The College of Education

Dr. Mary Susan Fishbaugh, Interim Dean
COE 106, (406) 657-2285
mfishbaugh@msubillings.edu
www.msubillings.edu/coe/

Advising Information

All new, transfer, and re-admitted students are encouraged to visit the Advising Center in McMullen Hall, Room 100, to meet with an academic advisor.  New students will receive information regarding Academic Foundations requirements and Plan of Study worksheets related to their major and minor programs.  Transfer and readmitted students will work with an advisor to complete a transcript evaluation and to develop a Plan of Study.  Students majoring in bachelor degree programs in the College of Education will be advised through the Advising Center until their sophomore year.  At that time, students will be assigned a faculty member for advising.

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts with a teaching licensure option will be assigned a major advisor from the content area in the College of Arts and Sciences and a professional education advisor from the College of Education.

Undergraduate Degrees and Majors

The College of Education provides an array of undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of teacher education.  Degree programs and specific courses are designed to ensure the comprehensive development of practitioners able to serve children in a variety of settings.

Bachelor of Science in Education with Teaching Majors in the following:

Broadfield Major in Elementary Education
Special Education (P-12)
Elementary Education/Special Education (P-12) Double Major
Secondary Education/Special Education (P-12) Double Major
Elementary Education/Reading Double Major
Secondary Education/Reading Double Major

Special Education majors are available to candidates completing an elementary broadfield major or a secondary teaching option.  See dual majors page 252.

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree with Teaching Licensure Option is available.
MSU Billings no longer offers a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSED) degrees in Art (K-12), Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, Music (K-12), Social Science (Broadfield), and Spanish (K-12).  Students now receive either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in the content area with a Teaching Licensure Option.  Students must earn a teaching major and teaching minor, or an extended major in order to complete degree and teacher licensure requirements.

See Teacher Licensure Options for the following areas in the College of Arts & Sciences (see page 113)

* The previous secondary education major “Social Science (Broadfield)” is no longer offered.  It is recommended that students interested in pursuing this avenue, choose a major in history (licensure option) with a teaching minor in political science, with an endorsement in social science (broadfield).  This plan will expand your employment potential.  Please consult the College of Arts & Sciences for specific information (see page 113).

Teaching Minors
For students who are gaining teacher licensure in a content major the following minors lead to additional endorsement.  A teaching minor (or extended major) is required for secondary level degree and teacher licensure requirements.

Non-Teaching Minors and Concentrations: Early Childhood Studies | Special Education

Associate of Arts Degree Program of Study in: Education

Graduate Degrees/Endorsements

Information on Graduate Programs offered by Montana State University Billings may be obtained by writing:

Director, Graduate Studies
Montana State University Billings
1500 University Drive
Billings, Montana  59101-0298
(406) 657-2238
email:  gradstudies@msubillings.edu

Post-Baccalaureate Program
The Post-Baccalaureate Program is a non-degree program leading to initial or advanced teacher
licensure and/or subject area endorsements or student enrichment.

Teaching Endorsement Program
The Teaching Endorsement Program is a non-degree program leading to endorsement in one or more of the areas in which MSU Billings offers a teaching major or minor.

Master of Education (M.Ed.) with Options in:

The Interdisciplinary Studies Option permits students to have the flexibility to design a program, in collaboration with faculty advisors, in the following departments of the College of Education:
Educational Theory and Practice, Special Education, Counseling, Reading, and Early Childhood.

Master of Science in Special Education with Options in:

Advanced Studies in Special Education
Special Education Generalist

Certificate of Teaching and Learning Online

Supervisory Endorsements: Supervisor of Reading | Supervisor of Special Education

Academic Departments

The College of Education is comprised of the following academic departments and a public service agency:

Department of Educational Theory and Practice
Department of Special Education, Counseling, Reading, and Early Childhood
Certification and Field Experiences Office
Montana Center on Disabilities

Accreditations and Affiliations

The College of Education is proud of its accreditations and formal affiliations.  The Teacher Education Program at Montana State University Billings is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for the preparation of elementary and secondary teachers through the Bachelor’s degree, and school counselors, the Master of Education degree and the Master of Science in Special Education degree.  The Montana State Board of Public Education accredits the Teacher Education Program.

Mission Statement

The College of Education is dedicated to:

• Preparing competent, caring and committed professionals for Montana’s schools;
• Conducting socially significant research to improve the human condition;
• Providing community services aimed at improving the quality of life experienced by Montanans; and
• Providing graduate education designed for the continuing development of professionals.

Operating Principles

To successfully implement the University’s mission, the faculty and staff adhere to the following operating principles:

• All people are entitled to educational programs that are committed to assisting each individual develop self-knowledge, designed to promote physical, social, mental, intellectual and spiritual health, and are delivered in a manner that enhances dignity and respect.

• Educational programs must enable students to think critically and analytically, make independent decisions, develop social consciousness and recognize the importance of making productive contributions to a multicultural society.

• Education programs must be committed to the concept of equal opportunity.

• Educators must be committed to the ethical principles of the profession.

• Teachers need to be prepared as facilitators of learning, able to assist and direct the natural learning processes of their students.

• Professionals in education need to develop the skills and understanding necessary to assist people from different cultures and those with disabling conditions.

• Professional preparation programs must be interdisciplinary in nature.

• Professionals in education must have a comprehensive foundation in the liberal arts.

• Professional preparation programs must have sequential and increasingly intense supervised field experience to allow for the guided demonstration of clinical skills.

• Research conducted by the academic community must be directed toward the search for solutions to specific human problems.

• Faculty must be actively engaged in community education programs to assist with the implementation of current, empirically validated practices.

• In support of lifelong learning by professionals in education, the faculty are committed to providing regular in-service education via the graduate and community education programs.

Instructional Facilities and Special Partnerships

The Montana Center on Disabilities
The Montana Center on Disabilities is a statewide disability outreach program of the College of Education.  The Center is dedicated to developing resources that promote the inclusion of people with disabilities of all ages and cultural backgrounds into their communities.  To meet this mission, the Center works with numerous university and community partners.

The Montana Center serves as a training and technical assistance resource to people with disabilities, families and numerous agencies throughout the state.  The activities of the Center are funded by a variety of state and federal resources.
The staff of the Montana Center have professional skills related to disability in the areas of employment, rehabilitation counseling, transition, hearing conservation, community integration, prevention, collaboration, and learning strategies.

Through its unique array of programs the Center provides students opportunities to apply skills in a supervised setting.  In addition, the various programs of the Center offer unique opportunities for students to engage in study and applied research.  The Center also maintains a wealth of research resources in the Center’s library and on their web page www.msubillings.edu/mtcd.

Montana State University Cooperative Program Centers
The Montana State University campuses at Billings and Bozeman have developed cooperative program centers to better serve students who want to earn endorsements and degrees not offered through the authorized curricula on either campus.  At Bozeman, MSU Billings offers the special education endorsement program, the Master of Science in Special Education program, and a special education minor in the doctoral programs in curriculum and instruction, and educational leadership offered by MSU-Bozeman.  At Billings, MSU-Bozeman offers the school administration endorsement for elementary education and secondary education, and the Master of Education in Educational Administration.  Contact the Office of the Dean of Education at either campus for additional information.

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