Being an effective teacher isn’t just knowing a subject, it’s knowing how to convey information regardless of the subject. If you want to become a great teacher, you’ll need to learn how to do just that: how to communicate, invigorate, inspire, and innovate in the classroom.
If you are considering becoming a teacher, it’s important to think about what kind of teaching you want to be doing and at what kind of schools. Most private K-12 schools do not require a teacher certification, but if you are interested in teaching at a public school, you’ll need that piece of paper. Some colleges can help you with that at the undergraduate level, while others require a master’s degree to get the certificate. You should also think about if you want to be a generalist or a specialist.
Here we’ve listed what we feel are the top ten education programs in the county, many of which lead to a teaching certificate.
If you are considering becoming a teacher, send us an email. We help students chart a course to a successful future.
New York University — New York, New York
The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development was founded in 1890 as the first school of education in America. There are numerous degree paths in education at the school, including a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art + Education, a minor in American Sign Language, a BS in Childhood Education, a BS in Math Education or Special Education, or a BA in Music Education. Students take part in internships, student teaching, and service learning.
University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Urban Education minor at Penn is in both the School of Arts & Sciences and the Penn Urban Studies Program, and is co-sponsored by the Graduate School of Education. The program was created in response to student interest and the challenges that face public schools, especially in urban areas. Students concentrate in Policy, Research, & Practice, Elementary/Middle Years, or Secondary Education, and they receive credit towards a Pennsylvania teacher certification.
University of California – Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California
The BA in Education and Social Transformation at UCLA is in the School of Education & Information Studies. The Program “prepares students to analyze current issues in education through a social justice lens,” and offers minors in Education Studies and Information Media Literacy.
Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard offers a secondary field of study, or a minor, in Educational Studies. The program isn’t directly connected to any department, so is multidisciplinary by nature. Instruction is focused on “individual learning, schools as organizations, the role of education in society and educational policy,” and students can also choose a topic to focus in on, such as social stratification or adolescence. Courses include “Schools in Culture, Culture in Schools” and “Equity and Excellence in K12 American Schools.”
Vanderbilt University — Nashville, Tennessee
Students majoring in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Secondary Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt are required to select a second, non-education major that provides students with deep knowledge in a non-education major that will inform their work as educators, such as a subject they may teach students someday. There is also a degree in Special Education, and all programs operate with support from the Teacher Licensure Program.
University of Wisconsin - Madison— Madison, Wisconsin
The School of Education offers undergraduate majors in Art Education, Music Education, Elementary Education, Physical Education, and Special Education. The university offers an enormous amount of support for aspiring teachers, and prepares students “to be leaders who work in diverse schools across Wisconsin, the nation, and the world.” All programs cumulate in a full semester of student teaching.
Stanford University — Stanford, California
Stanford offers an undergraduate minor in Education through the Graduate School of Education, which is primarily aimed at providing students for graduate-level studies in education fields. Courses like “Tutoring: Seeing a Child through Literacy” and “Preschool Counts: Engaging Young Children in Math” prepare students for a future career while they pursue a non-education major that will inform their future work.
Northwestern University — Evanston, Illinois
The School of Education and Social Policy undergraduate program at Northwestern offers six academic concentrations towards a Bachelor’s of Science in Education and Social Policy: Elementary Teaching, Human Development in Context, Learning and Organizational Change, Learning Sciences, Secondary Teaching, or Social Policy. The courses in the program as small, discussion-based, and hands-on.
Barnard College — New York, New York
Barnard College, the women’s college of Columbia University, offers an Educational Studies major or minor, with two tracks students can choose from: Education Studies Major or Minor, Urban Teaching Minor. The program is “committed to strengthening public education and addressing issues of equity and social justice, particularly in urban schools,” and benefits from being right down the street from Teacher’s College, the graduate school of education at Columbia University.
Columbia College at Columbia University — New York, New York
Columbia College, the most iconic and prestigious undergraduate school at Columbia University, doesn’t allow students to major in Educational Studies, but every class in the Barnard program is open to Columbia College students. Like at Barnard, students benefit from the proximity of Teacher’s College.
Surprise, surprise — our schools need teachers! A frequent refrain in undergraduate education program descriptions is that they are working to address the need for teachers, especially in urban schools. If you are considering becoming a teacher, that’s awesome — we need you!
If you want to launch yourself towards success, send us an email. We help students like you find, and get into, their perfect college.