"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 (Read more about Jordan's experience)
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
Master's degrees
- Early childhood general and special education: birth through kindergarten—M.A.
- Elementary Education—M.A.
- Secondary Education—M.A.
- Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies—M.A.
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Early Childhood Education (admissions are currently suspended)
- Educational Foundations (admissions are currently suspended)
- Teacher Leader
Doctoral degrees
Graduate certificates
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.
CEHD Offices
Office of Clinical Experiences
Coordinates the placement of teacher education interns.
Office of Teacher Certification
Advises those in pursuit of teacher certification.
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Questions about which major is right for you?
Dr. Bianca Nightengale-Lee
Interim Chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies