Professional Education Unit

The Professional Education Unit at Salisbury University is made up of the faculty and administrators from schools and departments who coordinate teacher education programs for both initial and advanced programs. The unit's Conceptual Framework provides a clear statement of what it means to be a professional educator from the perspective of initial and advanced teacher candidates, university faculty, mentor teachers and P-12 school partners. The conceptual framework is comprised of four themes: Informed and Reflective Practice, Enhanced Student Learning, Scholarship and Collaboration.

The professional education unit serves as an advisory body to provide information about changes to initial and advanced candidate policies as well as accreditation demands to programs and schools that host teacher education programs. The professional education unit meets annually to review unit data to insure a cycle of continuous improvement to initial and advanced teacher education and other school personnel programs.

Teacher Education Council

The Teacher Education Council facilitates collaboration with colleagues across departments and schools on campus. Programs in the unit are organized and coordinated through the Teacher Education Council (TEC), chaired by the Associate Dean. This council facilitates interaction between the Seidel School of Education, the Henson School for Science and Technology and Fulton School of Liberal Arts. TEC has authority to approve policy and changes to professional education curriculum. TEC serves as an advisory board for all issues related to teacher education. Membership consists of a representative from each teacher education program, the AAQEP Coordinator, Coordinator of Field Experiences, PDS Coordinator, school deans and department chairs, and the Seidel Advising Coordinator.

The Teacher Education Council (TEC) is governed by the TEC Constitution and Bylaws. TEC minutes and annual report document the council's business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What educator preparation programs are offered at Salisbury University?

Teaching Program	Degree(s) Offered	Grades Licensed to Teach
Biology	BS/Biology	7-12
Chemistry	BS/Chemistry	7-12
Early Childhood	BS/Education	P-3
Early Childhood/Elementary	BS/Education	P-6
Earth Science	BS/Earth Science	7-12
Elementary	BS/Education	1-6
English	BA/English	7-12
ESOL	BA/ESOL	K-12
French	BA/Modern Foreign Language	K-12
History	BA/History	7-12
Mathematics	BS/Mathematics	7-12
Music	BA/Music (Chorale or Instrumental)	K-12
Physical Education	BS/Physical Education	K-12
Physics	BS/Physics	7-12
Spanish	BA/Modern Foreign Language	K-12

What is the faculty/student ratio for education classes?
What GPA do I need to enter the professional program?
- 2.50 Overall GPA in undergraduate programs
- 3.00 Overall GPA in the MAT program
- 2.75 GPA in Required Pre-Professional Courses
What is the average GPA of candidates entering the professional program?
What do I need to do to stay in the professional program?
- 2.50 Overall GPA
- 2.75 Required Professional Course GPA with no grade below "C"
- Demonstrate appropriate professional dispositions
What is the student loan default rate for your students?

Default data by academic major is not available. However, for the University as a whole, the 3-year cohort default rate for Salisbury University published in September 2014 is 6.5%. This represents the number of students who graduated in 2011 who have defaulted on their loans at some point in the past three years. The national average for the same time period is 13.7% (Source: Salisbury University Financial Aid Office).
What is the average starting salary of graduates of your program?
How long will it take to earn my SU education degree?
- Fulltime students who enter as first year complete their degree in 4 years.
- Fulltime students who transfer with an Associate of Arts in Teaching from a Maryland Community College complete their degree in 2 years.
- Fulltime students who transfer without an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree from a Maryland Community College on average complete their degree in 3 years.
- Based on the last Alumni Evaluation 90% of SU students reported completing their degree in the expected time.
How much field experience will I get during my program?
Across the education preparation program three types of school placements are required:
1. Placement for foundations courses: Occurs during the first year and sophomore years - minimum 30 hours
2. Placement for professional methods courses: Occurs during the junior year- minimum 1/2 day each week of the semester or 1 hour/week for each professional program course that one is enrolled
3. Placement for the 100 day internship: Occurs during the senior year- full time placements require a minimum of one day per week the semester prior to full-time internship
4. The full-time internship, typically during the last semester, requires 80 days in a Regional Professional Development School. This is a school site that has a formal relationship with the University. School placements change midway so that different grade level experience can be attained.
How much time will I be assigned to work in schools?
1. The number of hours of field experience and clinical practice varies from program to program; check with an education advisor for more information
2. Although each program varies slightly, the time spent assigned to school placements ranges from 740 to 800 hours
Where will my internship placement be?
1. Internship placements occur in one of SU's Professional Development Schools
2. SU partners with seven school districts and 33 schools on the Eastern Shore of MD and one elementary school in Anne Arundel County
What makes the SU internship unique from other education programs?
1. SU interns co-teach with a highly trained mentor teacher across their placements
2. Most mentor teachers (n = 848) have completed the SU Mentor Training Module
3. Collaborative conferencing among you, the mentor teacher and the university supervisor occurs regularly
How much supervision will I receive during my internship?
1. SU interns receive regular visits from their university supervisors
2. During 2013-14, 88% of interns reported that the university supervisor visited them eight or more times during the internship semester
How do your graduates do on licensing exams?
Can I use my Salisbury University degree to teach in other states?
1. Yes, SU teacher preparation programs are nationally accredited. Accredited status allows you to use you MD degree to teach in other states.
2. Some states may required that you complete a state specific requirement, a specialized licensure test, or other requirements. Candidates should find out this information before entering the professional program.
Do alumni report satisfaction with SU education degrees?
Will I get a job when I finish my degree?
What type of minor will add to my employability?
Adding a minor to your areas of study can make you much more competitive in the job market. Minors that are popular with school districts include:
- Elementary or Early Childhood majors with an ESOL, middle school science, mathematics, and Spanish
- Physical Education majors with a health or athletic coaching minor