Coursework and experiences in the Urban Teaching Residency (UTR) program are guided by a commitment to anti-racist and social justice teaching and learning. Our faculty use research and practice-based approaches in their instruction.
You will learn to take an asset-based approach to local communities and the stakeholders in them and how to take an inquiry-orientated approach to urban education based on cycles of reflection, planning, and action.
Foundational courses explore the dynamic interactions among schools, communities, and governments as well as the competing forces of human agency and structural oppression, and methods courses are directly connected to what you (as a teacher) need in your teaching practice.
Our programs of study leverage inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving to prepare our students to become skilled educators and leaders.
For information on courses and requirements, visit the Urban Teaching Residency M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.
Concentrations
In any of our master’s degree programs, students may choose one or two concentrations.
- Elementary Education
- English Language Arts and Reading (Middle Years)
- English Language Arts (Secondary)
- Mathematics (Middle Years)
- Mathematics (Secondary)
- General Sciences (Middle Years)
- General Sciences (Secondary)
- Biology (Secondary)
- Physics (Secondary)
- Earth Science (Secondary)
- Chemistry (Secondary)
- Urban Education
- Special Education PreK-12
- World Languages
Additional Field Experiences in the Urban Teaching Residency Program
For students pursuing special education or elementary certification, additional field experiences are required. We have found that these experiences can be transformative for beginning teachers.
VAST LIFE @ Penn GSE
For students seeking special education or dual certification, VAST LIFE (Vocational, Academic, Social, Transition, Life Skill, Independent, Functional Experiences) is a supervised, formally-evaluated fieldwork experience working with, planning for, and educating students with low incidence disabilities in the areas of domestic, transition, social, functional, community, and leisure skills. VAST LIFE participants are local high school students aged 14 to 19 and who qualify to take the PASA in the State of Pennsylvania. The lessons take place on Saturdays in our spring semester, and are based on theories of universal design and research-based educational practice. Read a feature story about VAST LIFE in Penn Today.
Note: If you are a parent or guardian interested in applying to VAST LIFE for your child, please visit our VAST LIFE application page or contact Dr. Heather Hopkins at hopkinsh@gse.upenn.edu.
KIDS @ Penn GSE
For students in our PreK-4 certification track, the KIDS program (Keeping Instruction Developmentally Sound) is a supervised, formally evaluated fieldwork experience working with, and planning for, preschool children aged 3-4. Teachers are paired with KIDS participants to provide one-on-one support during Saturday lessons in our fall semester. Lessons are based on theories of universal design and research-based educational practice.