Wheelock College - Overview
Small College with a Powerful Mission
Wheelock College, a small private college in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is guided by a simple, but powerful mission: to improve the lives of children and families.
Wheelock's commitment to its mission is reflected in the strength of its programs in early childhood education, elementary education, special education, social work, juvenile justice, child life, and human development. It also has strong programs in the arts, communications, American Studies, humanities, math, and science.
With an undergraduate community of 800 students, Wheelock students enjoy both an intimate and an individualized educational experience. The student to faculty member ratio is just 12 to1.
The school delivers its programs through the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education, Social Work, Child Life, and Family Studies.
Key Arts and Science Majors
Arts and sciences majors are focused on a few key areas, including American Studies, the arts, communications, human development, humanities, math, and science.
Wheelock College's Pre-Master's Program in Counseling enables students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree (from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology) in 5 years. Program participants may earn the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology or the Master of Arts in Forensic and Counseling Psychology to fulfill the educational requirements for licensure as mental health counselors (LMHC) in Massachusetts.
Wheelock also offers "professional majors" in education, child life, social work, and family studies.
Professional Majors in Education and Child Life
The professional majors in education and child life include early childhood education (pre-k through grade 2), elementary education (grades 1-6), and special education for students pre-k through grade 8 with moderate disabilities. In addition, the child life program, a 5-year dual degree, helps students develop expertise in helping children and families cope with acute and chronic illness, medical procedures, and grief and loss.
Professional Majors in Social Work and Family Studies
The professional majors in social work and family studies include juvenile justice and youth advocacy, and social work. Also in this category is Wheelock's unique Certificate in Community-Based Human Services, a career-focused 16-credit program which consists of an introductory course, a practicum and seminar in human services, and an additional 8 credits of selective courses.
Academic Minors Encouraged
Wheelock undergraduates are highly encouraged to pursue minors in fields outside their majors. Some of the arts and sciences minors include diverse subjects such as life science, psychology, art history, literature, sociology, performing arts, women's studies, philosophy, and writing. Some of the specialized professional minors include child health, sport-based youth development, and understanding autism
Structured First-year Program
First-year students benefit from Wheelock's structured and thoughtful first-year program. All students take a year-long human growth and development course, which allows them to work individually and collaboratively to understand how psychology and sociology relate to children, families, and cultures across the life cycle.
Students also attend the First-Year Seminar, which provides them with a support system of fellow students, while developing essential academic survival skills.
During the first-year program, students begin their participation in Wheelock's 2+2 advising model, whereby students work with a professional adviser for their first 2 years to choose a major, pick classes, and meet requirements. Then students work with their faculty advisers in their majors for their last 2 years.
Students are also introduced to field placements during their first year.
Domestic and International Service Learning Opportunities
Wheelock hosts service learning trips to both domestic and international locations during the school year. Past trips have been to New Orleans, Guatemala, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Ghana, and Benin. Upcoming international trips are planned for Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, and Germany.
Influential Centers and Institutes
Wheelock College's centers and institutes focus on educational and social issues. The Aspire Institute hosts several of Wheelock's college-community initiatives. The Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation delivers Wheelock's global educational programs. The National Center for Race Amity focuses on the Campus Conversations on Race model in a national network of colleges, theater-based race amity education programs targeting middle school students, and research and development of "The Human Being Curriculum®" for national and international dissemination. Finally, the Policy Connection keeps students informed of legislation and policies relevant to the higher education community.
Challenging Honors Program
Students in the Wheelock College Honors Program take 8 honors-designated courses, followed by an independent project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Honors students are encouraged to participate in influential professional and public dialogues and to work with peers to organize forums to inspire the collegiate community.
Award-Winning Athletic Teams
Wheelock offers 11 sports: men's basketball, lacrosse, cross country, soccer, and tennis; and women's basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, cross country, soccer, and softball. The college is affiliated with the NCAA Division III and the New England Collegiate Conference, and its teams have won numerous awards.