Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at James Madison, Christopher Newport University, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Tech.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider James Madison, Regent University, Bluefield, and Norfolk State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Sweet Briar College and Hollins.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Virginia State, Hampton, Norfolk State, and Ferrum.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Regent University, Bluefield, Shenandoah University, and George Mason.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Richmond, Hampton, Regent University, and Sweet Briar College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ferrum, Sweet Briar College, Bridgewater, and Emory and Henry.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at William and Mary, University of Richmond, Virginia Tech, and Christopher Newport University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at William and Mary, University of Richmond, and Bluefield.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Sweet Briar College, University of Richmond, Emory and Henry, and William and Mary.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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James Madison University • Harrisonburg, VA
Studying Psychology (completion in 2001)
• 4/29/2011
"They provided a safe and welcoming campus for my college education. I felt supported by the faculty and staff."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Due to the unique learning experiences available, people are aware of the psychology program at JMU. In high school, JMU's psychology program had a positive reputation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | JMU offers small class sizes. There are also a lot of research opportunities. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The coursework is rigorous, but they offer support. The professors are diverse and the class selection is vast. This offers many unique learning opportunities. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Internships are available for hands on experience. They also offer traditional lecture options. JMU provides a rich and diverse experience. The faculty and staff strike the perfect balance of pushing you to succeed and offering support when needed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They offer classes throughout the day so that students have an option to work. However, the registration process is a bit cumbersome. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The library does not always good hours. But many resources are online which helps with research. |
| Social Life | 5 | There is a lot of pride at JMU. The Greek community is small but very active. Sports are increasingly getting more student and community support. |
| Placement Services | 9 | In addition to the standard career service options that most schools have, the psychology department has a Peer Advising organization that assists students with career and graduate school options. The students are upper level psych majors so they are aware of new programs and options. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive e-mails from the alumni association. However, there is not an active group near my current location. |
University Of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2002)
• 11/1/2011
"Darden was a great place to get an MBA. The environment, challenge, faculty and business connections combined to a world-class education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | You don't need an MBA to become a teacher. There are probably many skills I use from that education, but it is certainly not a traditional career path, and I wouldn't recommend it as a standard option. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Darden was once again named a top business school and maintains a solid reputation. This reputation is especially strong in the southeast. |
| Program Quality | 9 | This is a bit confusing to answer. I was very happy with the business degree I got from UVA, as it prepared me for my business career. I also received a teaching certificate from the University of Denver, which prepared me well for teaching. I've taken a nontraditional career path, but have been satisfied with all of my education. |
| Instruction | 9 | I had excellent instructors in a world-class program (top 10 business school) for my MBA. I felt I couldn't have learned more at another program. |
| How Difficult | 10 | UVA's business school is considered "Boot Camp" among business schools. The coursework was incredibly time-consuming and challenging -- just the way I liked it! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The course of study was nearly completely "case study," so we didn't rely on textbooks, but we did rely on analyzing written work. There were accompanying projects, but the case analysis and class discussions of these cases took center stage. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | The MBA program is fixed in the first year so that you have no option as to which classes to take and when. The second year is more flexible, but still must be completed during normal school hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school was strong when I attended, with many resources, but has continued to develop those facilities. The new building and resources are more extensive and fully developed to support student learning. |
| Social Life | 5 | I made several good friends in school, especially from my "required" study group. I've kept in touch with these friends for the past twenty years. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There are many connections between the school and top businesses. Also, many corporations recruit at the school. However, it took very much work on my part to secure a position upon graduating. |
| Alumni Network | I'm not active in the alumni network, partly due to my career change, and partly due to my previous geographic distance from my university, when I lived in Chicago and Denver. But I suppose the network was available if I'd ever needed it. |
Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Theater (completion in 2007)
• 11/29/2011
"I felt that my university provided me with an excellent practical and theoretical education. I was impressed with the dedication of the professors and their willingness to support students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program is ranked very highly as a theater school, and it offers a wide range of opportunities to take classes within other schools in the art department. The university also is located in Richmond, VA, which is a very interesting city, with lots of social activities and historic sites. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | VCU is ranked very highly in the theater departments. University alumni have a reputation for being competent, talented and professional. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My university provided an excellent foundation for an education in professional theater, as well as theatrical education. I thought the program also had an excellent history of theater section. |
| Instruction | 9 | In addition to being provided a solid theoretical background, I was offered a number of opportunities within the school for practical professional development. The university also gave students the opportunity to work in professional programs outside of the school, in order to build experience. |
| How Difficult | 9 | In addition to the usual academic work, I was required to complete multiple projects per class, per semester, that required around 30-40 hours of work to complete each project. I was also expected to spend about 10 hours per week providing assistance on university productions. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The university provided a lot of academic learning (book learning) in lecture classes that focused on history and literature. However, they provided a lot of hands-on opportunities. Many classes in the department were technical. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The university had summer, evening and online options. However, depending on the major, certain classes were only available at certain times. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | VCU has an excellent theater facility, with plenty of classroom space across two buildings. The equipment is up to date. Professors are extremely helpful and friendly. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did not really spend a lot of time in the social setting. I worked full time and attended school full time, but many of my friends enjoyed the social activities. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The job placement and career services for my department was very limited. Students were required to take the initiative. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't used my school's alumni network. What I have seen from it is fairly limited, and I almost never receive mail or information about the network. |
