Program information
Collecting efforts in the field of education primarily support the teaching and research activities of the Graduate School of Education (GSE). GSE offers programs leading to the Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.), the Master of Science (M.S.), the Master of Philosophy in Education (M.Phil.Ed.), the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). As of Fall 2019, the total enrollment at PennGSE was 1715. This includes 1001 Master's, 101 Ph.D., 293 Ed.D, 197 non-degree, and 123 certificate students. There are numerous Research Centers affiliated with the Graduate School of Education.
The School is organized into six academic divisions.
Some specific program links include:
Teaching and Certificate Programs
Professional Development and Certifications
A significant number of students participate in these Executive Model Programs and only visit campus intermittently:
- Chief Learning Officer Program (PennCLO) (Ed.D.)
- Executive Program in School and Mental Health Counseling (M.S.Ed., Licensure)
- Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management (Ed.D.)
- Education Entrepreneurship (M.S.Ed.)
- Independent School Teaching Residency
- Med Ed (Medical Education Program) (M.S.Ed., Certificate)
- Mid-Career Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)
- School Leadership (M.S.Ed., Principal Certification)
- Urban Teaching Residency Program (M.S.Ed., Certification)
Collection description
Guidelines for Collection Development
1. Chronological
Emphasis is on contemporary issues except in the subject areas of the history of education and of individual institutions, the philosophy of education, and education and the state.
2. Formats
Books (both print and electronic) and journals account for most of the materials acquired. New journal subscriptions are acquired in electronic format when available. Monographs are increasingly being purchased in electronic format, depending on the price and access options. Access to full text dissertations is provided via the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. While, some government publications continue to arrive as part of the Library's depository status, many more government publications are now only available online from sites like the Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics. Some print copies are secured at no charge from Ed Pubs. While in the past, instructional and testing materials, such as textbooks, teaching aids, test manuals etc., have not been considered unless specifically requested, effort should be made to insure a selection of relevant, current, and practical texts to support teacher education programs. A limited number of works on the study and teaching of math and science at the elementary and high school levels are purchased using Education funds.
3. Geographical
Traditionally, collecting emphasis has been on the United States, with additional focus on Great Britain and Western European countries. Over the last two decades, the teaching and research interests of the Graduate School of Education have shifted toward a broader look at international education. Consequently, increased emphasis is placed on collecting works that related to educational concerns in many areas of the world including East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. The strengthened focus on international education is evident in Penn GSE International.
4. Language
Emphasis is on English language materials. Major Western European languages are collected only selectively. Vernacular language materials are purchased by area bibliographers for South and East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Russia and Eastern Europe.
5. Publication dates
The majority of publications selected are current. Effort should be made to selected older titles only if they are of significant importance in regard to new collecting focuses or to replace high use, lost volumes.
Principal sources of supply and major selection tools
The interdisciplinary character of education results in materials being acquired from widely diverse sources. Approval plans and standing orders (which cover many publications from university and domestic presses), as well requests from faculty and students, account for most of the materials requested. Publisher notifications, organizational websites, and print and online reviews of the scholarly literature are also used to select materials.
Subjects collected and levels of collecting
Cooperative arrangements
In addition to the holdings of the Van Pelt Library, other campus libraries and subject-based subscription resources are used for educational research. These include the
- Lippincott Library for leadership, entrepreneurship, and management/personnel issues.
- Biomedical Library for the Med-Ed program and general health concerns.
- Annenberg School of Communications Library for intercultural communication and relevant aspects of public policy and media studies
- Museum Library for anthropology and education
- Weigle Information Commons, for a number of software programs.
Outside of the University, BorrowDirect, EZ Borrow, and interlibrary loan are highly utilized. The Free Library is used for its collection of children's books.