| Year | History |
| 1870 | When it opened its doors in the independent City of Brooklyn
[incorporated into New York City in 1898] St. John’s University was
the path to success for the children of immigrant families in the
New York City area. While the European immigrants of the 19th
century have been replaced today by families from the Caribbean,
Latin America, and Asia, St. John’s remains faithful to its
original mission. |
| 1908 | St. John’s College establishes
the School of Pedagogy specifically to improve the preparation of
teachers. During this period when only a two-year course is
required for state teaching certification, St. John’s becomes the
second institution of higher learning in New York State to
introduce graduate courses for teachers. |
| 1915 | The School is renamed the College Extension. The
program expands and now includes courses in experimental education,
educational philosophy, classroom management, educational
psychology and principles of education. The 1922-23 course catalog
mentions for the first time that courses are open to women,
although women attended in prior years. |
| 1924 | St. John’s College establishes
the Department of Education, which offers courses in teaching
methods, educational history, philosophy and psychology. |
| 1933 | St. John’s is granted full University status, and
the Graduate Division of the College Extension begins accepting
doctoral candidates in education. |
| 1935 | The College Extension becomes
Teachers College. |
| 1939 | The first Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degrees are
conferred. |
| 1942 | The education program grows so
large that Teachers College is divided into graduate and
undergraduate divisions. The curriculum expands to reflect advances
in education, psychology and educational philosophy. |
| 1943 | By now it is possible to earn a degree in
elementary education or secondary education, subject specified.
Also available is a certificate course in Methods in Kindergarten
and Nursery School Practice, a novel idea in the 1940s. |
| 1955 | The School of Education is
created, reuniting the graduate and undergraduate programs on the
new Queens campus under a single administration. |
| 1978 | The program in Human Services is approved and the
institution is renamed The School of Education and Human
Services. |
| 1998 | With the incorporation of the
program at the former Notre Dame College on the Staten Island
campus (which merged with St. John’s University in 1971), all of
the University’s education programs are brought under a single
administration. |
| 1999 | St. John’s acquires the Oakdale location for graduate
study. |
| 2001 | The Human Services program is transferred to the College of
Professional Studies and the University Trustees approve a return
to the name The School of Education. A merger with The College of
Insurance (TCI) in Manhattan creates the Manhattan campus. The University acquires property at Oakdale, Long Island. The
School of Education establishes courses leading to the Ed.D. in
educational administration (school district leadership). |
| 2003 | Courses in adolescent education, designed for
career change adults, are introduced on the recently acquired
Manhattan campus. |
| 2004 | Courses leading to the M.S. in
TESOL, Special Education, Literacy, and School Building Leadership
are introduced at Oakdale, New York |
| 2005 | The School receives national accreditation for its
program under the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. |