Master of Arts in Educational Therapy

100% Online Degree Program – Scholarships and Flexible Financing Available

Do you want to help students discover a love of learning? Are you an educator or someone looking for a career change who seeks to better serve struggling students? NDNU is proud to be one of only three schools in the U.S. to offer a Master of Arts in Educational Therapy degree. This important area of in-depth study will give you a foundation. If you already have the skills, we can further develop your skills in assessment and intervention techniques to help children and adults who have various types of learning challenges.

Click here to view the updated AET Fact Sheet

Distinctions of the MA Educational Therapy Program

Polly Mayer M.Ed.ET/P

Program Director, MA Educational Therapy

PMayer@ndnu.edu

Learn More About Polly Below

www.aetonline.org

Check out the recent Stress-Free IEP Podcast featuring Polly Mayer

(Click Here)

Polly Mayer’s book review of Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning in The Educational Therapist journal

(Click Here)

This program requires 33 Units to complete. Sample Courses:

Neuropsychological Principles in Education
- Explore the integration of neuropsychological and educational frameworks to enhance understanding of learning disabilities and remediation. We focus on key neuropsychological concepts that provide insight into the nature of learning and learning difficulties.Students also gain a basis to think broadly and carefully about the educational needs of individual students.
Instructional Strategies for Students with Reading Difficulties
- Learn about the theories, issues, strategies, and materials related to assessment and instruction of students with reading difficulties, including spelling and written language. Specific methods of instruction and the selection and development of materials that match the assessed needs of the individual are emphasized.
The Roles of Educational Therapists
- This course emphasizes: historical and current perspectives on educational therapy; developing and managing a professional practice; assessment and instruction; and effective communication strategies within school, family, and service communities.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learn how to help young and adult students with:

Dyslexia and other difficulties in reading
ADHD and other attention issues
Dyscalculia or difficulties in mathematics
Difficulties in written language and spelling
Challenges in study and organizational skills, including time management and executive function disorders

Streamlined Admissions. See how simple it is to get started.

Fully admitted students will need to meet the following requirements:

A four- year bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better
Two academic and/or professional recommendations
A personal interview with the Program Director.
International students refer to admission requirements in the current catalog.

When you are ready to take that next step in advancing your career, contact us to learn how we can be the catalyst to make it happen sooner. Accepting applications year-round.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Educational Therapist?

An Educational Therapist (ET) offers children and adults with learning disabilities a wide range of intensive, individualized interventions designed to remediate learning issues.

How does an Educational Therapist support a learner?

The focus of the work in educational therapy is on the specific academic needs of the individual client teaching strategies to promote learning and remediation.

What are the types of learning issues addressed?

Dyslexia and other difficulties in reading
ADHD and other attention issues
Dyscalculia or difficulties in mathematics
Difficulties in written language and spelling
Challenges in study and organizational skills, including time management and executive function disorders

Will I need a teaching credential to work?

No. An Educational Therapist does not need a teaching credential to practice or to work in independent (non-public) schools, in learning clinics, or private practice.

What's the difference between an Educational therapist and a tutor?

While a tutor generally focuses on teaching specific subject matter, an educational therapist’s focus is broader. Educational therapists work as a team with parents, teachers, and other professionals to set goals and develop an intervention plan that addresses not only academic difficulties, but also psycho-educational and socio-emotional aspects of life-long learning through an eclectic combination of individualized intervention strategies.

What is Educational Therapy?

Educational Therapy offers children and adults with learning disabilities and other learning differences a wide range of intensive, individualized interventions designed to remediate learning challenges and build resilience.

Educational therapy demystifies learning differences and stimulates clients’ awareness of their strengths so they can use those strengths to their best advantage to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness.

Educational therapists create and implement a treatment plan that utilizes information from a variety of sources including the client’s social, emotional, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological profiles.

Are you a UCSC student? If so, we offer a special transfer program. Click here for more information.

State Authorization for Online Programs

The Department of Education requires that institutions offering online or distance learning programs outside of their home states must seek authorization to operate from regulatory bodies in those states. Each state has a different set of requirements when it comes to allowing out-of-state colleges and universities to offer online degree programs to its residents.

About Polly Mayer M.Ed.ET/P

Polly Mayer was born in Chicago and spent her K-2 years in a public school in Paris. She is deeply committed to anti-racist, abolitionist teaching, and considers education one of the most important social justice issues of our time. Polly moved to San Francisco and taught 1st grade as an assistant teacher at the San Francisco Day School. While attending Mills College, she worked as a student teacher in Oakland and Vallejo.

Polly received her MA Educational Therapy degree from Holy Names University (HNU) and worked there as a learning specialist and educational therapist for ten years, eventually becoming the Clinic Director at Raskob Learning Institute and Day School on the Holly Names University campus. Since 2019, she has served as an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Educational Therapy program in the School of Education at HNU and joined NDNU as the Program Director for Educational Therapy in May 2023.

