The Department of Teacher Education encompasses seven programs of study in preservice and inservice teacher preparation involving approximately 1600 students at undergraduate and graduate levels. Each undergraduate program of study involves coursework in educational history and philosophy, educational psychology, and pedagogy, as well as extensive field-based experiences at public and parochial schools located in the Chicago Metropolitan area.
Graduate programs focus on concentrated study in the areas of teaching and learning.
The Early Childhood Education Program prepares teachers of children from birth to 8 years of age for all areas of the curriculum, with Illinois Type 04 entitlement. This program prepares teachers of children from kindergarten to ninth grade for all areas of the elementary curriculum, with Illinois Type 03 entitlement. Graduates of both degrees will have State of Illinois approval to teach in a bilingual elementary classroom. In this program, coursework leads to a master's degree in the area of literacy and English acquisition. Within these two degrees, there are specific course sequences for elementary and secondary teachers.