University Of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Secondary English Education (completion in 2012)
• 12/12/2011
"I can't imagine going to any other school! There was a great balance of academic and social opportunities, and I felt very prepared to become a teacher when I had finished."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UVA has many different programs for teachers of all different subject areas. Students can really get to know new research in education and ways to apply that to the classroom. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I think that Curry has a good reputation nationally. Also, in the state of Virginia, UVA's graduates are well known for being disciplined and hard workers. |
| Program Quality | 8 | UVA has a good program that involves a lot of liberal arts methods for teaching. However, some of the classes are frustrating, and the program can seem disorganized at times. |
| Instruction | 9 | We learned a lot of methods for teaching reading, writing, and language. I feel really prepared to teach students of all levels. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It definitely was not the toughest major at UVA. However, since it was a Master's program, there was a lot of work to do outside of class. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most activities were hands-on in my program. While we did some bookwork to learn theoretical stuff about education, most of the instructional methods that we learned were very applicable to teaching. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Most classes in the program were only offered once, so you had to take that option. Also, most classes were only offered at night, so there was little flexibility for those students who did not want to take night classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | There were lots of places to study and use technology at UVA. Also, there were lots of people who were available to help you outside of class if you needed it. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are so many clubs and organizations for people of all interests. There are also many athletic events and other social events for those people who are interested in that scene. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Curry constantly sent emails to the students about finding a job. There were also lots of people who would speak to you about job placement and trying to find the right fit for you. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | UVA has a big alumni network, and there are alumni events every year. Also, there are lots of local clubs from the college. |
Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Administration Of Justice (completion in 1993)
• 3/1/2012
"I loved it there. I have no regrets."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have already. I will continue to do so. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is well known for this major. It was one of the largest schools within the university. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I loved the study of it. There are few directly related, practical applications for it. |
| Instruction | 8 | Many professors taught multiple classes, so you got the same information over and over again. They got to know you, though. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I thought it was easy. It was writing-intensive, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very book oriented. Internships did not take place until senior year. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It was/is a commuter school. Schedules were very flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Facilities were topnotch. Professors were often unavailable. |
| Social Life | 10 | I loved it at VCU. I had a great time. |
| Placement Services | I did not use it. I do not know anyone who did. | |
| Alumni Network | I have never used it. I am not a member. |
University Of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Master In Teaching (completion in 2006)
• 4/4/2012
"I thought about becoming a teacher for years before I saw an ad for the Master in Teaching program at UVA. The advising staff worked with me closely to get signed up, and were always responsive when I had issues to sort out along the way. Thanks to my experience I transitioned from a restrictive corporate job, to a teaching job that I love."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UVA offers a high quality education, and their reputation can open many career doors. Because most classes are not offered online, you may need to make some career sacrifices to attend classes while you complete your degree. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The Curry School of Education hosts and trains world class researchers in the field of education. I hope to attend Curry for a doctorate degree someday. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I needed a program designed for students who already have a Bachelor's in a non-teaching field. UVA made it convenient for me to transition into teaching. |
| Instruction | 9 | The curriculum at UVA is based on cutting edge research performed in real classrooms. Professors and Advisers were responsive to my questions. |
| How Difficult | 9 | My program involved a lot of research and writing. Strong time management skills are key to completing the program successfully. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My classes included book learning to teach essential fundamentals. The book learning was reinforced by research assignments and practicum experiences in local schools. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Most of my classes were in person. I had to schedule classes around my full-time job and family schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The Curry Library houses a wealth research materials for students. The library also has computers for student use and attractive study rooms. |
| Social Life | 6 | As a working student I didn't have much time for campus activities. Curry school staff however, made adult students feel welcomed at holiday events. |
| Placement Services | 10 | UVA offers high quality career counseling. Teachers in training can attend several on campus career fairs each year. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | UVA alums in area school districts have been very congenial. Although I didn't get a job through an alum connection, I felt comfortable about asking them for advice. |
George Mason University • Fairfax, VA
Studying Arts Management (completion in 2011)
• 4/2/2012
"I needed a grad degree to propel my career. This was a great way to start!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | GMU is a great Arts Management school. I would just suggest people work harder at making those social relationships than I did. |
| Program Reputation | I don't think it would be fair to rate-- I haven't met anyone else with my degree from another school to compare it to. | |
| Program Quality | 8 | It's a newer program at my school but I feel that the staff is excellent and really cares about teaching us how the arts "work". I don't feel it helps enough with job placement though. |
| Instruction | 10 | All of my professors were amazing. They gave both "textbook" and real world examples and lessons in every class. |
| How Difficult | 4 | My program wasn't difficult academically so much as it was hard balancing it with my work schedule. I think the toughest subject for me was Accounting. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As I said earlier, professors gave a good mix of theory and practice. There were often guest lecturers, and we read so many books it was ridiculous! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Classes are only offered during specific semesters. However, the fact that they are evening classes allows most students to still work and go to school, which is great. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Everything at GMU is brand new- the campus doubled in size and technology in just the two years I was there. I never felt ill prepared for anything. |
| Social Life | 7 | I would have liked more of a social experience, but academically, I cannot complain. I don't feel super bonded to GMU, but I don't have any bad feelings toward it either. |
| Placement Services | 1 | It seems to be tailored more so to undergrads. As a grad student graduate, I need a different set of career options. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I haven't met anyone from my grad school (GMU) yet, and the career site is mostly entry level jobs. I'm hoping to find an appropriate job for someone with a Master's Degree.. |
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