Polly is a member of several professional organizations, which include: Learning & the Brain, International Dyslexia Association, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET), where she chairs the Professional Affairs Committee, and also is a member of AET’s Social Justice Committee.

MA Educational Therapy Program Advisory Committee

Nancy Cushen White, Ed.D.

Clinical Professor-Pediatrics-Division of Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine

University of California-San Francisco

DERC—Dyslexia Evaluation & Remediation Clinic

Certified Instructor of Teaching (Slingerland Literacy Institute)

CSLDS—Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (IDA-CERI)

CALT-QI—Certified Academic Language Therapist & Qualified Instructor (ALTA)

BCET—Board Certified Educational Therapist (AET)

Bethany Johnson-Kerner, MD PhD

Affiliation: UCSF, Division of Child Neurology

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/bethany.johnson-kerner

Ann P. Kaganoff, PhD

Board Certified Educational Therapist, semi-retired

Author of Best Practices In Educational Therapy

(Routledge 2019)

Author of There’s a Writer in Our House! Strategies for Supporting and Encouraging Young Writers and Readers at Home

(Prufrock Press, Forthcoming, early 2024)

Pamela A. Seda, Ph.D.

Owner of Seda Educational Consulting, LLC

Co-author of Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom

NCSM Leadership in Mathematics Education Nominations Chair

Benjamin Banneker Association President Elect

A. Jordan Wright, PhD, ABPP

Clinical Associate Professor

Program Director, PhD in Counseling Psychology

Director, Center for Counseling and Community Wellbeing

New York University

The Notre Dame de Namur University’s MA Educational Therapy Program is approved by the Association of Educational Therapists. It is designed to meet the academic requirements for Associate ET membership, as well as to provide advanced training for practicing educational therapists. The courses have been developed with the approval of AET and are offered for individuals who have an advanced degree and/or credential in education, special education, learning disabilities, speech/language, psychology, or related fields. Admission to the training program is based upon one’s background in education or learning disabilities. For those without a special education background, the certificate courses must be combined with specific electives to fulfill the academic requirements for Associate-level membership in AET.

Educational Resources:

Marion Marshall, MS, BCET Publications

Part-time faculty member, Marion Marshall, MS, BCET, has an article in the University Business Journal’s latest issue, about how educational therapists can help students and universities succeed. Her latest book, (her third!), Ethics in Educational Therapy: A Practical Guide will be published this fall!

There's a Writer in Our House!
by Dr. Ann Kaganoff

Dr. Kaganoff’s book, “There’s a Writer in Our House”, offers families/guardians and educators a wealth of fun activities to actively encourage literacy skills in grades 1-5. In addition, background concepts are included about how to understand the development of reading and writing skills.

Notre Dame de Namur University is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, NDNU will make employment decisions irrespective of the staff member’s race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (a cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law. When necessary, the NDNU will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities if they are otherwise qualified to perform all essential functions safely and do it without undue hardship to the NDNU. Inquiries regarding the College’s equal opportunity policies should be directed to the Human Resources Department via email at hr@ndnu.edu. NDNU admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

Mark Dee

Magellan Solutions USA launched under the visionary leadership of Mark A. K. Dee, Chief Executive Officer – a consultant and service provider for healthcare administrative support, IT development, energy, call center, and business process outsourcing. Mark has served in various multi-level management positions in his 21 years of service in the United States Air Force (USAF). He performed as Immunology and Microbiology department manager, Medical Laboratory Assistant Director, Facility and Security Manager, and finally retiring in the military in 2008 as Superintendent/Assistant Chief of Operations of 330 personnel Medical Group. Mark has experiences in the services industries since he retired, including running a restaurant chain as the CEO. He has also developed other businesses in the Martials Arts studio and 3d-printing industries. He has a BS in Health Sciences and Hospital Administration, Board Certified in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduated in the Senior Executive Leadership School from the USAF, Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s of Science in Systems Management at Notre Dame De Namur University.

Chosen Cheng

Chosen Cheng is owner of CMC Group, a privately held engineering and marketing consultancy for small business startup ventures. He currently works with project teams developing patented award-winning solar roofing systems and patent pending drone-based augmented reality geological and thermal mapping solutions. He was formerly a Silicon Valley marketing and innovative corporate training manager. As an avocation and a way to “pay it forward” he enjoys teaching and career coaching college and graduate MBA students many of whom are pioneering first generation college students from underserved communities. He and his wife, a Notre Dame alum, celebrated their wedding reception at the Ralston Mansion in the 70’s and have two stupendously successful, married adult children who between them have four stupendously adorable grandchildren.

