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Department of Education

Grounded in our Jesuit mission and liberal arts tradition, we prepare students to teach and lead for a more just society in schools and other settings. We focus on educating the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and preparing students to lead and serve others. You will learn from caring, expert education faculty and gain valuable firsthand experience in area schools, helping you develop professionally and personally to make a difference in the classroom, your community, and beyond.

 

Make a Difference

Learn why you can make a difference as an educator.

Programs of Study

The department offers undergraduate and graduate programs in teacher licensure in Primary Childhood, Middle Childhood and Adolescent Young Adult.

Additional graduate programs in educational leadership, advanced studies and endorsement programs are also available.

Undergraduate

Major

The adolescent/young adult (AYA) program prepares prospective teachers to work with grades seven through twelve. You’ll work toward a teaching license in at least one of the language arts, social studies, math, or science fields.

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The middle childhood education program develops expertise in working with children from grades four through nine. You'll prepare to teach two of four content areas: language arts/reading, math, science, and social studies.

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The Primary Education Program develops expertise in working with children from ages three through eleven and pre-kindergarten through grade five.

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An Education degree leads to more than a job; it opens the opportunity to inspire learners, strengthen futures, and make a real change. At John Carroll, our commitment to whole-person education, dedication to social justice, and Jesuit mission unite to develop educators that transform lives.

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Graduate

Endorsement

The reading endorsement program provides licensed K-12 teachers with research-based methods to most effectively teach reading. The program combines online instruction with integrated classroom fieldwork for preparation in analyzing theories of literacy, administering classroom assessments, delivering reading intervention, and creating equitable, socially just literacy

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JCU offers a reading endorsement (Pre K-12th Grade) for ODE-licensed teachers.

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Master's

The M.Ed. in Advanced Studies with child and adolescent health and wellness specialization is designed for experienced teachers to explore developmental issues and environmental obstacles.

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John Carroll University offers a wide range of graduate degree (M.Ed. and M.A.) program options to take your education career where you want to go.

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The M.Ed. program in educational psychology is for teachers or those from social science backgrounds who want to pursue a master’s degree and/or prepare for doctoral programs in educational psychology or related fields.

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Our Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in advanced studies is aimed at experienced teachers and other educational professionals. You’ll choose one of five areas of specialization.

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The Advanced Studies M.Ed. with literacy specialization gives you in-depth preparation in literacy, reading assessment, and diagnosis of reading problems.

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The Advanced Studies M.Ed. with specialized sequence is an opportunity for experienced teachers to self-design a program of study in consultation with an advisor that meets current professional needs.

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The educational leadership program offers a flexible hybrid and online format that can be completed in two years. You’ll earn a Master of Education Degree (M.Ed.), Certificate of Assessment and Accountability, and Principal Licensure.

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JCU provides two different pathways for post-baccalaureate students interested in pursuing a teaching license: the School-Based M.Ed. or the Professional Teacher M.Ed.

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The middle/secondary education specialization provides teachers with a more in-depth knowledge of their teaching field (English, social studies, biology, mathematics, communications, or theology and religious studies).

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The Advanced Studies M.Ed. with substance use disorders specialization provides preparation for facilitating interventions, evaluating support systems, and planning appropriate follow-up services and continuing care for those experiencing substance use disorders.

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Why Education at JCU?

Over 85%

of JCU teacher candidate alumni survey respondents are hired for teaching positions within 9 months after graduation.

Make a Difference. Become a Teacher

John Carroll prepares educational leaders for a more just society. Learn more below.

The core curriculum courses will help you gain a broad base of knowledge in many subjects, develop highly valued communication skills, and sharpen your ability to creatively and confidently solve problems. You’ll build on that foundation with your education major, studying child or adolescent development, effective teaching methods, differences in learning, and more. You’ll also take courses in specific content areas and strategies for the teaching field you choose.

All of these studies are rooted in our 450-year-old Jesuit heritage, with its focus on educating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and preparing students to lead and serve others. A John Carroll education also will help you understand, appreciate, and engage the cultures and complexities of our increasingly global society.

John Carroll education professors are not only mentors who will teach your courses and advise you, but they are also first-rate researchers. They work with teachers, children, and school leaders to study and improve instructional technology, literacy programs, teacher education, and more. That faculty expertise translates into innovative education courses and research opportunities for John Carroll students.

Our students learn by doing – and teaching. The University has built strong relationships with numerous nearby school districts, which means that you’ll have ample opportunities to observe and work directly with students and teachers in their classrooms. These valuable experiences begin as early as your first year in the program and continue through your student teaching year.

As a capstone to your courses and fieldwork, John Carroll offers a unique professional year program for student teachers. You’ll first participate in a semester of pre-student teaching with weekly experiences observing and interacting with teachers and students in an area classroom.

The following semester you’ll student teach in that same classroom, collaborating with a cooperating teacher and a John Carroll education professor. The professional year helps you improve your teaching skills, learn to manage a classroom, and graduate prepared for your first teaching position.

Our alumni are accomplished teachers, school psychologists and counselors, principals, and leaders in public and private schools and other educational settings. John Carroll education graduates have a stellar reputation in schools in the region, state, and beyond.

Visit our Success Stories page to learn more our recent graduates. 

37,760

Teaching positions needed by 2020

JCU Can Help You Answer the Call

According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 10,600 teaching positions will open annually until 2022. By then, 37,760 additional teaching positions will be needed. Our next generation needs you, and JCU can help you answer the call.

picture of the bell tower with white flowers

Program Accreditation

Initial Licensure programs are Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) through 2026. These programs include: Undergraduate, Graduate-Professional Teacher, and Graduate-School-Based programs in Adolescent/Young Adult Education Licensure (all content areas), Middle Childhood Education Licensure (all content areas), and Early Childhood Education Licensure.

Advanced Licensure programs are Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) through 2022. Including: MEd Educational Leadership/Principal Licensure program.

All programs are Approved by the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education. 668.43(a)(5)(v) Disclosure Statement: We have determined that all licensure programs offered by our educator preparation program satisfy the state-specific education requirements for licensure or certification in the State of Ohio (OH). While our educator preparation program holds national accreditation, we have not made a universal determination regarding the individual licensure programs offered by our educator preparation program meeting state-specific educational requirements for licensure or certification in the States of: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VI, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. For a list of state-by-state determination disclosures for each individual licensure program offered by the educator preparation program provider, please visit this document.

Call for Third-Party Comment

Submission Deadline: August 28, 2024

On September 26-27, John Carroll University will host an initial accreditation visit by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). In preparation for the visit, the AAQEP Initial Quality Review Team is soliciting public comment about the quality of educator preparation provided by John Carroll University. All comments must be submitted by August 28, 2024 through the AAQEP website: Submit Comment

DE News & Events

October 13

JCU Education Professor Receives Grants from Ohio Dean's Compact and Spencer Foundation

March 14

First and Second Year Students Present at a National Conference

May 3

2022 Porter Scholarships Announced

March 1

Empowering Educators of the Future