Education Department

Welcome to the Department of Education.

With a bachelor’s degree in education from Thiel College’s Education Department, students graduate well-prepared to begin a teaching career. Our undergraduate curriculum incorporates early exposure to all facets of classroom instruction, resulting in excellent graduate outcomes as students begin their teaching careers.

Thiel faculty focus on career-ready transferable skills valued by employers in today’s evolving, and exciting education space, including:

Mastery of major content knowledge areas and pedagogical strategies to design engaging and meaningful instruction and learning activities.
Knowledge of diversity by addressing learners’ commonalities and individual differences to design inclusive learning experiences.
Ability to apply the Council for Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) standards to the field of PK-4/SPED PK-12.
Understand and demonstrate effectiveness by designing rigorous and effective lessons and learning experiences.
Learn to be a valued team member as you cultivate important interpersonal, decision-making, and leadership skills.
Communicate effectively in oral and written form.
Take advantage of many opportunities for field experience and student teaching assignments.

As students prepare to graduate, we offer personalized career development which includes mock interview sessions, business etiquette dinners, resume and cover letter writing seminars and so much more.

Undergraduate Programs of Study

No matter the subject area or grade level you wish to teach, Thiel provides students with the experience needed to enter their desired teaching specialization. This reflects our commitment to ensuring that our education programs meet the rigorous Pennsylvania Department of Education assessment requirements.

Majors and Certificates

Whether you wish to pursue a career in elementary, middle or high school education, Thiel College offers a bachelor’s degree that aligns with your career aspirations in K-12 education and prepares you well for state certification exams.

Thiel students will pursue a major (e.g. English, history, etc.) and pair it with a Secondary Teaching Certification.

Early Childhood PreK-4/ Special Education PreK-12 (B.A.)
Secondary Education (Certification)
Secondary Education (Certification) - Biology
Secondary Education (Certification) - Social Studies
Secondary Education (Certification) - Chemistry
Secondary Education (Certification) - Mathematics
Secondary Education (Certification) - English

Experiential Learning and Campus Activities

Supervised teaching is an essential part of Thiel College teacher education programs. During this experience, the cooperating school and the College work together as a supervising team. The primary purpose of this partnership is to assist each student teacher to master those skills which identify a competent beginning teacher.

Academically successful students can be inducted into the honorary education honor society Kappa Delta Pi, an international honorary society in education that encourages high professional, intellectual and personal standards and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. Kappa Delta Pi is represented at Thiel by the Alpha Gamma Iota chapter.

History majors also can be inducted into Chi Alpha Epsilon, National Honorary for Academic Achievement and The National Society of Leadership and Success.

In their junior or senior year, many students take advantage of study abroad opportunities to broaden their perspectives and deepen their practical knowledge. These hands-on learning opportunities ensure students are equipped with the vital experiences that position them to start their career or pursue graduate education.

Education majors are required to complete at least 190 hours of field experience before student teaching. Possible internships include:

Success by Six
Upward Bound
The Ranch
Eagles Landing and The Night Owls
Camp Handi
Camp Frog/Camp Fitch: Epilepsy Summer Camp
Teach For America
Summer Camps in the United States
Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship
World Endeavors Teach Abroad

Learn more about the clubs and activities for education majors.

Career-ready ePortfolios

Before graduating, each education major completes an ePortfolio as well as a binder portfolio. These portfolios assist students on the job market, and they also help majors reflect on their teaching style and philosophy. These portfolios contain biographies, lesson plans, prep documents, classroom environment statements, instructional delivery reports and videos, and the student’s resume and references.