Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education
Overview
Dr. Joellen Maples, Dean
Welcome to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher University. Our curriculum is grounded in inclusive practice. We believe that teaching all people requires professional educators and executive leaders who have mastered the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to address the diversity represented by the populations they serve. All children and all adults have a right to enjoy high-quality educational and workplace experiences designed by experts who are deeply and fully committed to the profession of education and the responsibilities of leadership.
Our graduate programs in education are designed to deepen, extend, and enhance the professional knowledge of educators, leaders, and executives. Initial certification programs allow graduate candidates whose baccalaureate degrees are in areas other than education to obtain New York state certification in childhood and special education or adolescence and special education. Teaching professionals with initial certification in childhood and adolescence may specialize in the critical needs areas of literacy or library media. Graduate candidates with initial certification can qualify for professional certification through our master’s degree programs. Teachers who have experience in leadership roles may enroll in the School Building Leader and School Building/School District Leader programs. Educators and executives may challenge themselves at the highest level of study in our Ed.D. in Executive Leadership program, where a cohort-based modular structure provides a rigorous yet accessible program of study leading to a terminal degree. The School also offers its approved Ed.D. in Executive Leadership at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York, ( extension site).
Graduate programs in teacher education and educational leadership are registered with the New York State Education Department and are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The School of Education and its related educational programs are located in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education building and the James S. Alesi Academic Center, state-of-the-art facilities with advanced technological capacity.