Educational Foundations & Professional Experiences
Partners in preparation
Made to teach? In the Department of Educational Foundations and Professional Experiences (EFPE), we’re here to make that happen – from beginning to end.
You can count on EFPE faculty and staff to:
- coordinate the effort across all four colleges to prepare teaching majors with Educator Essentials, the courses that set your foundation for teaching.
- support professional education by supervising the internship experience for secondary education majors and any pre-program experience still needed.
- work with you on student teaching placements that fit the experience you seek in settings that range near and far, thanks to our network of contacts built across Iowa and beyond.
Or, are you ready to switch from careers in areas like math and science into secondary-level teaching (5-12)? Interested in education as a non-teacher? We’re here for you as well.
We work with all UNI Teacher Education students (PreK-12). We can’t wait to partner with you to be part of achieving your dreams.
Student Teachers
Coordinating placement of more than 500 student teachers annually---or nearly 1,000 in two 8-week placements---in PreK-12 schools.
Supporting Teacher Ed
EFPE faculty engage with all UNI teacher education students through Educator Essentials and student teaching placements.
School District Partners
Annually more than 90 school districts and independent schools---and their hundreds of mentor teachers---partner with UNI to prepare future educators.
Undergraduate Education
The intersection of education and society
Considering careers in social and behavioral sciences, law, medicine, social justice or youth services? Through the educational studies minor, you can increase your understanding of educational policy. Explore educational issues from the perspective of students, citizens, parents or your chosen field of study. Find the intersection of learning, education and society.
Designed for non-teaching majors.
Explore societal changes & trends in education
A certificate for all levels of future teachers---early childhood, elementary or secondary education---this gives you the opportunity to probe societal changes in education in the 21st century. Through this exploration, you’ll gain an additional, interdisciplinary perspective of educational challenges to apply to your future careers.
The intersection of education and society
Considering careers in social and behavioral sciences, law, medicine, social justice or youth services? Through the educational studies minor, you can increase your understanding of educational policy. Explore educational issues from the perspective of students, citizens, parents or your chosen field of study. Find the intersection of learning, education and society.
Designed for non-teaching majors.
Explore societal changes & trends in education
A certificate for all levels of future teachers---early childhood, elementary or secondary education---this gives you the opportunity to probe societal changes in education in the 21st century. Through this exploration, you’ll gain an additional, interdisciplinary perspective of educational challenges to apply to your future careers.
Career Change? Consider the MAT
If you’re looking to change careers and focus your skills toward teaching in your area of expertise, the new Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree may be for you. This degree is designed to give you the teaching methods, core educator skills and hands-on experiences to meet requirements to teach at the secondary level (grades 5-12).
Our Role in Teacher Education
Educator Essentials
As a department, EFPE ensures students in all teaching majors have a firm foundation for teaching. Working with faculty across UNI’s colleges, the department supports instruction in more than 20 courses in six categories, collectively known as Educator Essentials. You’ll have the flexibility to choose one course in each category that fits your schedules and your needs and gets you well on your way to becoming a teacher. Our faculty's particular expertise in educational psychology and social foundations of education contributes to this core set of courses.
Student Teaching
Your journey culminates in student teaching your final semester, your most intensive clinical experience and the capstone of your professional education. We’re with you every step of the way. Our role? To coordinate and supervise your student teaching experience in placements in nine regions across Iowa, out-of-state and even internationally. We’re ready to guide, teach, provide feedback and work with you to be fully ready for that next step: teaching!
