Education

The Department of Education is representative of the best educational research and applied practices available in the field today. Issues of race, gender, socio-economic class, equity, linguistic pluralism and social justice can be found in every classroom whether urban, suburban, rural, public or private. These issues form the philosophical foundation and the platform upon which students' course of study will be constructed.

Students who seek to become teachers can choose from the following options for majors: anthropology, biology, chemistry, geosciences, physics, mathematics, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, history, political science, sociology, art, theatre, music education, exercise and sports science and elementary education.

The Department offers a curriculum that is founded in the arts and sciences and integrated with Education courses, field and clinical experiences, and content specialization programs that draw upon the expertise of faculty from other disciplines such as deaf education, exercise and sports science, instrumental and vocal music education and foreign languages. The Education curriculum is designed to prepare teaching professionals whose credentials meet the requirements of teacher accreditation and certification agencies in the United States.

Students who complete the education program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate mastery of the central concepts and tools of inquiry of their discipline(s).
2. Plan research-based instruction that advances the learning of each student.
3. Utilize research-based pedagogy that advances the learning of each student.
4. Design curriculum based on state and national standards.
5. Demonstrate mastery of the assessment cycle as a component of teaching.
6. Demonstrate understanding of the processes of human development and learning.
7. Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development.
8. Promote the success of each student based on a demonstrated understanding of the socio-cultural, historical, and institutional contexts of education.

Let’s start with your grade point average (GPA). Yale admissions officers will calculate based on your high school transcript, which you’ll submit with your overall application.

Last year, the reported average high school GPA of an admitted student at Yale was a 4.19 out of 4.0, what we call a “weighted” GPA. However, unweighted GPAs are not very useful, because high schools weight GPAs differently. In truth, you need close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA to get into Yale. That means nearly straight As in every class.

Yale, like the rest of the Ivy League and most other colleges, requires either the SAT or ACT for admission. They have no preference between them, so choose the test that’s a better fit for you, thoroughly prepare for it, and plan to take it multiple times.

The average SAT and ACT composite scores for admitted students at Yale varies, as you can see in the table below. However, keep in mind that unless you fall into certain privileged categories (athletes, legacies, donors, etc.), your SAT/ACT score should be closer to the 75th percentile than the 25th percentile to ensure you’re maximizing your chances of admission.

TOEFL or IELTS is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

If you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years, you are exempt from the English Language Test requirement and are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS. 

No exemptions are made on the basis of an advanced degree (e.g. M.A./M.S. or Ph.D.) from any institution.

When you complete your application, you will answer questions about your native language and the primary language of instruction at your baccalaureate institution. If either was English, you will not be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores when you submit your application. No separate documentation is necessary. 

Identify the program and degree you want.

Verify the application deadline for your program.

Determine what standardized tests you need to take. Register early.

Determine what standardized tests you need to take. Register early.

Complete your application.