Graduate School of Education
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A graduate school of education is also known as postgraduate or quaternary school of education. It teaches graduate level education based on the need for a degree or other needed qualification. It is usually found in a university or college, under the faculty of education.
A graduate school of education teaches 4 qualification levels, including vocational degrees, academic degrees, academic diplomas/certificates, and vocational diplomas/certificates in varied areas of education. In fact, educational degrees are very common in Western countries.
The first level is the foundation or associate’s degree which requires up to 2 years of study, involving 60 semester/240 foundation credits, including basic education methods, chosen areas to potentially teach, and regular core academics. The second is the bachelor degree which requires up to 4 years of study, requiring up to 120 semester/360 foundation credits, further advancing on the foundation year courses. The third is the master’s or terminal degree, requiring up to 7 or more years of study with varied credit levels depending on the area of study. The fourth is a professional degree which requires up to 4 years of study, is required to get a professional teaching license or gain entry into a more specialized graduate school of education or career, and can result in students being able to call themselves doctors. The fifth graduate school of education degree is the doctorate, requiring up to 12 more years of study, and resulting in the title of doctor, letters after a person’s name, professional teaching status, and the ability for students to teach in their field of study. However, there are also honorary degrees, awarded for specified recognition in their field of work and non-degree awards such as certificates and diplomas.
A degree from a graduate school of education is mandatory to become a teacher. The school provides the foundations, training, theory and practical applications that are unavoidable in the field of education. However, some debate why graduate schools of education are being used for what used to be a vocation, but it is clear in many circles that teaching has expanded beyond traditional realms because the subject matters have also expanded. No longer are teachers able to just teach the core subjects, but are faced with ESL, special needs and other needy students who require specialized instruction and handling.