Graduate Degree Programs

The School of Education at Holy Family University offers Pennsylvania Department of Education approved graduate programs designed to meet the needs of students in a variety of subject areas. Our programs are tailored to students with different backgrounds. We serve experienced teachers seeking to add additional certification as well as those individuals seeking certification as part of a career change.

Graduate Studies Admission Requirements
Student must possess the following qualifications for admission to any of the Master of Education Programs:

  1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited University or university.
  2. An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above. If the undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0, the student must submit scores from the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Test information is available in the Graduate Studies Office, HFH 102.
  3. The application includes: a statement of goals, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a $25 application fee.

Return to Graduate Admissions for more information on admission requirements.

Act 48
If you have taken coursework at Holy Family University that you intend to use to comply with the requirements of ACT 48, please note the following procedures. Download the Request for Act 48 Course Reporting form, complete the form, and send it to:

Associate Dean
School of Education
Holy Family University
Grant & Frankford Avenues
Philadelphia, PA 19114

Transfer of Credit
A graduate student, who wants to take course work off campus from another university and transfer the credit to Holy Family University after being admitted to the graduate program, must receive written permission before he/she enrolls in the course. Forms are available in ETC 445 or from an Education advisor. The maximum allowable transfer is 6 credits.

Holy Family University offers the following graduate degree programs:

Master of Education with Pennsylvania certification, Level I, in Elementary Education
Designed for individuals who have undergraduate degrees in fields other than education. This degree opens the door to a career in teaching grades kindergarten through sixth grade. While earning a Master of Education degree, students also meet the state requirements for elementary education teacher certification.

Master of Education with Pennsylvania certification, Level I, in Secondary Education
Designed for the University graduate who has little or no background in education and who wishes to receive a master's degree and level I Certification as a secondary education teacher in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Social Studies (History, Sociology, or Psychology emphasis), and Spanish.

Master of Education with Pennsylvania Reading Specialist certification or Reading Specialist certification without a degree
For the experienced teacher already holding a teacher certificate, this program offers an opportunity to learn new ways to assist students in learning to read, write, and communicate effectively.

Master of Education with electives leading to Early Childhood Education certification
This certification program is designed for individuals currently holding teaching certification and are interested in learning more about educating the young child (nursery through third grade).

Master of Education with certification in Special Education (Cognitive, Behavioral, Physical/Health Disabilities (CBP/HD)
 Designed for students with prior teaching certification in Pennsylvania who are seeking an additional certificate in Special Education (CBP/HD).

Master of Education in Special Education - Advanced Practice
Designed for students who have certification in Special Education (PA MPH or CBP/HD) and wish to complete a graduate degree which includes advanced courses in Special Education.

Master of Education (General)
The general master's degree is especially designed for those educators seeking an opportunity to study new areas of education and expand their coursework in areas of special interest.

Master of Education Degree with Pennsylvania Principal Certification or Principal Certification/No Degree
These programs are for those individuals with a professional school certificate and at least three years of professional school experience, and a strong desire to accept the challenge as an educational leader in either an elementary or secondary school. The program is intended to identify and nurture aspiring school leaders who can provide the vision and leadership needed to transform schools into dynamic learning communities. The primary focus of the program is to provide individuals with a strong theoretical base in educational administration and opportunities for practical application of that theory in real school situations. The end result will be school leaders who have the professional tools and characteristics to lead our schools of the future.

All Candidates must have at least three years teaching experience to enter this master's degree and state certification program.

Candidates who already have an earned master's degree can enter the program for Principal Certification only.

All Candidates must have at least three years teaching experience to enroll in this certification program. Read More >>

Master of Reading Supervisor (Pennsylvania) Certification
This program is for those individuals with a Masters Degree in Reading and five years of professional school experience in that field. The certificate entitles a person to function between the school administration and certified professional staff of a public school in developing, implementing and supervising the K-12 reading program. The primary focus of the program is to provide individuals with a strong theoretical base in educational administration and reading programs, and the opportunity for practical application of that theory in real school situations. The end result will be school leaders who have the professional tools and characteristics to lead our school reading programs.

Master of Education in TESOL and Literacy
This program provides a through treatment of the fundamental concepts and practices of English as a Second Language pedagogy, including language; culture; planning, implementing, and managing instruction; assessment; and professionalism. In addition, the program provides students with a strong foundation in the theories of reading and writing in both a first and second language. Emphasis is placed on practical knowledge to promote literacy development for second language learners and strategies to assist English Language Learners (ELLs) in the different stages of second language acquisition, including achieving the development of academic language. Students in this program have the opportunity to pursue an interest in early childhood education, special education, adolescent and adult learners, or culture and society, by choosing electives in those areas.


Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Professional Studies


Teacher Intern Certificate
The Pennsylvania Teacher Intern Certificate is designed specifically for individuals who already possess a baccalaureate degree. It can be used by students who majored in a content area other than education during their undergraduate work and now seek to become a certified teacher. For example, if you have an undergraduate degree in biology you can obtain credentials to certify you as a biology teacher for up to three years as you complete the secondary education certification courses required for an Instructional I certificate. This certification will permit you to obtain a teaching position as a certified teacher while you complete the coursework requirements.

