Harvard GSE Learning + Teaching Masters

[matt]

I am applying to the Learning + Teaching Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Does anyone know about the competitiveness of this in relation to HGSE's other master's programs? (My apologies to the earnest fellow who was frustrated with my posting this in the results page.) Any thoughts are appreciated!

[leelabee]

I am applying to the Learning + Teaching Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Does anyone know about the competitiveness of this in relation to HGSE's other master's programs? (My apologies to the earnest fellow who was frustrated with my posting this in the results page.) Any thoughts are appreciated!

I'm a 2009 graduate of the HGSE L&T program! Our cohort was pretty small, but not tiny-- about 30 people. There are some programs that are smaller and some (like EPM) that are much bigger. As far as competitiveness, it's hard to say. We were a very mixed group in age, interest, and experience. I came straight from undergrad along with three other people my age. Let me know if you have any questions about the program!

[dfree86]

Hi Leelabee,

I've just been admitted to the 2010 L&T Cohort and I'm pretty excited about it. I haven't had any funding offers yet and they may well make my decision for me, but I am considering a couple of other factors. Chief amongst them is this: I'm an English specialist and an English teacher at the moment, and the L&T program (so far as I can tell) doesn't allow for any subject specialization. I think one of the other programs would be better if I remain a classroom English teacher for a while, but there is no denying the Harvard name and the weight it carries both in an out of the Education world. What has been your experience of L&T without focusing on a particular content area?

I also have offers from Columbia and NYU and both of those programs are English Education specific. In particular, the Columbia MA has a fantastic course selection for English teaching.

I'm also curious about the statistics for admission, but I imagine they'll come out later in the year.

Can you speak to any of these points?

[leelabee]

Hi Leelabee,

I've just been admitted to the 2010 L&T Cohort and I'm pretty excited about it. I haven't had any funding offers yet and they may well make my decision for me, but I am considering a couple of other factors. Chief amongst them is this: I'm an English specialist and an English teacher at the moment, and the L&T program (so far as I can tell) doesn't allow for any subject specialization. I think one of the other programs would be better if I remain a classroom English teacher for a while, but there is no denying the Harvard name and the weight it carries both in an out of the Education world. What has been your experience of L&T without focusing on a particular content area?

I also have offers from Columbia and NYU and both of those programs are English Education specific. In particular, the Columbia MA has a fantastic course selection for English teaching.

I'm also curious about the statistics for admission, but I imagine they'll come out later in the year.

Can you speak to any of these points?

If you're looking to obtain a specific license, I can see why you're worried about subject specialization. I'm actually a Music teacher, so I was also worried about finding relevancy to my particular field. There is a lot of freedom within the program so you can take almost anything you want and there are classes that pertain to specific subject areas. You can also easily take a course at GSAS if you want any advanced English classes. The beautiful thing about the program is that it allowed me to really examine my role as a music teacher in relation to education as a whole. I was able to build my own connections to music education in each of my classes. While I can't say that my degree has made me a better music teacher, it has made me a more reflective educator for sure. I just felt that I had already done four years in a music education program-- I wanted to see the bigger picture.

However, if you're looking to use this degree as a way to gain professional status, check with your district and make sure they'll accept the degree!!!

I did my undergraduate degree at NYU and while I'm not that familiar with Steinhardt's Masters programs, I can safely say that it's a fantastic school full of brilliant people.

As far as admissions statistics go, I've never seen it broken down by program, but I do know that the acceptance rate for Ed.M.s is relatively high at Harvard... Maybe close to 50%

Edited March 18, 2010 by leelabee