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Teacher Preparation
Preparing teachers to serve PreK-12 students
a student teacher teaching a class.
If you have a desire to serve students in developing their potential, BYU-Idaho Teacher Preparation has 15 major areas and 15 minor areas for you to develop the knowledge and skills needed to teach successfully.

Teacher Preparation Core

Teaching is one of the most important works in society today. The teacher preparation program will prepare you for a career in teaching, which is among the most rewarding and challenging careers you can choose. The demand for teachers is high and although educators are not paid the highest salaries, the long-term benefits of a career in education are priceless.

Teacher Preparation Programs across multiple colleges at BYU-Idaho are supported by a common vision for preparing teachers in becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, the master teacher. Each program provides deep knowledge of the content needed for teaching in the chosen discipline with support from a common teacher preparation core.

The common teacher preparation core for each program includes 6 courses that provide the fundamental knowledge for teaching and satisfy Idaho state standards.

The 6 courses are:

  1. Education 200 – Teaching as a Profession (2 credits)
  2. Education 304 – Development, Cognition, and Understanding (3 credits)
  3. Education 361 – Principles of Teaching and Assessment (3 credits)
  4. Education 344 or Education 461 – Idaho Comprehensive Literacy #1 or Reading in the Content Area (secondary) (3 credits)
  5. Sped 360 – Diverse and Exceptional Students (2 credits)
  6. Ed 492 – Student Teaching (12 credits)
    Student teaching and other clinical experiences are coordinated through the Teacher Preparation Program's Student Teaching Services Office. Student teaching placements are coordinated with partner school districts in the states of Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.

Teacher Preparation Programs

In addition to the education core courses that are common to all teaching programs, there are two types of teaching programs to specialize your teacher preparation. (1) An education major coupled with an education minor requires coursework in two disciplines  leading to a license to teach in both areas. (2) Education Composite majors require extensive coursework in a single discipline  leading to a license to teach a single discipline. Details regarding each of the programs can be found by selecting the program below, which will link to the program’s department website.

1. Majors and Minors

• Biology Education ( Biology Department)
• Chemistry Education ( Chemistry Department)
• Earth Science Education ( Geology Department)
• Elementary Education (Elementary, Early, and Special Education Department)
• English Education (English Department)
• History Education (History, Geography, and Political Science Department)
• Mathematics Education (Mathematics Department)
• Physics Education (Physics Department)
• Spanish Education (Language and International Studies Department)
• Theater Education (Theater and Dance Department)
• American Government Education ( History, Geography, and Political Science Department)
• Biology Education ( Biology Department)
• Chemistry Education ( Chemistry Department)
• English Education Minor ( English Department)
• Earth Science Education ( Geology Department)
• Geography Education ( History, Geography, and Political Science Department)
• History Education ( History, Geography, and Political Science Department)
• Mathematics Education ( Mathematics Department)
• Middle School General Science Education ( Geology department)
• Natural Science Education Minor ( Geology department)
• Physical Science Education ( Physics Department)
• Physics Education ( Physics Department)
• Spanish Education ( Language and International Studies Department)
• Special Education K-8 Generalist (Elementary, Early, and Special Education Department)
• TESOL Education ( Language and International Studies Department)
• Theater Education ( Theater and Dance Department)

2. Composite Majors


• Art Education Composite ( Art Department)
• Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education (Elementary, Early, and Special Education Department)
• English Education Composite (English Department)
• Family and Consumer Sciences Education Composite ( Home and Family Department)
• Mathematics Education Composite ( Mathematics Department)
• Music Education Composite: Band, Choral, and Orchestra ( Music Department)
• Special Education k-12 Generalist (Elementary, Early, and Special Education Department)
• Social Studies Education Composite: American Government Endorsement and History Endorsement ( History, Geography, and Political Science Department)
BYU-Idaho’s teacher preparation programs are accredited through the state of Idaho, and BYU-Idaho is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).