Urban Education
M.Ed. Area of Interest

Areas of Interest

There's a reason most Simmons School Master of Education graduates who specialized in Urban Education enter law school, lead teachers, run for public office, and/or significantly increase student academic outcomes: this program enables students to effect systemic change.

Veronica McLean
J.D. Candidate, New York University School of Law

"Specializing in Urban Education forced me to recognize my own biases every time I was creating lessons...I continue to carry this skill with me outside of the classroom...and how I tackle policy questions/arguments in law school."

Maggie Shellen
Director of Education, Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center

"Specializing in Urban Education made me more aware of myself and my students' backgrounds...The greatest impact was volunteering within the community. Having real life experience was paramount in my success."

Khadijah Thibodeaux
Science Curriculum Developer, Smithsonian Science Center

"Without having specialized in Urban Education...I would not have the skills necessary to understand what is needed for equitable and accessible global education."

Danielle Muphy
Department Chair, Mansfield ISD

"Specializing in Urban Education impacted my role as an educator because it helped me become an even better servant to the populations that urban districts serve. This specialization helped me...connect with students and their culture in the right way."

Jiabao Wen
Ph.D. Candidate, Southern Methodist University

"I chose to pursue my PhD program at SMU because I was inspired by urban education. The culturally responsive teaching skills I have learned...helped me to delve deeply into students' mindset."

Steven Santoyo
Public Policy Advocate & K-12 Educator

"I was named finalist for 'Teacher of the Year' in 2022, teaching at my alma mater, Hillcrest High School. My reputation and credibility as an educator for equity has increased tremendously because of my affiliations with this program."

Learn. Build. Advance.

Learn by Doing

Design a dynamic and immersive learning experience with renowned education professors. Cultivate advanced critical thinking skills, analytical abilities, and problem-solving techniques through rigorous coursework, discussion, research assignments, and community engagement.

Build a Better World

The primary focus of the urban education program is to make you more aware of how to deal with education in urban settings and deal with the problems that can arise. You acquire knowledge, skills, and experience to make the world a better place with intention in education.

Advance Your Career

Equip yourself to go anywhere your career advances. Whether you aspire to develop curriculum, practice law, influence policy, or lead a school, the M.Ed. with Urban Education specialization sets the foundation for you to do just that!

Enhancing the Educational Experience

The Department of Teaching & Learning (T&L) takes great pride in its ability to meet and exceed students' needs, as evidenced by a comprehensive array of support services and positive outcomes. Offering a diverse range of courses, personalized advising, specialized resources, and evening courses, we are fiercely dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive, and enriching educational environment that truly meets the needs of our student body.

1-11

Faculty-Student Ratio at SMU

82%

Women
(T&L)

53%

Students of Color (T&L)

4%

International Students (T&L)

69%

Receive Scholarships (T&L)

Top 3

Public & Private Grad Schools of Education in TX*

* US News & World Report

Dr. Johnitha Watkins Johnson
Clinical Associate
Professor of Urban Education

"The Urban Education area of interest provides educators with the skills to design classroom curricula that underscore the essence of students' socio-cultural context; employ meaningful classroom and behavior management approaches; articulate the concomitant impact of equity and inclusion; recognize and resolve personal biases that impact student learning; and bridge differences that may exist between the home, community, and school environments."

Interested in learning more? Consider attending our next Info Session.

Upcoming Events

Program Overview

Urban schools are marked by a nexus of social, cultural, policy, and economic disparities. Consequently, these schools manage higher rates of culturally and linguistically diverse students; poverty; teacher, student, and administrator mobility; discipline practices; special education placement; immigrants; and inadequate resources. These circumstances create an environment in which a particular set of pedagogical tools, specific strategies, and commitment are required to effectively facilitate urban classrooms. The Urban Education specialization provides an acute understanding of social, cultural, policy, and economic inequities while equipping prospective and in-service teachers with the requisite skills to combat their significance in urban classrooms.

The M.Ed. with an Urban Education focus is a 36-credit-hour graduate program that includes 12-credit hours of coursework that prepares students to effectively teach in urban schools. Students registered in this specialization will:

Explore the historical context of urban education through the lens of education policy.
Analyze legal mandates related to equity and excellence in urban schools.
Investigate local and national changing demographics and its implications for policy and urban classrooms.
Analyze societal biases that can lead to inequitable policy, and thereby classroom experiences.
Examine how culturally responsive curricula increase student outcomes and enhance teacher-student relationships.
Design classroom curricula that underscore the essence of students’ socio-cultural context.
Employ meaningful classroom and behavior management approaches.

After Urban Education: Success Stories

Cici Poland, M.Ed. 2022, Social Impact Consultant at MGT

After teaching, I was hired by an education-based nonprofit consulting firm to teach and contribute to the creation of a reproductive health curriculum for LGBTQIA+ youth and youth with experience in the foster care system. This work was particularly meaningful because these populations typically have less bodily autonomy and more adverse experiences.
Khadijah Thibodeaux, M.Ed. 2023
Science Curriculum Developer at Smithsonian Science Education Center

After graduating from SMU, I was offered a position at the Smithsonian Science Education Center as a Science Curriculum Developer. In this role, I develop community research guides that empower youth aged 11-18 to take action on problems related to sustainable development.
Jacob Scheibe, M.Ed. 2023
Social Studies Teacher at Dallas ISD

I would attribute my students' academic successes to my specialization in Urban Education. In the Fall of 2022, my students passed their end-of-course assessment at a rate 17% higher than the district average. I have been consistently surpassing district averages in the subjects that I teach, and I would attribute that to my urban education specialization.

Timeline and Structure

The M.Ed. with Urban Education Specialization is a 36-credit hour degree, 12-credit hour course sequence featuring the following required and elective courses:

Urban Education courses (Total: 9 credit hours)

Race, Power, & Politics The History of Urban Education
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Community Partnerships in Education

Elective Urban Education Options (Total: 3 credit hours)

Student Voice
Behavioral Interventions in the Classroom
Classroom Instruction and Assessment for Language Learners

Required M.Ed. courses (Total 9 credit hours)

Culturally Responsive Teaching
Interpreting Educational Research

Elective M.Ed. courses (Total: 15 credit hours)

A variety of course options exist. Select 5 courses.

Urban Education
M.Ed. Area of Interest

Areas of Interest