Top Teaching Colleges in Delaware

September 30, 2014 Joy

Despite being situated on the northeastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic coastline as the second smallest state, there are many several top teaching colleges in Delaware that provide numerous teacher preparatory programs to choose from. Not only is the “First State” famous for becoming the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, but Delaware also has prominent spot in the history of education by being the origin of one of the four cases that was combined into Brown v. Board of Education to end segregation in schools.

Today, public and private schools across the state of Delaware are welcoming diverse multicultural classrooms to educate around 130,610 students. Since earning an accredited degree is paramount to fulfilling open positions and joining the nearly 8,600 full-time certified K-12 teachers employed here, the following is an overview of the education degree programs available at the top teaching colleges in Delaware.

Delaware State University

Department of Education

As the 46th top public school in the North and 13th best historically black college in the country as ranked by the U.S. News and World Report, Delaware State University is home to an NCATE-accredited Department of Education to produce highly qualified educators to navigate the challenges presented in our society. Education majors at DSU benefit from receiving hands-on in-school experiences in early field placements with partnering schools as well as on-campus in the Early Childhood Lab School, which serves infants and toddlers through kindergarten. In the past three years, DSU has prided itself on achieving a 100% pass rate on content licensure tests for initial teacher preparation.

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

• Early Childhood Education (Birth-2)
• Elementary Education (K-6)
• Elementary Special Education (1-8)
• Middle Level Education (6-8)
• Physical Education (K-12)
• Science Education (7-12)
• Secondary Special Education (7-12)

Master’s Degree Programs

• M.A. in Administration and Supervision
• M.A. in Adult Education and Basic Literacy
• M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction
• M.A. in Education Leadership
• M.A. in Science Education
• M.A. in Special Education
• M.A. in Teaching

Doctoral Degree Program

• Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (with School Leader II Certification)

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

1200 North Dupont Highway
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 857-6720
nrathee@desu.edu
http://www.desu.edu/health-and-public-policy/department-education

Delaware Technical Community College – Owens Campus

Education Department

As the birthplace of the two-year Delaware Technical Community College, the Jack F. Owens Campus is centrally located in Georgetown to meet the unique educational needs of Sussex County in the rural southernmost reaches of Delaware. With an open-admissions policy, the Education Department offers associate degree programs to prepare students for transferring to four-year colleges or universities to become certified to teach in elementary, middle, or high school settings. In addition to learning instructional strategies that support the Delaware common core standards, all students will have the opportunity to interact with children through observation and service learning experiences in real-life classrooms.

Associate Degree Programs

• Early Care and Education (Birth-2)
• Early Childhood Development
• Elementary Education (K-6)
• Math Secondary Education (7-12)
• Middle Level Mathematics Education (4-8)
• Paraeducator (K-12)
• Science Education Chemistry/Physics (7-12)

Diploma/Certificate Programs

• Early Childhood Studies Diploma
• Instructional Design and Technology Certificate

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

21179 College Drive
Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 259-6053
richardk@dtcc.edu
https://www.dtcc.edu/our-campuses/georgetown

Delaware Technical Community College – Stanton/Wilmington Campus

Education Department

In the heart of New Castle County in the bustling downtown of the state’s largest city, the Stanton/Wilmington Campus of Delaware Technical Community College enables students to fulfill their educational aspirations in two-year career-oriented associate’s degree or certificate programs. As the first step towards a career in teaching, the Education Department prepares students for transferring to accredited baccalaureate degree programs at four-year institutions. The Department has a strong emphasis on educational technology, hands-on teaching experiences, and respect for diversity in Delaware’s multicultural educational environments.

Associate Degree Programs

Diploma/Certificate Programs

• Early Childhood Studies Diploma
• Instructional Design and Technology Certificate

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

333 North Shipley Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
(302) 573-5446
kkrzanow@dtcc.edu
https://www.dtcc.edu/our-campuses/wilmington

University of Delaware

College of Education and Human Development

Strategically located within just 45 minutes from Philadelphia and 55 minutes from Baltimore for extensive field experience in urban schools, the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware is committed to finding solutions to the challenges faced by schools and youth around the world. Despite being the university’s youngest college formed in 2010, the CEHD has already grown to include more than 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students seeking to become highly skilled professionals in the field of education. In fact, UD has been nationally acclaimed for having the 30th best graduate education school in America by the U.S. News and World Report.

