Your Path to SUCCESS EDUCATION
THE FEINSTEIN SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, ARTS AND EDUCATION
Bristol & Providence | Rhode Island
Bristol & Providence | Rhode Island
is filled with OPPORTUNITIES
EDUCATION STUDENTS AT RWU GAIN HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN CLASSROOMS AROUND THE REGION.
We have a simple philosophy: The best place to teach a student how to be a teacher is inside the classroom. It’s why our students spend an extensive amount of time inside elementary and secondary classrooms during all four years at RWU; working with students and learning from practicing teachers. You’ll graduate well-prepared to educate the next generation of students and land your dream job in any educational setting.
USE VR TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP YOUR TEACHING SKILLS
RWU is the only school in Rhode Island that has a virtual reality training lab to help students practice effective communication and behavior management skills through teaching simulations.
SUCCESS by the NUMBERS
100%
GAIN HANDS-ON TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Percentage of education majors who get direct experience working in classrooms in local schools starting their first year.
100%
PLACEMENT OF 2022 GRADS
Our 2022 graduates found success in employment or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation.
Project PROFILE
Each year, Associate Professor of Science Education, Li-Ling Yang partners with Assistant Professor of Engineering Maija Benitz, to host the ‘Kid Wind’ project, bringing hundreds of local fourth graders to campus to learn engineering design principles from RWU education and engineering students.
4+1 ACCELERATED MASTER’S DEGREE
Our education students have the opportunity to efficiently earn a master’s degree in Special Education with only one additional year of study.
“This project benefits both RWU students and the students in the Bristol-Warren school district. My students develop their expertise in creating developmentally appropriate science lessons for elementary students, and Benitz’s students are learning about wind energy,” said Li-Ling Yang.
SPECIAL EDUCATION 4+1 PROGRAM
Recognizing the growing demand for all educators to possess specific skills in supporting students with exceptionalities, the M.A. Special Education program provides a perfect complement to the undergraduate initial teaching certification programs and related degrees offered at RWU. RWU undergraduate students with an interest in working in special education can earn six graduate credits in the M.A. Special Education program during their senior year and continue on in one additional year of full-time study (either elementary or secondary special education).
Graduates Share Their EXPERIENCES
In the Educational Studies program, we learn from experience and try new things. I’ve learned valuable skills like best practices in education and how to work with kids. The required internships prepared me for my career.
AMANDA ROSADIO
’21
EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
English Language and Culture Assistant in Madrid, Spain
STEAM is becoming such a big initiative in schools. With the certification, I am able to match the needs of the students in the classroom.
ABIGAIL HIGGINS ‘20
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJOR, STEAM CERTIFICATION
4th Grade teacher at Hardyston Elementary School in Franklin, NJ
The work I did in my classes really applied to what I am doing now. They had a large emphasis on multicultural education and teaching diverse learners. If I had not known how essential that was, I would have had a more difficult transition into teaching and getting more comfortable with my students.
TYLER ROBERTS ‘20
SECONDARY EDUCATION AND BIOLOGY
High School Chemistry and Physical Science Teacher at Mount Hope High School in Bristol, RI
The RWU Difference
MORE DIRECT CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
RWU students participate in field experiences all four years. For example, in your sophomore year, you spend 100 or more hours each semester working with children and learning from practicing teachers in the classroom. In your final year, you will use all the skills you have gained to teach your own class alongside a highly qualified teacher. At RWU, you will graduate with many more hours in the field than required by the Rhode Island Department of Education.
TEACHING CERTIFICATION
All teacher education programs at Roger Williams University are approved by the Rhode Island Department of Education. Under the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) agreement, our graduates are eligible for certification in virtually all U.S.states (exceptions in Alaska, Iowa, and Minnesota).
MIDDLE SCHOOL CERTIFICATION
Secondary and Elementary Education majors can also become certified to teach middle school if they have taken 21 credits in math, history, English, or science and an additional three courses in middle school teaching.
SPECIALIZATION IN STEAM
Our STEAM Education minor provides opportunities to explore the connections between Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics. The mission of this minor is to prepare students to inspire, mentor, and motivate young learners about fascinating 21st Century careers.
STUDY ABROAD
Immerse yourself in a new culture and language by studying abroad. Roger has extensive opportunities in different geographic areas, including both short-term and semester-long experiences. Living and learning in another country helps prepare you to work in a culturally diverse setting and teach in a global classroom.
HELPFUL STUDENT RESOURCES
You will graduate well-prepared by taking advantage of unique career development resources. The program is constantly adjusting to the changing teaching requirements for licensure.
» Juniors and seniors can take a course on campus in Sheltered English Immersion (SEI), which prepares them to pass the Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners (RETELL) exam, a requirement for teacher certification in Massachusetts.
» All Secondary and Elementary Education majors will graduate having met the 24-week teaching practicum requirement in Rhode Island.
» Career and professional programs provide preparation such as mock interviews and resume-writing workshops, so students graduate confident in their abilities to apply for jobs or graduate school.
» All Educational Studies majors take two internship courses, which each involve seminars and 50 hours of community service, exploring different career options in various educational settings.