License-Track Degrees from Accredited Education Program
Taylor University’s national- and state-accredited Education programs seek to develop competent, caring, and reflective teachers who are prepared for both local and global service. We offer license-track degrees in Elementary Education and Secondary Education, and a degree in Educational Studies for those who love education but don’t want to be a licensed classroom teacher. All of our Education majors will learn to make professional decisions, plan engaging instruction, interact with learners, and create stimulating learning environments.
Our freshmen Education majors are placed in local schools right away, giving our students more hours in the Indiana classrooms than many other university education programs. Local and international practicums allow students to observe classroom behaviors, assist teachers, and begin putting education theories into practice. Elementary and Secondary Education majors will build upon these short-term practicums with student teaching opportunities during their senior years.
Faculty Set the Example
Our dedicated faculty don’t merely tell you how to be a teacher—they set examples for how to be engaging teachers and provide opportunities for you to gain several interactive teaching experiences. Not only do the professors practice an open-door policy to encourage students to stop by and chat about their lives, but the Education professors also host events and meals in their homes—creating a family atmosphere. They hope to personally see every student grow mentally and spiritually as well as professionally.
Here’s Dr. Ben Hotmire explaining the benefits of as Education degree at Taylor.
Teaching Around the World
Since 1962, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, now the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), has accredited the Taylor University Education program. This means you have an opportunity to find work almost anywhere after graduation, from Indiana to India.
The Education department has global connections for students interested in teaching overseas. As an Education major, you can find stretching experiences that will test your teaching abilities across borders by student teaching in locations like Ecuador, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Mexico, and Belize.
All 50 states are members of the Interstate compact, and Indiana has some degree of reciprocity with each state. Any student interested in transferring his or her Indiana teaching license to another U.S. state can speak with our Director of Teacher Licensure for advising.
Preparing for Diversity in the Classroom
Taylor’s Education Program is distinctive in the high number of practicum hours and opportunities for diverse experiences. These intentional experiences prepare TU students to teach and impact lives in diverse settings, domestically and internationally.
- Students have field experiences in K-12 classrooms each year in the program, resulting in 100+ classroom hours before senior year student teaching.
- All education majors are required to take Perspectives on Diversity, a course that discusses the influence of culture on learning, particularly the impact of poverty. The course includes an immersive weekend trip to urban schools, community centers, and churches in Chicago and/or Fort Wayne.
- The J-term course Diversity in the Classroom is required for all Elementary Education majors. This practicum-based course involves teaching in a K-12 classroom in a “diverse” setting, as well as discussing how poverty and other elements of diversity can impact teaching and learning. This course is typically in two locations: Marion, Indiana (which has one of the highest percentages of childhood poverty in the state), and an abroad setting with past locations including Belize, Dominican Republic, Phillipines, and Native American reservations in New Mexico.
- Student Teaching; students may apply to complete 6 weeks of their senior student teaching internship in an abroad setting (e.g., internationally, Los Angeles).
Teacher Education Reporting & Data
CAEP Accountability Measures
The Taylor University Teacher Education Program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and by the Indiana Department of Education. Taylor University is also a 2022 recipient of the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement.
The Teacher Education Program offers accredited programs for Initial Licensure affiliated with Specialized Professional Associations in the following areas:
- English Education (5-12) (NCTE)
- Mathematics Education (5-12) (NCTM)
- Music Education (P-12) (NASM)
- Special Education—Mild and Intense (P-12) (CEC)
The following are teacher education programs for Initial Licensure as accredited by the Indiana Department of Education:
- Art Education (P-12)
- Elementary Education (K-6)
- Mathematics/Computer Science Education (5-12)
- Middle School (Language arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) (5-9)
- Physics/Mathematics Education (5-12)
- Science Education (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) (5-12)
- Social Studies Education (5-12)
- Spanish Education (5-12)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (P-12)
The Teacher Education Program offers accredited programs for additional “add-on” licensures in the following areas:
- Intense Intervention (P-12)
- Mild Intervention (P-12)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (P-12)
All degree programs and “add-on” licensures satisfy the appropriate requirements for teacher licensure as established by the Indiana Department of Education. Additional requirements include passing Indiana licensure tests, CPR certification, and suicide prevention training.
Education Opportunities
- Kappa Delta Pi: Join 1.2 million education students from across the globe in this exclusive, international honor society. Students network, attend seminars, initiate service projects, gain access to scholarships and grants, mentor others, and much more.
- Walk into My Future: Help the Education department plan and execute an educational event for local elementary students. Blackford and Jay County elementary schools bring nearly 700 students to campus, and you get help teach young kids about how to save for college.
- Local Ministries & Education Programs: Partner with local schools and churches to bring educational programs to elementary, middle, and high school students. Tutor kids in their literacy skills during LIFT or just have fun with students at the Red Barn’s after-school program.
- Science Fair Judging: Serve as a judge for science fair projects created by students at Eastern Elementary School in Greentown, Indiana. Taylor students have volunteered there for over a decade listening to children describe their science projects, watching demonstrations, and asking questions. These events provide a window into a hands-on way to engage children in science content through active curiosity.
- Conferences: Opportunities to do research and give public presentations to build your educational resume include an early childhood education conference and Network of International Christian Schools jobs fair. Attend teaching conferences in and out of state for the chance to listen to and network with teaching professionals.
From Student to Teacher
- Alspaugh-Hodson Family Scholarship: must be an Indiana resident and full-time student majoring in Education, eligible for need-based aid, and have a personal relationship with Christ
- Halbrook Freedom Scholarship: for students interested in entrepreneurship, education, media, and government, who grasp the essentiality of, and strive to uphold, the enduring principles of the United States of America
- Art Scholarship: for declared Art or Art Education majors
Career Opportunities
With a success rate of 98%, Taylor Education students should have no trouble finding post-graduation jobs, internships, or graduate school placements. Education majors have many career options—from camp director to in-class teacher to missionary. Taylor’s Bachelor’s in Education degrees also will prepare interested students to enter graduate school.
Most of our graduates are teaching in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan, though some alumni teach outside of the Midwest in Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, and Arizona, among other states. An increasing number of our graduates are teaching abroad, including in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ghana, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Bolivia, and many others.
