Creating Impact,
Finding Success
Join our community of changemakers and start your journey as a leader in education, behavioral health and social services.
Shape Future Generations
We believe that the work of education and behavioral health professionals is essential to individual and community advancement. Careers in these sectors are more than jobs — they are driven by passion and purpose. The School of Education and Human Development challenges students to embrace the Jesuit concept of cura personalis — care for the whole person — in their professions in the way that they serve students, patients, clients and communities.
Find Your Program
Our School offers undergraduate majors and minors, doctoral and graduate degrees, and certificate and endorsement programs that prepare you to become skilled educators and behavioral and mental health professionals who are ready to create positive change. Find the program or program combinations that match your goals below.
Through our undergraduate programs, you'll earn a solid education in the liberal arts, engage with local communities, and gain the knowledge you need to earn certifications and credentials in your field. Our offerings also include adult-learner programs and accelerated, 4+1 pathways to a master's degree.
Whether you're looking to make a career change or advance to a leadership position, our master's degree programs and EdD program will help you achieve your goals.
We offer professional certificates and Pennsylvania State Certifications for those who seek to become state-certified educators or practitioners. Many of our students use these programs to enter one of our degree-seeking graduate programs.
Special Education MS
Saint Joseph’s University's innovative Master of Science in Special Education curriculum is designed to develop and refine competencies in professional educators. The program meets the demands of teaching students with special needs in a variety of school environments: public, private, urban and suburban.
Taught by faculty with a variety of special education expertise, students will take part in online coursework and field experiences that offer a rigorous and well-rounded curriculum addressing critical areas of special needs instruction.
Paramount to our identity is hands-on learning. Fieldwork and clinical experiences are essential for the development of empathetic professionals in education and behavioral health."
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Joshua Power '05, '16 (EdD)Dean, School of Education and Human Development
Combining Theory and Practice
The School of Education and Human Development exposes students to expert faculty, critical thinking and the latest industry best practices. Our students engage in meaningful research with faculty who are scholar-practitioners and with service opportunities in the community, putting their classroom knowledge into practice.
Commitment to Professional Excellence
We're committed to exceeding professional standards. Our programs offer required training for students seeking state certifications and licensure in education and counseling, preparing them to become exemplary professionals and practitioners in their fields.
Centers & Partnerships
Through special partnerships with on-campus centers and local institutions, students can complete a Saint Joseph's education while getting a head start in careers. Find opportunities at the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, Alliance for Catholic Education, Center for Addiction and Recovery Education, Samuel Gompers Elementary School and more.
Student & Alumni Spotlight
![Ashley Damaia]()
I'm really passionate about second language acquisition and a lot of the courses I've taken at St. Joe's have prepared me to teach children English.
![Katie Mayock ’22]()
It has always been a goal of mine to be fluent in Spanish and my Saint Joseph's education has advanced me towards that goal and also connected me with outside opportunities to achieve that goal.
![Adrianna DiVentura]()
Going abroad to teach English in a Spanish-speaking country has been a dream of mine forever. Thanks to Fulbright, my dream is now becoming a reality.
Kimisha Simpson, MS '16, EdD '25, Global Education Trailblazer
Through her dissertation and her nonprofit, Kimisha Simpson, MS '16, EdD '25, is focused on changing the trajectory of the Jamaican education system.
Interested in becoming a deaf and hard of hearing educator? With a nationwide shortage of deaf and hard of hearing educators, learn how you can improve the quality of education for children with hearing loss.
Saint Joseph’s expanded academic offerings meet the needs of a dynamic world.
Saint Joseph’s celebrates 25 years of collaboration with Chinese partner universities.