Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies

Academics

WMU has been an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. My classes are so amazing and I never feel like support is out of reach.

- Jordan O'Neal, secondary education student (Learn more)

The information below is a list of majors and graduate programs offered through the College of Education and Human Development's Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies at Western Michigan University.

Undergraduate programs

Early Childhood General and Special Education and Lower Elementary Education: Birth through Grade 3

The Early Childhood General and Special Education and Lower Elementary Education: Birth through Grade 3 (formerly early childhood unified education program) develops students to work with young children from birth through Kindergarten. Students are also eligible for elementary certification in Birth-Kindergarten and PK-3 grade bands.

Elementary education

The elementary education program prepares new educators to meet the unique needs of learners in Pre-Kindergarten to third grade (PK-3) and in third to sixth grades (3-6). Graduates will qualify to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) PK-3 (ZO) and/or 3-6 (ZP) endorsement.

Graduate programs

Graduate certificates

Master's degrees

Early childhood general and special education: birth through kindergarten—M.A.
Teaching—M.A.
- Elementary Education (initial teacher certification)
- Secondary Education (initial teacher certification)
Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies—M.A.

More teaching pathways

With a high demand for teachers nationwide, it’s an excellent time to start your education career! The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics estimates that we'll need 69 million new teachers by 2030 to meet global education goals. With over ten initial teacher certification pathways to choose from, WMU understands this demand and are making it easier than ever before for students to earn their initial teacher certifications and expand their knowledge base through both traditional and fast-track programming.

View all teacher education pathways at WMU