Programs for educators at VOALC
The School of Education, Health and Society offers graduate coursework and master's degrees to K-12 professionals at Miami's Voice of America Learning Center (VOALC). The VOALC is conveniently located off I-75 in West Chester, providing easy access to teachers and administrators from surrounding school districts.
You are invited to drop in to tour the facility and to learn more about general course and program offerings. Also watch the VOALC website for announcements of special evening advising sessions for graduate education. To learn more about our graduate education offerings, contact ehs@MiamiOh.edu.
An array of choices
VOALC offers a wide variety of courses, workshops, and programs for the professional development of K-12 educators. Whether you are interested in updating your skills, adding a new license, adding an endorsement to a current license, or earning a graduate degree, we have something for you.
Degree Programs:
We are offering coursework at VOALC toward the following Master of Education programs:
• Reading Education
• School Leadership (the “Principal’s Program”)
• Educational Psychology
Scroll down for more information about each of these programs.
Courses and Workshops:
We also offer many highly regarded courses and workshops to enhance your professional development. You can enroll in one or more classes without being in a full master's program. Perhaps you’d like to learn more about the latest in mathematics education, writing grants, or best practices in family-school-community partnerships. VOALC offers these and a wide variety of other courses on a regular basis. To check current course offerings, go here.*
*To view VOA courses, on this site choose the current semester and year when asked for "term," then choose VOA West Chester when asked for the campus, then choose EDL (educational leadership), EDP (educational pyschology) or EDT (teacher education) depending upon your academic interests. You may leave all the other boxes and menus unchecked. Then check "Get Classes."
How to Enroll:
If you are interested in taking a course or workshop, without enrolling in a masters or doctoral program, apply for continuing non-degree status.
If you would like to pursue one of the master’s degrees offered at VOALC, apply for a degree program.
Graduate school applications are on-line. Be sure to also check the degree program website for any additional application requirements.
Financial Aid:
If you are a licensed, full-time K-12 educator in Ohio, you may be eligible for the Miami Team Scholarship which provides a 50 percent reduction in tuition and fees. Teachers interested in taking courses in mathematics or science content or education may also be eligible for tuition assistance from the Choose Ohio First Scholarship.
Additional Information on Degree Programs:
• Reading Education
Offered through the Teacher Education Department, this program is designed for the working classroom teacher who wants to take a class or two each semester and summer. Depending on the number of courses taken each term, most teachers complete the M.Ed. in approximately three years.
The Master of Education in Reading is a 36 hour program designed for those who have any teaching license (including licenses in areas such as art, music, health, etc.) and want to add a reading endorsement to their license. The Reading Endorsement enables candidates to work as a reading specialist in Ohio schools and communities. Courses required for the endorsement are part of the M.Ed. in reading degree. Students may also pursue the Reading Endorsement without entering the M.Ed. Program.
Most Reading Education courses will be offered at VOALC.
Information about the application process and program requirements is available here.
For more information contact Linda Dennett (dennetlg@MiamiOH.edu, 529-5708)
• School Leadership
The School Leadership program is a dynamic place to pursue your Principal Licensure. The program provides a rigorous and innovative academic environment that incorporates problem-solving in school settings, a cohort of 12-18 students, an active and involved student body, and a high level of faculty-student interaction.
Designed in response to the growing call for educational reform, the program recognizes that we cannot have effective schools without effective school leaders. The program recognizes that school administration must change to reflect the participatory organizational structure of schools, where problems are solved in teams where members collaborate and share their experiences and specialized knowledge. Our program recognizes the craft of administration by recognizing the clinical dimension of professional practice, as well as the theory and vision behind transformative leadership.
Taking two courses a semester and four courses in the summer, students typically finish the 30 hours of the masters program in 2 years, and the additional 15 hours of principal license coursework in 1 year.
All courses for this program will be offered at VOALC.
Information about the application process and program requirements is available here.
For more information contact Kathleen Mecoli (mecolik@MiamiOh.edu, 529-6825).
• Educational Psychology:
We will also be offering some of the courses that are requirements for these three Master of Education programs at VOALC. We’ll be offering courses that are a part of the M.Ed. core (e.g., social and psychological foundations courses such as EDL 621 Multicultural Education, and EDP 601 Advanced Educational Psychology; research courses such as EDP 607 Educational Measurement and Evaluation), as well as other required courses for these degrees.