The School of Education offers undergraduate certification programs in elementary education, secondary education, and kindergarten to 12th grade. The school also offers a five-and-a-half- to six-year combined bachelor's and master's program in special education or early childhood education.

These programs are grounded in the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. University courses and early field experiences at school sites provide opportunities designed to enable the undergraduate candidate to acquire the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teaching in today's diverse classrooms.

All undergraduate programs meet the certification requirements of the Illinois State Board of Education. Candidates who plan to teach in other states should consult the certification requirements for those states and should elect courses within their undergraduate program that meet the special requirements of those states.

The undergraduate elementary, secondary, and kindergarten to 12th grade teacher education programs have four basic elements:

1. general education competency studies ensuring that candidates have completed general studies courses and experiences in the liberal arts and sciences and have developed theoretical and practical knowledge;
2. an academic major selected from one of the university's departments ensuring that candidates attain competence in the academic content that they plan to teach;
3. professional and pedagogical studies ensuring that candidates acquire and apply the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills to become competent to work with all students;
4. clinical and field experience ensuring that candidates learn to integrate general knowledge, academic content, and professional knowledge to create excellent learning experiences for all children and young people.

• Home
• Courses
• Requirements
• School of Education Site