Highlights
- Now, more than ever, there is demand for high quality elementary, middle and high school teachers across the country. Beginning on day one, you will experience what makes our education program unique.
- As a first-year education student, you will start building confidence in the classroom — first as an observer and then gradually shifting to the role of active leader. Field placements in area K-12 classrooms start in ED 101 and provide a wide variety of classroom settings throughout the program.
- You will connect personally with faculty-mentors who educate and empower you for the challenges of teaching.
- Dedicated faculty and staff will guide you and provide one-on-one support, specifically geared toward your learning needs, to help you pass all state-mandated assessments.
- You will benefit from our program’s strong connections to local school districts that want to hire Illinois College graduates first.
- Many of our students are recognized as outstanding in their fields. We are a Golden Apple Scholar Partnership Institution, several of our math education students have won the ICTM scholarship, our physical education students have been awarded the IAHPERD scholarship and we are a Project LEAD participant Institution. Two of our recent graduates won the Outstanding Teacher Award in the state of Illinois.
- A fully online reading teacher endorsement and English as a second language endorsement are available to enhance your existing Professional Educator License (PEL) and provide advanced reading instruction to your students. We can also help you explore and offer support for other endorsements in which you may be interested.
- The fully online Post-Baccalaureate Education Licensure program offers teaching certificates in Elementary Education and Secondary Education – English, Math, Social Science (History), and Science (Biology) – to support your career goals and help you take the next step toward becoming a licensed teacher.
“Illinois College helped me find my passions, learn about myself, and emerge a well-rounded leader capable of tackling challenges head-on. My classmates and I will be the BEST in our fields as we continue to leave our mark on the world.”
- Isabella Aguirre ’24
Outcomes
Every single graduate of the Illinois College Teacher Preparation Program who seeks a teaching job gets one within a year of graduating. Many of our students secure a job during their student teaching semester.
Our students are prepared with a Classroom Management Plan ready to implement in their first classroom and every IC graduate is assessed with the Danielson Method of teacher evaluation used by many districts throughout the state. You will feel confident and well prepared for your first-year teaching evaluation and beyond. The Illinois College Teacher Preparation Program instills in its graduates a lifelong love of learning that leads many alumni of the program begin a master’s degree program within five years of graduating.
The Education Department is aligned with Illinois College's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are committed to investing in promoting racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity among educators, and we are dedicated to ensuring students achieve their educational and career goals.