The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education and Human Development was ranked in the spring of 2013 as one of Texas’ top five graduate programs in Education by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings measure U.S. graduate programs according to their student selectivity, faculty resources, research activity, and the quality and ranking of their programs according to higher education administrators across the country.
“We are extremely happy to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report,” said Dr. Page Smith, associate dean of the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). “The faculty is doing a great job of preparing our graduates for real-world work experiences and are excited that others are taking notice as well.”
COEHD includes six academic departments: Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, Counseling, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Educational Psychology, Health and Kinesiology, and Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching. It offers eight master’s degree programs, four doctoral programs and four graduate certification programs.
“The College of Education and Human Development prepares students who are passionate about working with individuals, families, and communities to increase their potential and to provide new opportunities for growth,” said Betty Merchant, dean of the college. “Our scholars and alumni are highly recognized leaders in education, health and wellness, human development, and policy studies.”
U.S. News & World Report ranked U.S. graduate programs in education by analyzing the data of 278 universities which offer education-related doctoral degrees. Weight was given to (1) quality assessment surveys conducted in fall 2012 among education school deans, deans of graduate studies, and school superintendents; (2) doctoral student selectivity; (3) the quality of each university’s doctoral faculty; and (4) each education school’s research expenditures (30 percent).
UTSA is an emerging Tier One research university that specializes in five research areas including human and social development. In support of that mission, COEHD prepares students to address the educational, psychological, social, and health needs of those they will serve, particularly through a global perspective
COEHD education scholars focus on research that addresses issues in globalization, cultural pluralism, transformative leadership and health. To that end, they contribute to policy discussions at the local, state, and national levels to encourage the transformation of the nation’s educational system.
The college is home to six scholarly journals including the Journal of Children’s Literature, Review of Higher Education, the Journal of Educational Foundations, Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social, the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, and the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health.
Additionally, COEHD operates a series of centers which function as learning laboratories for graduate students in education while also providing service to the community. For example, the Center on Educational Leadership Policy and Professional Development provides opportunities for COEHD students and scholars to work with local school districts in identifying and implementing effective educational reform strategies. The Community Family Life Center provides free counseling to the San Antonio community. Likewise, the T.E.A.M. Center provides low-cost applied behavioral therapy services to children and teens with autism spectrum disorders. The college’s 28-foot Mobile Health Lab provides free health screenings to the public while facilitating research on Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and vascular diseases.
In Fall 2013, there were 1,497 graduate students enrolled in the COEHD, 207 of whom were doctoral students.
