College of Education

101 Gildemeister Hall
507.457.5570
College of Education website
Tarrell Portman, Dean

Mission

The College of Education exists to prepare classroom teachers, counselors, administrators, and other education professionals to continuously improve student learning and effectiveness in twenty-first century schools and communities. The College accomplishes this mission by offering undergraduate and graduate programs to prepare professionals for practice in public and private schools and agencies.

The College provides courses and clinical experiences through which students acquire the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions needed to serve with excellence as professionals and leaders in the region, state, nation, and world. The College provides opportunities for cross-cultural and international awareness through general education, professional work, and travel study.

Faculty members in the College are committed to the serious study of education and the promotion of professional standards to foster innovation in professional preparation.

Accreditation and Professional Memberships

WSU is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). All teacher education and school counselor programs have been approved by the Minnesota Board of Teaching through 2025. In addition, several programs have received national recognition from the following professional organizations: Association for Childhood Education International, Council for Exceptional Children, National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Association of Schools of Music, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Council for the Social Studies.

WSU’s Counselor Education programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and NCATE. Programs in the Department of Education Leadership are also accredited by NCATE and accredited by the MN Board of School Administrators (BOSA) for K-12 Principal and Superintendent.

The College of Education is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE).

Graduate Programs

All departments in the College of Education are involved in the delivery of quality graduate-level courses, certificate or licensure programs, or advanced degree programs, in addition to partnering with school districts and community agencies and providing professional service and consultation to the region. Important individual departmental information is presented here, but all departments and all graduate faculty are united as partners in the graduate enterprise of the College of Education.