Studying Education at Houghton

Welcome to the Department of Education at Houghton.  Our mission is to equip teachers for transformative learning and service.

Houghton College’s teacher education program has deep roots in the liberal arts and the Christian faith, and is committed to the highest professional standards in teacher education. Our program prepares teachers who are steeped in content areas and who are committed to serving the needs of diverse learners and communities.

Believing with the college’s founders that education is a means to individual empowerment for social transformation, we equip students “to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.” We aim to prepare teachers who are competent scholars, reflective teachers, and caring servants.

One Program, Five Strands

Students preparing for a career in education will complete one of five program strands: adolescence education, inclusive childhood education, TESOL, music education, or physical education. Students in each strand receive thorough preparation in educational theory and practice as well as intensive preparation in their chosen content area. All students participate in a variety of classroom experiences that place them in rural and urban schools, service learning, and solo teaching. Graduates of all program strands are well-prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners across a wide range of settings and are thoroughly prepared for graduate study.

A Smart Way to Prepare for Your Vocation

In a recent survey of Houghton education graduates, 95 percent of those responding reported being employed in their field and/or being in graduate school within one year of graduation. Our alumni teach in schools of all sizes in all kinds of communities, in the U.S. and internationally.

In addition to teaching opportunities at the elementary, middle, or high school levels, your Houghton education degree can open many other doors for you!

Our graduates also take career paths that include work as guidance counselors, school administrators, ESL teachers, school psychologists, and school business administrators. We are proud of Houghton’s reputation for graduating well-educated and well-rounded students, with a consistent record of 98 to 100 percent of graduates passing the New York State Teacher Certification Examination.

A Houghton education will also prepare you well for graduate studies.  Among the graduate schools our alumni have attended are SUNY Geneseo, Buffalo State University, the University of Buffalo, Ohio State University, Georgia State University, Harvard University, Kutztown University, Millersburg University, Mansfield State University (PA), St. Bonaventure University, the University of South Carolina, Nazareth College, and Regent University.

Broadening Your Educational Opportunities

As a student in the Houghton College teacher education program, you will be required to complete a semester of student teaching, which may include opportunities in urban, suburban, and rural communities. New York State has reciprocity agreements with 40 states plus the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Dependent School systems. This means that your completion of certification requirements in New York State will enable you to get certification in these states without further academic work, unless the state to which you apply requires a graduate degree/study for the initial certification. Recent graduates are teaching across the U.S. in Colorado, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, California, and Florida. To discover further information about teacher supply and demand, go to:

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tsdregents052006.htm.

Dedicated to Your Success

Houghton’s education faculty is committed to integrating theory, practice, and faith in their teaching. All have earned graduate degrees in specific areas of specialization, and all have served as classroom teachers. This combination of experience, expertise, and a Christian worldview provides a classroom context that promotes the intellectual development and spiritual formation of students who graduate to serve as scholars and leaders in the world of education.