Education Department 

License-Track Degrees from an 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. You’ll learn to make professional decisions, plan engaging instruction, interact with learners, and create stimulating learning environments. 

Our freshman Education majors are placed in local schools right away, giving our students 500+ hours before student teaching even begins. That’s 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. You’ll build upon these short-term practicums with student teaching opportunities during your senior year. 

Fully Accredited, Fully Prepared

The Taylor University Education program has been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) since 1962. This means you have an opportunity to find work almost anywhere after graduation, from Indiana to India. 

98%
Success Rate
500+
Hours in the classroom before graduation
15+
Initial licensures and add-ons to your degree
YouTube Video Thumbnail

Prepare for World Service

If you have a heart for teaching, a passion for service, and desire to grow personally, the Taylor University Education Department has your back every step of the way. 

How We Teach, How You Learn

  • Faculty Model Effective Teaching

    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. Professors practice an open-door policy to encourage students to stop by and chat about their lives, host events and meals in their homes, and create a welcoming atmosphere. We want to see every student grow mentally and spiritually as well as professionally. 

  • Teaching Around the World

    The Education department has global connections for students interested in teaching overseas. 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. 

    Student Teaching; students may apply to complete six weeks of their senior student teaching internship in an abroad setting (e.g., internationally, Los Angeles). 

  • 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. 

    All education majors take Perspectives on Diversity, a course that discusses the influence of culture on learning, particularly the impact of poverty. 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, Rwanda, Dominican Republic, Philippines, and Native American reservations in New Mexico. 

Studying Education at Taylor

Evidence-based reading instruction is an integral component of the Educator Preparation Program at Taylor University. The National Reading Panel Report (2000) concluded that the five essential components of literacy instruction are foundational to student outcomes and that inadequate instruction in the Five Pillars of Literacy caused many students to struggle in reading. Current literacy research supports the implementation of a structured literacy framework, one that is designed to be sequential, cumulative, and in which students have increased opportunities to respond.  

For elementary education majors, the current course of study sequence is extensive, with 12 credit hours across three separate courses required for the program and an additional three credits for candidates adding a special education concentration. Additionally, most of the courses include a clinical classroom field placement that provides the candidates with applicable, real-world experiences to practice the teaching of reading.  

Our approach to training high-quality reading instructors includes:  

  • Ongoing faculty professional development in the knowledge and application of an explicit, systematic, structured literacy framework;  
  • Aligning our undergraduate curriculum, Transition to Teaching and online programs with current reading research (including the Science of Reading pedagogy);  
  • The development and integration of a Corrective Reading course into the curriculum;  
  • Increasing consistency of student practicum experiences through an orientation and training program with partner schools. 

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 

Learn 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 prepare 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. 

Unified Robotics:  For students majoring in Elementary Education, especially for children with special needs, assisting with the Unified Robotics State Competition provides the unique opportunity to serve the community as well as gain more hands-on experience in an education career field. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Accreditation

The Taylor University Teacher Education Program is accredited by: 

  • The Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)  
  • Indiana Department of Education 
  • Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 
  • National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) 
  • National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM)  
  • National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) 

More About Accreditation

Taylor's Teacher Education Program

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. 

More About CAEP Accreditation

Faculty & Staff