School of Education Holy Family University

Holy Family University -- Graduate Education -- An Overview

Since its founding, Holy Family University has been a regional leader in education. Holy Family Education alumni hold teaching and leadership positions in school districts throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Through its School of Education, the university has greatly expanded its offerings to include master's degrees, a variety of certifications, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and professional studies.

The graduate education programs at Holy Family University are designed for individuals seeking initial teacher certification and for experienced teachers looking for an advanced degree or additional certifications. Whether an applicant is interested in elementary school or secondary school teaching, there is a degree program available to meet his or her needs.

A Variety of Programs Rooted in Quality and Flexibility

Holy Family's programs include the general master of education degree as well as MEd degrees, variously with Pennsylvania certification in elementary or secondary education; with Pennsylvania reading specialist certification; with electives leading to early childhood education certification; and with certification in special education. Holy Family also offers the MEd in TESOL and literacy, and certificates in special education, education leadership, and principalship. Certificate programs are available in reading supervision, English as a second language, autism, and teacher internship.

Holy Family's MEd programs are self-paced, with classes meeting one night a week during the fall and spring semesters and twice a week during the summer semesters. Classes are offered at the University's Northeast Philadelphia campus and its site in Newtown, Bucks County.

In addition to taking required graduate coursework and undergraduate prerequisites, all candidates for teacher certification must pass the Praxis I tests. Praxis I consists of three one-hour tests in reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Depending on a student's program, Praxis II testing will be required in order for him or her to become a certified teacher. Also, the final step in the level 1 certification process is to complete one semester of student teaching, a full-time, daytime commitment at the end of the program.

A Doctoral Program Designed for Your Future

The School of Education's EdD in educational leadership and professional studies is its most recent graduate offering, and a natural extension of Holy Family's commitment to leadership in educational reform.

The program seeks to develop effective and ethical school or community leaders who can make significant contributions to their fields of knowledge through applied research. Holy Family does this through a research-based, interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes practical skills and effective decision making, all in a supportive and collaborative learning environment that encourages candidates to develop as scholars and researchers.

The program is flexible and designed for working professionals, with courses offered during evening and summer sessions. Some online and weekend courses are also available, with the intent of providing flexible offerings that are structured for the working practitioner who seeks advanced studies for professional development and advancement.

An EdD student may concentrate his or her studies in literacy, educational administration, or professional studies, such as special education, with the option to qualify for state certification as a school principal or superintendent. In close consultation with his or her advisor, a student will choose a field of study and establish a sequence of courses that will meet his or her goals.

An Institutional Focus on Outcomes

Holy Family's is a challenging academic environment. To succeed at the university, a student must be committed. He or she must put in the work, the hours, the effort. But if a student is willing to dedicate him or herself, then his or her efforts will be rewarded. A student at Holy Family will receive a first-class education that will enable him or her to develop and apply his or her teaching and research skills as he or she prepares for the next steps of his or her career.

It's easy to see why Holy Family graduates stand out. The difference is real-world. The difference is experience. The difference is preparedness and a focus on student outcomes.

Challenge Yourself -- and Nurture Yourself

Respect for the individual, the dignity of the human person -- these values are at the very core of the university. They are values that are taught here; even more, they are values that are lived here. Holy Family's concern for moral values and social justice guides its programs and enriches everything that it does.

Those values give rise to a vigorous, demanding educational experience that will challenge students even as it teaches them. Yet Holy Family's legacy is also one of mutual support and community. The university's is a smaller, more personal learning environment. Here, students will know their professors, and those professors will know students, in turn. When a student raises his or her ideas in class, those ideas will be acknowledged and discussed. If a student has a question, it will be answered. If a student needs additional help, he or she will get it. A student's education here will be more personal, more welcoming, and more in tune to his or her success.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Elementary Education Master of Education (M Ed)
• Education Master of Education (M Ed)
• Reading Specialist Master of Education (M Ed)
• Secondary Education Master of Education (M Ed)
• Special Education Master of Education (M Ed)
• Education Leadership Master of Education (M Ed)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 287
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Optional
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied205
• Accepted177
• Acceptance Rate86%
• Enrolled116
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $25
• Application Fee - International $25
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline July 1st Not Reported Yes
• Winter deadline January 1st Not Reported Yes
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE or MAT, interview
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesNot Reported

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$14,400
• Out-of-state tuition *$14,400
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsFebruary 15
• Types of financial support availableFederal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students691
• Female Percentage80%
• Male Percentage20%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students691
• Part-time Percentage90%
• Full-time Percentage10%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino2%
• Black / African American5%
• White / Caucasian87%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian1%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown5%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty60
• Full-time Percentage17%
• Part-time Percentage83%
• Female Percentage60%
• Male Percentage40%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchCognition, developmental issues, sociological issues in education
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported