Department/Program:
Education (Undergraduate)
Education students may earn a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. The choice of a B.S. or B.A. may be dependent on the student's area of study or second major. The B.A. for elementary and special education majors requires two years of college-level foreign language. Students majoring in music earn a Bachelor of Music degree.
Nebraska Wesleyan’s education programs are approved by the Nebraska Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Higher Learning Commission.
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20036-1023
202.466.7496
www.ncate.org
Teacher Certification Requirements
Candidates for teacher certification must earn in residence at least 30 hours of credit, 12 hours of which must be in each endorsement program.
All students who expect to be recommended for teacher certification must become candidates in the department’s Teacher Education Program. Once a student has applied for candidacy in the program, the student must schedule coursework with an adviser in the education department and in the student’s teaching subjects or field. After a student fulfills the requirements or a degree for graduation and for the Teacher Education Program, the student may be recommended for a teaching certificate by the certification officer in the Education Department. The Career Center assists prospective teachers in securing teaching contracts but does not guarantee employment.
Nearly every state requires teaching seeking certification in to have passed a content-specific test with a state specified score. Nebraska requires all persons seeking a certificate on or after September 1, 2015 to take the appropriate Praxis II test and achieve a score at or above the minimum required by the state. NWU students will be required to take the Praxis II in their senior year.
Teaching Endorsements
Teaching endorsements are divided into two categories: subjects and fields. Candidates must complete at least one subject endorsement or one field endorsement to become certified.
Subject Endorsement
Candidates who are preparing for a subject endorsement should choose from the following list: Basic Business, Biology, Chemistry, General Art, History, Instrumental Music, Physical Education, Physics, Secondary English, Vocal Music and World Language (French, German, Spanish). See the education department for details.
Field Endorsement
To be certified, a candidate who is preparing for a field endorsement must choose one of the following fields: Art; BMIT (Business, Marketing and Information Technology); Elementary Education K-8; English Language Arts; Health and Physical Education; Mathematics; Music (combination); Science; and Special Education. See the education department for details.
The department offers supplementary certicates in Coaching, English Language Learning (English as a Second Language), and Theatre. See the education department for details.
Pass/Fail Policy
Education department courses are not offered on a Pass/Fail basis except for a field experience.
Supervised Teaching
A variety of supervised teaching (commonly called student teaching) opportunities are offered for students in education. These individuals may student teach in the Lincoln Public Schools, neighboring communities, in Chicago’s urban schools, or abroad. A minimum of 14 semester hours of supervised teaching is required for graduation.
Supervised Teaching Abroad
Nebraska Wesleyan’s supervised teaching program allows students to complete eight weeks of their student teaching requirement in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, England, Ireland, Costa Rica, Scotland, Wales, or India. Students interested in teaching abroad should apply to the department one year in advance. Students should contact the department chair for details.
Supervised Teaching through the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture
Student teaching in an urban environment in Chicago may be available as part of the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture. Along with student teaching, students attend seminars that introduce them to the city. Students should contact the department chair for details.