The teacher preparation programs in the College of Education at Niagara University are based on a foundation of liberal arts that is fundamental to success as an educational practitioner. Society demands that those individuals who assume leadership roles in education be morally sound, intellectually curious and emotionally secure. It is the mission of the college to ensure that its teacher candidates are prepared for productive roles in society in ways that reflect the Vincentian tradition of concern and caring for the rights and dignity of the human person, especially the poor, the suffering and the outcast. The primary focus of all teacher preparation programs in the College of Education that lead to teaching certification is to prepare educators in the theory and methods of effective practice. The college seeks to achieve this outcome by offering professional studies programs in the philosophical, psychological and social foundations and the effective humanistic practice of education, in both general and inclusive educational settings.
Education courses begin in the freshman year, with field experiences every semester.
Field experiences are structured to provide candidates with progressively more teaching responsibility each semester, leading to a teaching assistantship and student teaching. Field experiences cover a variety of grade levels and include diverse school settings as well as diverse ranges of student ability. Teacher candidates complete portfolios to demonstrate their knowledge and skill for each of the objectives of their program. Meeting the needs of students with disabilities is integrated throughout each of the programs in the College of Education. Programs that lead to two areas of certification integrate the content and standards throughout one program of study.