Because Niagara's College of Education holds the highest accreditations possible in both the United States and Canada - the U.S. National Council on Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) and Canada's Ontario College of Teachers - our graduates have the option of earning dual certification to teach in both countries, Also, unlike education majors at many other universities, those at Niagara get into classrooms starting freshman year. In fact, our teacher candidates perform more than 30,000 hours of volunteer teaching in local schools each year. One-third of education majors conduct research, and 57 percent carry a double major or a minor. As an education major at Niagara, you will be entering a program with a strong history of success. Last year, the college boasted a 99 percent pass rate on national exams.

At Niagara, there’s more to college than classroom lectures. We encourage students to be active participants in their education by offering experiences such as:

PRESERVICE FIELD EXPERIENCES. Our students gain 150 hours of classroom experience in local schools before student teaching begins. Students are exposed to a diversity of grade levels, learning styles, and school settings. Placements are in a structured educational environment and coordinated through Niagara’s Learn and Serve office.

CUSTOMIZED STUDENT TEACHING. We ask students their preferences and place them in schools and classrooms that will give them diverse opportunities and help them achieve their career goals.

ACTIVE , INTEGRATED LEARNING. Education majors, for instance, recently developed lesson plans for local teachers who brought their classes to an exhibit on the Underground Railroad in the campus’s Castellani Art Museum.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. Education majors participate in NUFTA (Niagara University Future Teachers Association), which sponsors professional development for future teachers.

STUDY ABROAD. In addition to programs for education majors in Belgium, Germany, Thailand, and the Netherlands, Niagara offers 80 study-abroad experiences in 30 countries through our membership in the Consortium for International Studies.