Industrial Technology Educational: Vocational
Western Michigan University's vocational industrial technology program will prepare you to teach industrial technology-type courses at the middle or secondary level. The program is similar to the non-vocational industrial technology program, but requires you to document 4,000 hours of recent and relevant work experience in the industrial area in which you would like to teach.
WMU's vocational industrial technology program is approved by the State Board of Education and North Central Accreditation for Teacher Education. It leads to a State of Michigan K-12 or Secondary Provisional Certificate, depending on the teachable major or minor.
As a vocational industrial technology student at WMU, you will be required to complete a full-semester internship under the mentorship of selected teachers in schools approved by the University. The internship is designed to prepare you not only for your role as a classroom teacher, but as a professional studying your own teaching practice. Both school and WMU faculty will work together closely to support and assist you as you progress through the semester.
Recent WMU graduates with degrees in vocational industrial technology are working as classroom teachers in the following areas:
- Auto tech
- Welding
- Construction trades
- Drafting
- Electronics
Among the organizations they work for are:
- Middle schools
- Junior high schools
- High schools
- Community colleges
- Kalamazoo
- Aviation Technical Operations
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science (B.S.)
- Construction Engineering (B.S. in Engineering)
- Electrical Engineering
- Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education
- Industrial Technology Education: Non-Vocational
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S. in Engineering)
- Occupational Education Studies
- Pre-Secondary Education