About the Department
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Department of Educational Theory and Practice is to prepare teachers who evidence the highest ideals of the teaching profession. This mission involves leading prospective teachers to examine the complex ways in which diverse disciplines interrelate and provide the foundations of all education. Study in the Department’s courses is intended to prepare professional educators for insightful, critical examination of the principles and practices that they encounter in their careers.
Offerings in the Department are based on the assumptions that teaching excellence depends upon:
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celebration of the dignity of all individuals and cultural groups;
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comprehensive understanding of subject matter;
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a knowledge of human intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development; and
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thoughtful, informed decisions about pedagogy
The Department of Educational Theory and Practice is committed to preparing teachers who evidence the highest ideals of the teaching profession. Programs in the Department are based on the assumptions that: 1) effective teachers celebrate the uniqueness and dignity of all individuals and in all cultural groups; 2) a comprehensive understanding of subject matter is essential to teaching excellence; 3) an in depth knowledge of human intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development through informed classroom practice is essential to teaching excellence; 4) human learning emerges contextually within individuals and is molded in part by familial and cultural institutions and values; and, 5) thoughtful, informed decisions about pedagogy enable teachers to guide students in constructing knowledge and becoming actively involved citizens in an increasingly global society.
These goals are accomplished by: schooling pre-service and in-service teachers in the dynamics of developing self-esteem and diverse family and cultural heritages; encouraging broad-based, in depth studies in a variety of disciplinary areas; focusing on developmentally appropriate instructional theory and practice; modeling attitudes, behaviors, and practices sensitive to individual, gender, and cultural differences; assisting students in developing instructional strategies emanating from several theoretical bases; and, limiting the size of classes to promote maximum individual attention for students.
Early Childhood
The Early Childhood Option provides learning opportunities for teachers, support personnel, and parents of children from birth through nine years of age. The following focus areas are available: Primary Education (K-3rd grade); Parenting/Family Studies; and Special Education. Obtaining teacher certification is optional and usually requires additional courses to meet certification standards. For a more detailed description of coursework see the graduate catalog.
Rehabilitation & Counseling
A paraprofessional training program leading to the Associate of Arts Degree and preparing graduates for entry-level employment in rehabilitation and related settings.
A Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling is generally considered the minimum educational requirement for the job title Rehabilitation Counselor; however, many agencies accept applicants with bachelor's degrees. Individuals with associate degrees find entry-level positions as paraprofessionals in man work settings. See the graduate catalog.
The School Counseling option for the master of Education Degree is designed to meet the certification requirements established by the Office of Public Instruction for counseling in a school setting in the State of Montana. The intent of the program is to prepare individuals to work with elementary and secondary students (K-12 OPI certification) in a professional, compassionate manner to promote positive intellectual, behavioral, and emotional change. The counseling faculty of the College of Education recognizes that there will be those students who wish to pursue both school counselor certification from the State of Montana (OPI) and licensure (LPC or LCPC) simultaneously. The counseling faculty will be glad to work with those students who wish to pursue that option to build a program that will lead to both certification and licensure. However, students should understand that licensure is controlled by the Montana Board of Social Work and Licensed Professional Counselors, not the MSU Billings College of Education. If any student wishes to pursue licensure, the student should follow the programmatic requirements established by the Board of Social Work and Licensed Professional Counselors to ensure LPC/LCPC eligibility.
Reading
The Reading Option provides learning opportunities for teachers, reading supervisors and principals. Obtaining an endorsement is optional and may require additional courses to meet certifications standards.
School Counseling
The School Counseling option for the Master of Education Degree is designed to meet the certification requirements established by the office of Public Instruction for counseling in a school setting in the State of Montana. The intent of the program is to prepare individuals to work with elementary and secondary students (K-12 OPI certification) in a professional, compassionate manner to promote positive intellectual, behavioral, and emotional change. The counseling faculty of the College of Education recognizes that there will be those students who wish to pursue both school counselor certification from the State of Montana (OPI) and licensure (LPC or LCPC) simultaneously. The counseling faculty will be glad to work with those students who wish to pursue that option to build a program that will lead to both certification and licensure. However, students should understand that licensure is controlled by the Montana Board of Social Work and Licensed Professional Counselors, not the MSU Billings College of Education. If any student wishes to pursue licensure, the student should follow the programmatic requirements established by the Board of Social Work and Licensed Professional Counselors to ensure LPC/LCPC eligibility.