Arthur Chait

Entrepreneur, Executive, Engineer, Investor, Professor, Mentor. Founder & CEO EoPlex Inc. ($31 million VC funded startup acquired by ASTI Singapore). President Stanford Research Institute (SRI) Consulting Division (800 staff worldwide). SVP Flextronics (responsible for $8 Billion in global accounts). President Zitel Software. Principal Booz Allen. R&D Director Halliburton. Adjunct Professor Menlo College, Visiting Professor Universidad Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala), Mentor Draper University, Judge Startup Chile. BS Engineering Rutgers, MBA Strategy University Pittsburgh.

Kelly Cansler

Kelly completed both her BS (Finance/Economics) and MBA from NDNU. She utilized her business education to launch an insurance agency in 2008 with Farmers Insurance. It’s grown into multi-million-dollar agency, organically and through acquisition. She has been recognized by Farmers Insurance being ranked within the top 10% of agents nationwide, but also as a speaker, trainer, and mentor within the Farmers Insurance Community. Kelly is extremely connected with local businessowners through several networking channels.

Cliff Burnette

Cliff is the senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Rambus, a global chip and IP provider that advances data center connectivity and solves the bottleneck between memory and processing. Cliff has over 20 years of experience leading global human resources operations for publicly traded companies with expertise in employee relations, organizational development, and compensation strategy. Prior to Rambus, Cliff worked for several other high-tech companies in the semiconductor and medical device space and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from Texas State University and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Organization Development from the University of Texas at Austin.

Memo Morantes

Memo Morantes has been a San Mateo County resident for more than 45 years. He has been a three-term San Mateo County Board of Education incumbent, a Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce board member, a Sequoia Hospital Foundation member, a co-chair of the Latino Leadership Council of San Mateo, and a civic/community activist.

Sheryl Young

Sheryl serves as a director for Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, which provides $10M each year for innovative teachers and social entrepreneurs throughout the Bay Area. Prior Sheryl served as CEO of Community Gatepath and AbilityPath.org. She has over 30 years of managerial experience in operations, finance, and marketing. Young is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, earned an M.A. of Public Health from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Special Education from Ball State University and a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University.

Brian Schumacker

Brian manages South San Francisco-San Bruno’s wastewater treatment plant and with a dedicated staff of over 40 professionals who safeguard community health and protect the fragile San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration, both from Notre Dame de Namur University. Brian has also earned the highest levels of professional certifications in wastewater treatment.

Mario Rendon

Mario Rendon serves as District Director for State Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. He develops the communications, public relations and constituent service strategy for the office and supervises a small team that represents Mr. Mullin in the 22nd Assembly District within San Mateo County. He has over twenty year’s experience working with elected officials at the local, state and federal level developing public policy.

Jerry Hill

Jerry’s public service started with his local neighborhood association that progressed to the California State Assembly and Senate where he authored legislation resulting in laws on issues related to consumer protection, utility safety, coastal protection, public health, education and the environment. Jerry was born and raised in San Francisco, receiving his BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University.

Magda Gonzalez

Magda was most recently the City Manager for the City of Half Moon Bay, California. Prior she was the City Manager of East Palo Alto, California and Assistant City Manager, Redwood City. Magda was President of Cal-ICMA, representing the Local Government Hispanic Network and serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union and the Latino Leadership Council of San Mateo County. Magda is also a member of ICMA and the State Bar of California and received several awards and recognitions, including Career Excellence Award (WLG) and the Ethical Hero Award from Cal-ICMA.

Jeremy Dennis

Jeremy currently serves as Portola Valley Town Manager. Previously, he’s worked for elected officials at all governance levels, including twice as District Director for local assemblymembers. He worked as the Palo Alto Long Range Planning Director, and for San Mateo County in management roles. Jeremy has a Masters in Urban Planning from the London School of Economics, and graduated from UC Davis studying US History/Political Science.

Kate Comfort-Harr

Kate is Executive Director of HIP Housing, a nonprofit specializing in creative affordable housing solutions throughout San Mateo County. Kate is a frequent speaker on a wide array of affordable housing topics and is passionate about the cultivation of collaborations between the private, public and social sectors. She serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union and was awarded the Chamber San Mateo County’s 2020 Business Woman of the Year Award.

Jeff Cox

Program Director for Master of Public Administration

Jerome Nadel

Jerome Nadel is Internationally experienced design-led marketing executive (CMO and GM) with a track record of improved market position, revenue growth, and M&A. He is an advance degreed psychologist and user experience product/service design expert, board member and advisor. Jerome recently retired from Rambus as where he was CMO and GM of the security software division that he led the sale to Visa. He has had a variety of chief marketing officer and chief user experience officer roles at companies including Human Factors International, SLP InfoWare, Gemplus, and Sagem. He started his career in the IBM Human Factors Labs. He is also an avid cyclist with National and multiple California State Champion titles.