UNI Teacher Education
Where Iowa's teachers are made
As a teacher, you bring joy and discovery. You build character and foster curiosity. You create an environment that instills confidence in children of all ages to learn, explore and grow.
As a teacher, you make a difference.
Here you’ll experience teaching with hands-on experience early and often. Guided by professors who’ve “been there.” In settings that range from Cedar Falls to Ecuador.
Few places prepare more teachers than the University of Northern Iowa. If you are made to teach, this is where teachers are made.
Graduates per year
A leader in Iowa and in the top 1% in the nation in number of BA teaching graduates.
Placement
UNI teachers find jobs at all levels or continue their education.
Hours in the field
Early and often, in various settings that prepare you for your future.
Levels of Study
Early Childhood & Elementary Education
Our early childhood education program prepares you to teach in inclusive classrooms in general and special education for children from birth through third grade. The elementary education program, the largest teaching major at UNI, has produced generations of Panther teachers for K-6 licensure in Iowa and beyond.
The College of Education serves as home to these majors and related minors in special education, literacy education, K-8 social studies teaching and social and emotional learning.
Middle Level Education
At UNI, you can earn the only dual major in middle level education offered among Iowa’s Regents’ universities. Paired with your elementary or secondary teaching major, you’ll be extra prepared for knowing how to teach and lead that special level of 5-8 education in intermediate, junior high and middle schools.
The College of Education offers the general middle level education dual major while the College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences has a science-focused middle level dual option.
Secondary Education (5-12)
Thanks to the broadest array of secondary teaching majors in the state, you can take your interest in a specific subject area and share your passion with others through teaching. From earth science to technology and engineering education, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience needed to lead classrooms anywhere from grade 5 through grade 12.
The majority of these degrees and related minors are offered by the College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences, with additional teaching majors in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and the College of Business.
K-12 Education
With these degrees, you’ll have options to teach from kindergarten through high school by qualifying for endorsements in K-12 or combinations of K-8 and 5-12. This gives you added flexibility and adds diversity to the potential classrooms (or gyms) that you may soon guide. This includes teaching art, music, physical education, TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and TESOL/Spanish teaching.
The College of Social & Behavioral Sciences offers physical education teaching. The College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences offers the remaining K-12 options.
Into the Classroom
Hands-on, early and often
Early and often, you’ll find yourself in a classroom. From observing and exploring–making sure this is for you–to assisting, making your first lesson plans and then fully immersing yourself for the equivalent of a week. Your journey starts locally and then branches out by Level 3, with options in rural, urban and suburban settings in Iowa and elsewhere.
Your capstone to teaching
By this last semester, you’re more than ready. Most of you will lead two classrooms in two settings. You could find yourself in Cedar Falls… Dallas … or Ecuador! A network of partnerships across the state and beyond give you plenty of options to practice and refine your skills with this final step before licensure.
Hands-on, early and often
Early and often, you’ll find yourself in a classroom. From observing and exploring–making sure this is for you–to assisting, making your first lesson plans and then fully immersing yourself for the equivalent of a week. Your journey starts locally and then branches out by Level 3, with options in rural, urban and suburban settings in Iowa and elsewhere.
Your capstone to teaching
By this last semester, you’re more than ready. Most of you will lead two classrooms in two settings. You could find yourself in Cedar Falls… Dallas … or Ecuador! A network of partnerships across the state and beyond give you plenty of options to practice and refine your skills with this final step before licensure.
Alternate Paths
Finding your way to a teaching degree can follow multiple pathways, particularly if you're an adult learner, place-bound or ready to switch careers after earning a degree in another field. From getting a "jump start" while in high school in the Cedar Valley to an accelerated online program for paraeducators, there is more than one way to earn your degree.
