FAQ: Academic Program and Fieldwork
How long are the master’s degree programs?
Each year, the programs begin in July and ends with graduation in mid-May, 10 months later. This is an intensive, cohort-based program and cannot accommodate those seeking a part-time program.
Where are students placed for their fieldwork?
Penn’s teacher education program is an urban focused program so all students are placed initially in Philadelphia public schools. Students in the secondary education program are placed in one middle or high school classroom in Philadelphia for the entire year. Students in the elementary program have the option to complete two half-year placements or one full year placement. Those electing to have a full year placement will work in a Philadelphia public school for the entire year. Those choosing two half-year placements will teach in an urban public school for one semester and can elect to spend the other semester in a private or suburban school or a different urban public school.
How much time is spent in the field placement?
Elementary students spend two full days a week in their placements during the fall and take their courses all day on two other days. Fridays are reserved for special topics seminars and completing work for courses. In the spring, elementary student teachers spent five full days a week in their placements and take two courses in the evening.
Secondary student teachers spend the mornings (approximately 7:30 – 11 AM) five days a week in their student teaching placement and take their courses in the afternoons and evenings during the fall semester. In the spring, secondary student teachers spend five full days in their student teaching classrooms and take two courses in the evenings. See the tables below for a more complete idea of how student teachers progress through the program.
What coursework is required for students in the teacher education program?
What will my day look like if I join the teacher education program?
Below are some sample schedules; specific days and times may change, but this is a realistic sample of the time commitment required for this program, for both field work and courses. Of course, secondary education students will not take all methods courses, as they choose a specific content area. Elementary education students will take all four methods courses. This schedule does not account for individual study and research time.
M.S. Ed in Elementary Education
Summer Semester Sample Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 9-12 N | School & Society | Field Work | School & Society | Special Topics | |
| 1-4 PM | Field Work | Social Studies Methods | Field Work | Social Studies Methods | Group Work |
Fall Semester Sample Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 9-12 N | Science Methods | ||||
| 10-1 PM | Literacy Methods | All day in schools | All day in schools | Special Topics | |
| 1-4 PM | Math Methods | ||||
| 2-4 PM | Development Young Child | ||||
| 4:30-7 PM | Field Seminar |
Spring Semester Sample Schedule: February to May (January is a special term.)
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 8-3:30 PM | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching |
| 4:30-6:30 PM | Literature for Children/Adol. | ||||
| 4:30-7 PM | Adv. Field Seminar | Special Topics |
This is a sample: specific class days and times may be changed as necessary.
M.S. Ed. in Secondary Education
Summer Semester Sample Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 9-12 Noon | Teaching/Learning Urban Contexts | Field Work | Teaching/Learning Urban Contexts |
Field Work | Special Topics |
| 1-4 PM | School & Society | School & Society |
Fall Semester Sample Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 7:30-12 N | All morning in schools | All morning in schools | All morning in schools | All morning in schools | All morning in schools |
| 2-4 PM | Adolescent Development | Elective (student choice) | Special Topics as necessary | ||
| 4:30-7 PM | Math Methods | Field Seminar | Science Methods | ||
| English Methods | Social Studies Methods | ||||
Spring Semester Sample Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 7:30 -3 PM | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching | Full time student teaching |
| 4:30-7 PM | Adv. Math Methods | Adv. Field Seminar | Adv. Science Methods | Special Topics As necessary |
|
| Adv. English Methods | Adv. Social Studies Methods | ||||
This is a sample: specific class days and times may be changed as necessary.
What type of support and mentoring do I receive during the program?
One of the strengths of our program is its focus on mentored field experiences. Students will have a Classroom Mentor (sometimes called a cooperating teaching) who guides them daily at their placement site. Classroom Mentors are experienced teachers who are excited to share their teaching experiences, ideas and classrooms with the future generation of teachers. In addition to Classroom Mentors, each student is assigned a Penn Mentor. Penn Mentors are also experienced teachers whose responsibilities include ensuring that your school experience is as rich and meaningful as possible. They visit each student teacher in the classroom once a week all year long to support student teachers in acquiring the experiences and skills needed to become reflective practitioner researchers. This includes helping students plan lessons, giving feedback on lessons they observe, helping students videotape themselves and assisting students with their coursework assignments. Penn Mentors also meet with all the Penn GSE students in the school once a week, to address issues related to learning across the school community.
How many students are in the teacher education program at Penn GSE?
We aim for a cohort of about 40 in the elementary program and 40 in secondary. Each cohort is split in such a way as to maximize diversity while allowing for the sharing and cross-cultural learning from one another that is a hallmark of our program. Students take most of their coursework together and students are almost always placed in a school with at least one other member of their cohort.
What happens in July and August in the teacher education program?
In the summer, students begin with a full day orientation. In the following weeks all students take two courses. Secondary students spend two mornings a week in community based organizations working with students in out-of -school contexts. Elementary students do a neighborhood study of the area surrounding the school where they will student teach in the fall. Fridays are spent at special topics lectures and seminars. In late August students meet with their Penn Mentors and classroom mentors and begin to plan out the first few weeks of school.
Can I work while completing this program?
Our program is very intensive: as you’ve seen, you are in schools, community-based youth groups, engaged in neighborhood studies, as well as taking very demanding courses in the late afternoon-evenings at Penn GSE, all of which will require papers, research projects, oftentimes group projects. If you need to work, that work must have flexible hours such that you are available to fully participate in the program. You will not be excused from satisfying program requirements (including attending classes and special topics) due to work obligations.
Where do most students live while part of the program?
Students live in a variety of places during the ten month program. Some apply for graduate assistant positions in on-campus undergraduate college houses. Others live on-campus or in campus housing close to the University. Some students find their own apartments in the University City area or in other neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. There are also many students that live with their parents or other relatives for the 10-months and commute from the suburbs of Philadelphia and from New Jersey.
Will Penn help me find a teaching job when I finish the program?
In the spring both the elementary and the secondary program staff help students find jobs. Many students attend job fairs in Philadelphia or in the suburbs. A teacher-recruiter from the School District of Philadelphia also visits Penn to talk to our students about applying for jobs in the district. We work closely with representatives from Penn’s Career Services to help students prepare resumes and respond to potential interview questions. In mid-spring each year, Penn GSE hosts a large job fair, with school districts from across the country and Philadelphia vicinity attending to recruit our teachers. Here is the website for Penn’s Career Services: http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/
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