the College established the National Center for Research on Teacher Education (NCRTE).
The college instituted year-long teaching internships, now characteristic of the college, in 1993. MSU is the only program in Michigan and one of the few nationwide that requires a yearlong teaching internship in a public school.
In 2006 and 2008, the first cohort of urban and global educators began classes, respectively.
The college's current dean, Donald E. Heller, was appointed in January 2012. He leads a vibrant community of scholars, students and staff members who are prepared to meet many of the toughest challenges in education and kinesiology. Also a faculty member in the Department of Educational Administration, Dean Heller’s own teaching and research has focused on issues of higher education policy, economics and finance. Before coming to MSU, Heller was a professor of education at Penn State University and director of its Center for the Study of Higher Education. Dean Heller has been particularly interested in studying college access and choice for low-income and minority students.
Rankings
The 2015 U.S. News & World Report ranking of graduate schools of education rated the MSU College of Education elementary and secondary education programs as the best in the United States, with the College of Education being ranked 15th overall.
Other highly ranked programs in the college include:
- Administration and supervision (7th)
- Curriculum and instruction (4th)
- Educational psychology (6th)
- Education policy (10th)
- Higher education administration (5th)
- Rehabilitation counseling (2nd)
- Special education (12th)
The U.S. News & World Report ranks doctoral degree-granting graduate education schools across the nation. The rankings are based on measures such as institutional capacity, reputation and research funding.
In addition, the doctoral program in kinesiology at Michigan State University ranks sixth in the nation, according to a report from the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). The program review accounts for measures of faculty contributions and student performance during the years 2005-09.
Publications
The College of Education publishes New Educator twice each year, and the Annual Report, among other publications, yearly.