Studying to Teach at One of the Most Innovative Schools in the Country
Drexel University is also featured in our ranking Top 50 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Elementary Education or Early Childhood.
At Drexel University, undergraduates can choose one of two programs in the field of education: elementary education and secondary education. They may also minor in education. The university points out that even though the minor may not lead to the student earning a teaching certificate in Pennsylvania right away, using the classes from the minor toward post-bachelor work or in the pursuit of certain certificates is a good way to gain the fundamentals of teaching in addition to other studies the student undertakes.
The education minor comprises 24 credits of broad study in education, and either education major includes 120-185 credits of study over the four years, which includes practicum and co-operational studies. The elementary education degree allows students to choose a focus area, such as pre-kindergarten to grade 4 and the middle grades. Certain of these subfields also have concentrations in special education.
The secondary education major allows the student to pick from the following focus areas: biology, chemistry, earth and space science, English, general science, mathematics, physics, and social studies. The four-year degrees in education are each a Bachelor of Science.
At the graduate level, students have a dizzying array of certificates and degrees from which to choose. Brevity precludes listing them all here, but they number 33 and include all manner of foci from special education to a school principal certificate. The single doctoral curriculum is a Ph.D. in Education in either STEM or Educational Leadership and Policy. Many of these degrees are available online. Interested students should peruse the website at their leisure.
About Drexel University
The university takes its name from the 19th-century philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel. Drexel’s brainchild began its existence as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, which was not a degree-granting institution. The institution began issuing degrees in 1914.
Ever since its inception, the school has stressed the importance of cooperative education. By mixing the classroom with the workroom, the university seeks to give students not only great understanding of their chosen subject but also real-world experiences that will help earn them jobs after graduation. In 1970, the school took on the name Drexel University. The university has always led the way among innovative schools, and nothing shows that better than the No. 13 ranking in that category from U.S. News and World Report. The university ranks No. 102 overall among National Universities too.
In fact, Drexel University was the first school in the country to require all students to have access to microcomputers. The year was 1983. Even before the dot com bust, Drexel was a fully wireless campus. These innovative practices apply to their teaching method, as well, as can be seen by the university’s law school, which is only one of two in the United States to follow a cooperative model of instruction.
Drexel University Accreditation Details
Drexel University’s regional accreditation comes from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Many of the school’s departments have received academic accreditation from various organizations around the country. A partial list includes the:
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
- American Bar Association
- American Dental Association
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Psychological Association
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
- Council for Interior Design Accreditation
- American Library Association
Drexel University Application Requirements
Instead of the standard 17 high-school credits required at most institutions of higher learning, Drexel only requires education majors to have three years of mathematics, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry, and at least one year of laboratory science, such as biology, chemistry, or physics.
Undergraduate students must also take either the SAT or the ACT, but the writing portion of these tests is not required. Drexel University will consider the highest composite score of any attempts to take either test. An essay and two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the student’s high-school counselor, are also required as are official high-school transcripts.
Because there are nearly three dozen graduate degrees and certificates, each of which has its own set of admission guidelines, students should check the website for details of their chosen program. The one requirement that is germane to all graduate programs is that each student must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition at Drexel University is $52,146 annually. Room and board come to $14,241, and fees total $2,405. Allowing between $1,000 and $2,000 for books and incidentals, the cost for attending Drexel University as an undergraduate is roughly $70,000 per year. Graduate students pay $1,303 per credit hour in tuition and a $280 general fee.
All students wishing to apply for financial aid must start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is an assessment form that the school and the government use to determine how much aid, and which kinds of aid, the student may receive. Aid comes in three main varieties: grants, scholarships, and loans. Most students combine these forms of aid to pay for school. It is not unusual for a student to have all three.
Work-study programs count as grants, and students must maintain a certain GPA to be allowed to keep their jobs. Based on the kind of job the student takes on and the student’s course load, the number of hours a student may work is set by policy. Students may also choose to apply for private financial aid, but private awards will most likely reduce the need-based awards the student receives.
Drexel University takes great pride in its history of innovation, and its philosophy of cooperative learning continues to set it apart among American universities.
