Curry School of Education

The Curry School of Education offers professional programs designed to prepare individuals for a variety of careers related to the practice of education.  Programs open to undergraduates include kinesiology, communication disorders, and teacher education. Undergraduates interested in these options must apply through the University’s Undergraduate Office of Admission.  Entry is for fall semester only.

Students interested in teacher education at elementary or secondary levels, including special education, must first be accepted into the College of Arts and Sciences before they can be considered for permission to enroll in the teacher education program.  (Applications from those interested in teaching health and physical education will be reviewed only by Curry faculty.)  All applicants to teacher education must submit scores on the SAT I or the American College Test (ACT) or Praxis I with their application for admission. 

Kinesiology

The undergraduate program in kinesiology results in a Bachelor of Science degree (BSEd) in Education. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with a foundation in the sciences of human movement that can be applied to one of several specialty areas—sports medicine, exercise physiology, and adapted physical education.  The kinesiology major does not qualify students to sit for licensure or certification in any professional domain; it is designed to prepare students for graduate programs that provide entry-level training and the route to certification in a variety of areas. Applicants must have met the prerequisite requirements listed below.  For additional information about program area options and prerequisite requirements, go to the Curry School’s home page (http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu ) and click on “Prospective Students.”   

Communication Disorders

This program results in a Bachelor of Science in Education degree (BSEd). The degree does not prepare the graduate to provide clinical services to children or adults with communication disorders or to obtain licensure needed to practice in the field.  Instead, the undergraduate curriculum provides preliminary coursework that prepares students for further study in one of three areas: audiology, speech-language pathology, or speech and hearing science.  Applicants must have met the prerequisite requirements listed below. For additional information about program area options and prerequisite requirements, go to the Curry School’s home page (http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu ) and click on “Prospective Students.”  

Teacher Education

This program allows students to earn both a bachelor's degree (BA or BS) from the College of Arts & Sciences and a Master of Teaching degree (MT) from the Curry School of Education. (Those interested in Health and Physical Education are an exception; they will earn both degrees—a BSEd and an MT—through the Curry School of Education.) Degrees are awarded simultaneously after all requirements have been met.  The dual-degree program is recognized nationally for its strong foundation in the liberal arts and its advanced professional training. Students are involved in the practical aspects of teaching throughout the program.

Education options include early childhood developmental risk (birth to grade 3), elementary education (grades PreK-6), and secondary education (grades 6-12, with specializations in English, history, mathematics, science, or social studies). PreK-12 programs are also offered in special education, health/physical education, and foreign languages (Spanish, German, French, Latin and Italian). Prospective teachers interested in the early childhood developmental risk (ECDR) program must major in psychology. Elementary and special education majors may focus on any content area in the College.  Secondary education majors must have a College major in the content area they plan to teach.

Information regarding perquisite coursework is noted below.  Program descriptions are available in the Office of Teacher Education (Ruffner 221) and on the Curry School's web site. For online information, go to the Curry School’s home page and click on “Prospective Students”. 

Teacher education students entering the University as third-year students will need to enroll in Curry’s summer offerings of EDIS 201 (Foundations of Education) and EDIS 488 (Field Experience), if they have not met this requirement at their previous school of enrollment.  Courses are offered during a three-week summer term that begins near the end of May.

Graduates of the dual-degree program are eligible to receive a license to teach in the Commonwealth of Virginia upon completion of the approved program and satisfactory scores on state mandated examinations. Curry’s Assistant Dean of Student Affairs provides assistance in completing licensure and endorsement procedures for all states.

ADMISSION TO THE CURRY SCHOOL

An applicant for transfer must complete the following General Education courses prior to enrollment in the undergraduate program: a minimum of 24 semester hours if entering the dual degree program (BA/MT or BSEd/MT) as a second-year student; a minimum of 54 semester hours if entering dual-degree (BA/MT, BSEd/MT) programs as a third-year student or if entering the BSEd (kinesiology and communication disorders) programs.

Curry School of Education Requirements
Recommended VCCS Courses

BA/MT Program
Minimum of 24 semester hours required to enroll.

Humanities: English Composition, Literature (American or English), one course from Art, Philosophy, Religion, or Music, and Foreign Language (see the foreign language requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences).

Natural Sciences: Science (one full year), and Mathematics (3 semester hours). Any other math or science course may be taken to fulfill the 12 semester hour requirement.

Historical Studies and Social Sciences: Western Civilization (HIEU 201 or 202), American History (HIUS 201 or 202), non-Western Studies (3 semester hours), and one 3 semester hour course from Psychology, Sociology or Economics.

BSEd/MT Program (Health and Physical Education)
The same requirements for the BA/MT program apply, with the exception of foreign language, which is not required.

BSEd Programs (Communication Disorders and Kinesiology)

A minimum of 54 semester hours is required for admission.

Humanities: 12 semester hours. English Composition (3 credits) and Literature (3 credits) are required. The balance may be taken from other courses in the Humanities.

Social Sciences - 12 semester hours.
American History (3 credits) and 6 credits in Psychology and Sociology are required. The balance may be taken from other courses in the social sciences.

Natural Sciences and Mathematics - 12-15 semester hours.
Communication Disorders: Math 111 or higher, Physics 105N or 106N, two other science courses, and a statistics course.
Kinesiology: Including Math 111 or higher; Biology 201/202 with labs.

Health and Physical Education - 4 semester hours.
Health Issues (EDHS 450) and Physical Education (1 semester hour).

The remainder of the requirements are specified online.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Transfer credit is allowed for general education courses that correspond to ones offered at the University if the transfer course is equivalent in credit value and course content (including level at which taught) and if the student has received a grade of at least one letter grade better than the minimum passing grade. Courses corresponding to our general education courses taken at an institution using the pass/fail grading system and on which a grade of "passing" or better has been received are transferred with full credit. Transfer credit is not allowed for professional education courses. No credit will be allowed for work passed elsewhere by re-examination. Official evaluation of transfer credit is done by the Assistant Dean of the Curry School of Education or Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for BA/MT students.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Transfer students to the Curry School of Education are accepted only for August admission. The deadline for receipt of completed applications for fall semester is March 1.