Undergraduate Programs

• A.A. in Elementary Teacher Education
• B.S. in Early Childhood Education
• B.S. in Elementary Teacher Education
• Educational Studies Minor
• Educational Technology Minor
• Honors B.S. in Elementary Teacher Education
• Secondary Education Teacher Preparation Program (with a major in English Education, Foreign Languages Education, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Science Education, or Social Studies Education)
• Urban Education Minor

Master’s and Specialist Programs

• Autism/Severe Disabilities 4+1 Program
• Elementary Special Education 4+1 Program
• M.A./Ed.S. in School Psychology
• M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
• M.Ed. in Educational Technology
• M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth
• M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership
• Secondary Special Education 4+1 Program
• Teaching English as a Second Language 4+1 Program

Post-Master’s Certification Programs

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Early Language and Literacy
• English as a Second Language
• Leadership in Early Childhood and Human Services
• Parent Education and Family Support
• School Library Media Specialist
• Special Education

Doctoral Degree Programs

• Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
• Ph.D. in Economic Education
• Ph.D. in Education (with Specializations in Evaluation Measurement and Statistics, Learning Sciences, Literacy Development and Learning Problems, Mathematics Education, School Psychology, or Socio-Cultural and Community-Based Approaches)

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

Willard Hall Room 113
16 West Main Street
Newark, DE 19716
(302) 831-8695
ferretti@udel.edu
http://www.education.udel.edu/

Wesley College

Education Department

Nestled in the historic capital city of the nation’s first state in Dover’s major residential community, the Education Department at Wesley College has the mission of preparing teacher candidates to function competently as knowledgeable, self-directed, and confident professionals in multicultural classrooms. Following a program of learning under the constructivist paradigm, the Department offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in education to ensure graduates can act as change agents for educational reform in our evolving society. Additionally, the Education Department houses a Campus Community Charter School for K-8 students to provide extensive professional development activities.

Undergraduate Degree Programs

• Education K-8 Program
• Elementary Education and Special Education (EE/SE) Dual Certification Program
• Physical Education K-12 Program

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
• Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction
• Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction

Post-Master’s Certificates

• Action (Classroom-Based) Research
• Literacy Development
• Reading Specialist Certification
• Standards-Based Teaching

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
National Association of Sports and Physical Education (NASPE)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

120 North State Street
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 736-2380
jill.cole@wesley.edu
http://www.wesley.edu/teach.html

Wilmington University

College of Education

Highly regarded for preparing more teachers for Delaware schools than any other higher learning institution in the state, Wilmington University’s College of Education offers programs ranging from the associate’s to doctoral level to prepare professional educators to work successfully with children from birth through young adulthood. As Delaware’s only “Teach for America” center, around 40% of all the state’s teachers have completed degrees and/or certification coursework at Wilmington. In fact, there are around 1,000 students doing supervised fieldwork in schools throughout Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region at any given time to apply their learning on the research-based best teaching practices.

Undergraduate Degree Programs

• A.S. in Early Childhood Education
• B.S. in Career and Technical Education
• B.S. in Early Care and Education (Birth-2) Certification
• B.S. in Education Studies
• B.S. in Elementary Education (K-6) Certification
• B.S. in Middle Level Education (6-8) Certification

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Secondary Teaching: Grades 7-12
• M.Ed. in Applied Technology in Education
• M.Ed. in Career and Technical Education
• M.Ed. in Education Studies
• M.Ed. in Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
• M.Ed. in Elementary Studies
• M.Ed. in ESOL Literacy
• M.Ed. in Instruction (with concentrations in Gifted and Talented Education, Teaching and Learning, or Teacher of Reading)
• M.Ed. in Reading Specialist Certification
• M.Ed. in School Leadership
• M.Ed. in Special Education (with optional Autism & Severe Disabilities Certification)

Post-Master’s Certificates

• Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
• Game Based Learning Certificate

Doctoral Degree Programs

• Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation
• Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Innovation
• Ed.D. in Organizational Learning, Leadership, and Innovation

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

320 North DuPont Highway
New Castle, DE 19720
(302) 295-1139
john.c.gray@wilmu.edu
http://www.wilmu.edu/education/index.aspx

If you wish to teach in Delaware, then you will need to first receive at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and apply for initial licensure after passing the Praxis exams to prove your subject matter competence. Choosing any one of these accredited teaching degree programs will place you on the right path towards obtaining professional experience in the classroom and the credentials needed to receive standard certification. Whether you are a native Delawarean or are wishing to study in the “Small Wonder,” be sure to further investigate the programs offered at these top teaching colleges in Delaware to find the right degree match for becoming an effective teacher in classrooms with diverse learning needs.