Education Degrees at Aquinas College
Explore Education at Aquinas
The Aquinas College School of Education is excited to launch its new Elementary and Secondary majors. Organized around the Michigan Department of Education’s grade bands certification structure. Our programs provide teacher candidates preparation in focused grade bands with specialized knowledge about the students and content they will teach; defined clinical experiences and foundational coursework for each grade band (PK-3, 3-6, 5-9, and 7-12); unique preparation for instructing children at each developmental level, including middle-level learners; and enhanced content knowledge preparation for middle school teachers.
At Aquinas College, we strive to prepare teachers who are equipped to make a difference in the world. By incorporating hands-on learning, modeling effective teaching methods, and providing extensive clinical practice opportunities in the field, we ensure that our education students acquire the skills they need to become effective educators.
Our field supervisors and clinical coaches provide feedback and support not just during undergraduate clinical field placements, but also into graduates’ first year of teaching. At AQ, we view teaching as a vocational profession that integrates reflective practice and lifelong learning.
The mission of our program aligns with the social justice mission of the Dominican Sisters when we embrace critical conversations about anti-racism, diversity, and equity in education and strive to prepare educators who are competent, compassionate, and committed to serving all learners.
It's Your Time to Learn
Career Preparation based on leadership
Upon completing a major in education, a student will be able to
- Appropriately engage with learners across developmental stages with insight and skill regarding learning differences.
- Construct learning environments that engage all learners with equity and inclusion.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skill in a variety of instructional practices, approaches to assessment monitoring and decision-making, and planning for instruction.
- Effectively integrate technology into their instruction as well as a student’s construction of knowledge across content areas.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skill regarding discipline-specific tools of inquiry and the structure of the disciplines they teach, and create learning experiences that make learning the discipline accessible and meaningful to students to ensure content mastery.
- Connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving related to authentic local and global issues.
- Engage in ongoing professional learning using evidence to continually evaluate their practice and the effects of their choices and actions on others in the learning community, including clinical experiences and college classroom spaces.
- Collaborate as a professional with learners, families, and colleagues to ensure learner growth and advance the profession.
Catholic School Educators
At Aquinas College you not only receive high-quality teacher preparation, but you have the opportunity to simultaneously earn your Catechist certification. Required by most Catholic schools, this certification increases your marketability and lessens the stress on your first year of teaching. Requirements vary by diocese, so consult your diocese for details and expectations.
High-school students who have successfully completed a teacher academy or teacher cadet program while in high school can apply for prior learning credits as a substitute for our EDUC-200 Introduction to Education course. Documentation of at least 30 hours of clinical fieldwork in a PK12 school is required. Contact the department for additional information at schoolofed@aquinas.edu.
The School of Education at Aquinas College is 1 of 147 providers in the U.S. meeting
new, rigorous CAEP national accreditation standards to better prepare tomorrow’s teachers.
CAEP is the sole nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation.
CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified
accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused
on educator preparation.
The School of Education at Aquinas College is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on October 7-9, 2024. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team.
IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES
Occupational Employment and Wages - May 2022
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Elementary School Teachers, except Special Education
| Employment | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|
| 1,394,200 | $68,000 |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Wage | $45,450 | $49,120 | $61,690 | $78,860 | $101,310 |
For more information see: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Employment and Wages - May 2022
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Secondary Teachers, except Special and Career/Technical Education
| Employment | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|
| 1,042,090 | $69,480 |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Wage | $46,480 | $50,090 | $62,360 | $79,520 | $101,710 |
For more information see: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Graduate Education Programs
Aquinas College offers Masters in the Art of Teaching and Masters in Education degrees. Explore our graduate programs to take your education to new heights.
Employment Resources
The Education department has compiled resources to help our students find employment post graduation. Check out local and in-state employment opportunities.
Student Research
Check out the current and past research that Aquinas students do with faculty to further the world's knowledge.Read More about Student Research