Teacher Education
The Department of Teacher Education offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to a PA Instructional 1 Teaching Licensure. Undergraduate programs leading to Instructional 1 Teaching Licensure (teacher certification) include Elementary Grades PK4, with the option to add grades 5 and 6 with additional testing, Elementary and Middle Grades 4-8, Secondary Grades 7-12, Art Education PK12 and Foreign Language PK12. Graduate programs leading to certification include Elementary Grades PK4, Elementary and Middle Grades 4-8, Secondary Grades 7-12, Art Education PK12, and Foreign Language PK12. The department also offers an MS in Reading Specialist leading to an initial Instructional 1 Teaching Licensure and an ESL Program leading to a PDE Program Specialist Certificate. All programs leading to Instructional 1 Teaching Licensure offered in the Department of Teacher Education are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The department also offers an undergraduate program in Child and Family Studies as a major, Educational Studies as a minor, and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction. These three programs do not lead to licensure for teaching. All our programs connect theory, research, and practice aimed at preparing innovative teachers, critical thinkers, curriculum and educational specialists who practice social justice in education. Our programs teach future educators and educational specialists critical aspects of education — from empowering students to be critical thinkers and being responsive to different forms of diversity among learners to adapting instruction for individual and special needs. Students work closely with distinguished faculty and have several field experiences observing and working in PK12 classrooms beginning with their first semester.
Faculty members are experts and scholars in their field and have extensive knowledge of areas in education such as multicultural classrooms, urban teaching, assistive technology, literacy studies, mathematical writing. They are eager to apply their experience to the classroom and support students throughout their courses and field work.