Teacher education program ranked best in country

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U.S. News & World Report has again ranked a Clemson University College of Education program as the No. 1 online graduate education program in the nation in 2020. The college’s Master of Education in Teaching and Learning program retains the top spot for the third year in a row.

According to George J. Petersen, founding dean of the College of Education, maintaining the top ranking in a crowded field of online education programs is no small feat. The ranking is proof of the hard work put into curriculum design and delivery by a faculty and staff that see the value in online programs that allow busy education professionals to further their careers, he said in a university news release.

“We are committed to offering graduate programs that provide a best-in-class education experience,” Petersen said in the release. “We are once again thrilled by this recognition, and we’re sure that our alumni and current graduate students are, too. Number one for three straight years tells school administrators, our educational partners and our state and nation that Clemson alumni are among the best prepared educators available.”

Jeff Marshall, associate dean for research and graduate studies for the college, said faculty and staff behind the program have continued to focus on the best ways to shape education content and delivery. Over the past year, they have prioritized constant, effective communication and support for students in the program, according to the release.

Since fall 2016, enrollment in the college’s master’s and specialist programs has increased 87 percent, and the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning has played a significant role in those gains, the release said.

“We’re receiving every indication that we are providing what educators and school administrators want,” Marshall said in the release. “The availability of quality online graduate education programs is more important now than ever as the state and nation face low teacher retention rates. Graduate programs such as the college’s M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning produce leaders and mentors in the field whom school administrators strive to retain.”