The Curry School of Education is a public school of education in the U.S. Located on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, the Curry School offers professional programs designed to prepare individuals for a variety of careers related to the practice of education. The current Dean of the Curry School is Robert Pianta.
The Curry School of Education, founded with two professorships in 1905 as one of the academic schools of the University, was endowed by gifts of $100,000 from John D. Rockefeller and $50,000 from the State General Education Fund. The School was named for Dr. Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry, a native Georgian whose widely varied accomplishments made him a man of great renown throughout the antebellum and reconstruction South. In addition to being an ordained minister, a Harvard law graduate, a member of Congress, and a U.S. Ambassador, Dr. Curry was a historian, an author, a college professor, a promoter of education, and a strong advocate of universal education.
In 1919, the School was placed upon a professional basis similar to that of the Schools of Law, Medicine, and Engineering. In 1950, a graduate division was established, offering the degrees of Master of Education and Doctor of Education. An Education Specialist degree was approved and initiated in 1974. Additionally, the School continues to function as a department of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, offering the Master of Arts in Teaching and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
In 1968, the Curry School of Education entered a period of rapid and significant growth. By the mid 1970s, the faculty had increased to approximately 120 members, and there are now more than 20 specialized programs.
The school offers several programs to students. A five-year Teacher Education program includes both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Graduate programs include degrees in Master of Education, Education Specialist, Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy. The undergraduate programs include Communication Disorders and Sports Medicine.
The Curry School is organized into three areas of academic study: