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The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development


About

With leading programs, innovative research, and flexible study options, the Graduate School of Education and Human Development has the tools to help you achieve your goals and contribute to the world in your own way. Your future is here.

Our History

Since 1904, GW has offered coursework in the field of education. With fewer than a dozen faculty at first, the education division became the Teachers' College in 1909, and then eventually the School of Education in 1928, with departments of education, educational psychology, and home economics. In 1933, the School of Education started to offer doctoral programs.

After World War II, many returning G.I.’s and retired military officers, some of whom were already trained in mathematics and science, attended GW to earn degrees in education, giving them entry to second careers. Many of these graduates quickly rose to become principals and superintendents to the generation of baby-boomers, thus providing a ready-made network for placing subsequent generations of GW teacher-trainees.

In the late '60s the school sought and received government funding for its new special education program, and later reached out to the community by training counselors as well as teachers. In 1977 the name was again changed to the School of Education and Human Development.

In 1994, the school became Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) when it transitioned to a more focused mission on graduate education. Today, GSEHD’s programs are organized within five departments: Counseling and Human Development, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Educational Leadership, Human and Organizational Learning, and Special Education and Disability Studies. These departments house master's, education specialist, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs.

The United States Capitol Rotunda
Joshua Sukoff / unsplash

Our Leadership

Michael Feuer is Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy at the George Washington University, and Immediate Past President of the National Academy of Education. In the fall of 2014, President Obama appointed Dean Feuer as a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences.

Prior to his joining GW, for the previous 17 years, Dean Feuer held positions at the National Research Council of the National Academies, most recently as the executive director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. He also served as a senior analyst and project director at the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment.

Feuer received his BA (cum laude) in English literature from Queens College New York, an MA in public management from the Wharton School, and a Ph.D. in public policy analysis from the University of Pennsylvania. He has studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Sorbonne was on the faculty of the business school at Drexel University from 1981-1986 and has taught courses in education policy and research at Penn and Georgetown.

Feuer consults regularly to educational institutions and government in the US, Israel, Europe, and the Middle East. He has published in education, economics, and policy journals and has had reviews, essays, and poems in newspapers and magazines in Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York. He is also the host of the education podcast EdFix. Feuer is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Educational Research Association.

"Education is the most important investment society makes. Thanks to the remarkable capacity and caliber of our faculty, students, and staff, we are ready to meet new challenges, using principles of innovation and collaboration as powerful engines of change."

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Jopwell / pexels

GW Values

What makes GW a unique place to work? Our values and the culture they create. These values are shared by our students, faculty, and staff. They serve as a guiding force, shaping our everyday lives on campus and helping to ensure that we make the best decisions for our university community.

Integrity

We are honest and fair in our words and actions.

Collaboration

We achieve more by engaging others in shared processes and decision-making.

Respect

We value people as individuals and treat them with fairness, compassion, and care.

Excellence

We achieve distinction through knowledge and innovation.

Openness

We are accessible, receptive, and share information freely.

Diversity

We value and include people from different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives in the pursuit of our common goals.

Courage

We encourage risk-taking, learning from failure, and perseverance in our pursuit of excellence.

General Information

  • Our campuses span D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, as well as locations in Asia.
  • We offer 15 programs entirely online.
  • Partnerships with 11 local school districts offer our students valuable classroom experience.
  • Our teacher preparation programs are NCATE recognized and state-approved.
  • Our location in the nation's capital enables students to gain real-world experience within the government, foundations, museums, public schools, institutes of higher education, professional associations and international NGOs.

English Language Requirements

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  • Washington

    G Street Northwest,2136, 20052, Washington

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    The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development