Holy Family University is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to recommend Teacher Intern Certificates in the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, English, French, Math, Social Studies, Spanish, Art Education and Special Education.

Students seeking a PA Intern Certificate must possess a baccalaureate degree related to the area of certification requested, apply for admission to the graduate program at Holy Family University, and meet the Graduate School entrance requirements. Admission to Graduate School is separate from Teacher Intern Certification. You may start graduate coursework while preparing to meet the requirements for the Teacher Intern Certificate. Additional requirements that must be met before applying for the PA Intern Certificate include:

  • Evidence of having taken 6 credits of college level mathematics and 6 credits of college level English literature and composition. These courses are completed in most undergraduate programs.
  • Must attain passing scores on the Praxis Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) including the PPST Reading (0710 or 5710), PPST Writing (0720 or 5720), and PPST Math (0730 or 5730) tests.
  • K-6 and K-12 certifications including Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, French, Spanish, and Special Education, must also attain passing scores on the Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge (0511) test.
  • All who apply for certification must also pass the appropriate Praxis content area tests: Biology 7-12 (0235), Chemistry 7-12 (0245), Early Childhood Education K-3 (0020), Elementary Education K-6 (0011), English 7-12 (0041), French K-12 (0173), Math 7-12 (0061), Social Studies 7-12 (0081), Spanish K-12 (0191), Art Education k-12 (0134)Special Education K-12 (0354)
    *Additional testing information can be found online: http://www.ets.org/praxis

Upon acceptance into the graduate program and completion of the appropriate Praxis testing, you should submit completed state application certification forms (PDE 338G and PDE 338C) to the certification officer in the School of Education. Certification forms are available in the Education Office, ETC 445. Upon approval, you will receive a state issued certificate at your home address. To maintain your certificate you must be continuously enrolled (minimum of 9 credits per year) in required education courses leading to an Instructional I certificate at Holy Family University. The Teacher Intern Certificate is issued for a period not to exceed 3 years and is non-renewable. Additional information is available online.

Note: Application for Instructional I certification may be submitted after successfully completing student/intern teaching. Applications are available in the Education Office, ETC 445.


English as a Second Language (ESL) Pennsylvania Program Specialist Certificate for Teachers
Holy Family University is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to offer an English as a Second Language (ESL) Pennsylvania Program Specialist Certificate to qualified Pennsylvania teachers.

Candidates for an ESL Pennsylvania Program Specialist Certificate must hold a valid Pennsylvania Instructional I or II Certificate to be eligible for this program. Candidates wishing to teach English as a Second Language in elementary settings must hold an elementary or reading specialist certification. Those wishing to teach in a secondary setting must be certified in English or as a reading specialist.

To obtain an ESL Pennsylvania Program Specialist Certificate, the candidate must receive a signed Letter of ESL Training Completion through Holy Family University. This Letter of Completion will be issued when the candidate demonstrates that he or she has developed knowledge of the fundamental concepts and practice of ESL instruction and services. Demonstrating the required state competencies can be accomplished through different paths, depending on previous coursework or professional experience.

The Course Option
Most students will elect to demonstrate these competencies by successfully completing the following four courses (12 credits) at Holy Family University. It is strongly recommended that these courses be taken in the following sequence.

EDUC 539 Linguistics for Language Teachers
3 credits (Spring & Fall)
This course provides a foundation to help language teachers better understand and appreciate language in order to meet the challenges of teaching children, especially children who are learning ESL.

EDUC 546 Second Language Acquisition
3 credits (Spring & Fall)
This course examines prominent issues in second language acquisition research and theory so that the teacher develops an understanding of how children, adolescents, and adults learn an additional language, including a foreign language, in both naturalistic and classroom contexts.

EDUC 547 Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Learners
3 credits (Fall & Summer II)
The purpose of this course is to present teachers with methods and materials to prepare English language learners to enter and succeed in elementary and secondary standards-based mainstream classrooms.

EDUC 548 Assessment and Program Design for ESL Students
3 credits (Spring)
This course prepares teachers to identify students in need of ESL, place them in appropriate ESL programs, monitor their progress, and establish exit criteria. It also develops an understanding of program design in different school contexts and prepares the teacher to assist classroom teachers or teachers in content classes to modify courses of study to provide English language learners with meaningful access to academic content.

Previous Coursework Option
Teachers who have already completed substantive collegiate coursework in ESL may ask to have that coursework reviewed for evidence of meeting some or all of the required Pennsylvania ESL competencies. Review of previous University transcripts requires an additional transcript review fee of $75.

The Portfolio Option
Teachers who have extensive teaching experience with ESL students may elect to develop a portfolio to document achievement of some or all the specialist competencies addressed in the four courses. This may be completed with faculty assistance by enrolling in the following independent study course:

EDUC 549 ESL Certificate Professional Portfolio
3 credits (available Fall 2003)
The teacher portfolio is constructed to highlight and demonstrate knowledge and skills in teaching ESL students. However, the portfolio also provides a means for reflection; it offers the opportunity for critiquing one’s work and evaluating the effectiveness of lessons or interpersonal interactions with students or peers and is thus a means of professional growth.



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