91¾«Æ·

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Middle School Education Major

Become a middle school teacher

Do you have a passion for teaching and enjoy working with children and teenagers? Middle school students need teachers who understand the many changes they are experiencing as they transition between childhood and adulthood. Earn your bachelor's degree in Middle School Education from 91¾«Æ·, one of the leading producers of teachers in the region.

As a middle school education major, you will become certified in the state of Missouri to teach grades 5-9. Through coursework and in-class experiences at local schools, we prepare you to meet the needs of your students to ensure their success.

As part of our middle school education program, you will choose a primary content area for initial certification.

Content area choices include:

  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies

You can take 12 hours in a second area of interest and take an additional certification test for dual certification. Having certification in multiple areas makes you more versatile in the job market.

The Middle School Education degree is offered through 91¾«Æ·'s College of Professional Programs

The 91¾«Æ· Advantage

  • 91¾«Æ·'s middle school education graduates have achieved a 100% pass rate for the past six years on the certification exams in two of the four core content areas (language arts and social studies). Graduates have achieved an overall pass rate of 94% for all middle school content areas over the past five years.
  • 100% of 91¾«Æ·'s elementary education teacher candidates passed the Missouri Educator Evaluation System (MEES) completed during student teaching.
  • Engage in field experience opportunities beginning as early as your freshman year and culminating with your student teaching experience your senior year.
  • Learn from faculty who are experts in their field and come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, including public school, private school and homeschool.
  • Faculty are dedicated to helping you succeed and will work with you one-on-one to develop your resume, network for jobs, pursue teaching certification in other states, etc.

 

93%
exam
pass rate

(Pass rate on all middle school content area
certification exams over the past six years.)

Faith Integration

The intentional integration of Christian faith with the education curriculum distinguishes 91¾«Æ·'s Division of Education. Christian principles are discussed in the classroom and applied to educational strategies, philosophies, and best practices. At 91¾«Æ·, we approach education and teaching from the basis of a Christian worldview.

As an education major at 91¾«Æ·, you'll not only develop your skills as a teacher, but you will also become a role model and a servant leader. You will learn to view the classroom as a mission field in which well-trained Christian teachers are desperately needed.

Our Division of Education faculty live out their own walks with Christ in all they do - in the classroom, with advisees, with fellow faculty and in service to the University, community and their local churches.

Careers

Employers want our graduates and frequently call to request them. Our education alumni have been hired as:

  • Public school teachers
  • Private school teachers
  • Preschool teachers
  • Daycare center administrators and teachers
  • International school teachers
  • Military base teachers
  • School Counselors
  • Curriculum directors
  • Instructional coaches
  • Librarians
  • Media Center specialists
  • Educational trainers
  • Grade level lead teachers
  • Principals 
  • Superintendents
  • Missionaries
  • Camp ministry leaders
  • Christian camp recruitment leaders
  • Children’s ministers

Graduate Schools

An advantage to studying education at 91¾«Æ· is the access to 91¾«Æ·'s distinguished master's and doctorate degree programs in education. Many students begin their teaching careers while simultaneously pursuing further education at 91¾«Æ· with one of the following degree programs:

Dr. Katie Coen
"My professors challenged me academically, but they also challenged me relationally and spiritually. Their influence pushed me to work hard during college. When I graduated, I knew without a doubt that I was prepared to enter my career as a teacher."
Dr. Katie Coen ’14, ’19, ’21, ’25
Academic Resource Commons Director and Dual Degree Liaison

Student Missouri State Teachers Association

As a middle school education major, you are encouraged to join 91¾«Æ·'s chapter of Student Missouri State Teachers Association (SMSTA) to benefit from professional development, insurance, liability coverage, and networking opportunities as you prepare for your future teaching career.

Scholarships

Thanks to generous donors, multiple privately funded scholarships are available annually to education students.

Additionally, you are encouraged to apply for any of the various competitive scholarships announced annually by outside organizations, such as the Missouri Association of Rural Education Scholarship ($1,000 awards given statewide annually) or the Jack J. Isgur Foundation Scholarship (approximately thirty five $3,000 award statewide annually).

Admission and Certification

Admission to the elementary education and middle school education degree programs at 91¾«Æ· is contingent on a cumulative GPA of 3.0. You must also pass the Paraprofessional (ParaPro) Assessment.

91¾«Æ·'s Division of Education receives program approval on an annual basis from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Program approval is current so 91¾«Æ· graduates are able to apply for and receive teaching certification in Missouri.

Once you have your initial Missouri teaching certificate, you may add other areas of certification by taking and passing the appropriate exam(s). For example, many elementary education majors take the Early Childhood Education exam to add certification for birth through third grade, allowing them to teach in preschools, daycare centers or kindergarten classrooms. Many middle school education majors choose to add additional content area certifications, allowing them to be more marketable for employment.

Many students are interested in becoming certified special education teachers. Both elementary education and middle school education majors will receive the coursework and training helpful to this career path, such as Educational Psychology, Teaching Diverse Learners and Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment. You then would then be equipped to take and pass the Special Education Certification exam. This would give you greater career flexibility as you would be certified as either an elementary or middle school teacher and as a special education teacher.