Education Department

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Education Department’s Values & Mission Statement

The Education Department values diversity, multicultural and multilingual perspectives, and an inquiry mindset when approaching the preparation of teachers and educational leaders.

The mission of the Education Department at Bradley University is to prepare excellent teachers and educational leaders who are ready to educate and advocate for ALL students and families. We accomplish this through providing a multitude of diverse and personalized placements, comprehensive programs, and hands-on experiences that prepare students to be successful professionals upon graduation.

Majors

Early Childhood Education

Impact a child’s life as an educator.
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Elementary Education

Build skills and gain qualifications as an educator.
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Middle School Education

Become a certified and licensed educator.
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High School Education

Inspire the next generation through real classroom experience.
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Special Education

Build the skills needed to empower and educate students of all ages with diverse learning needs.
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Art Education

Build the skills needed to teach visual arts from.
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Music Education

Educate in music studies or performance.
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Education Studies (Non-Licensure)

Pursue your career goal of working with children and adolescents within educational spaces without teaching in front of a classroom.

Online Programs

Higher Education Administration & Leadership (EdD)

Learn to employ practical applications of theories, best practices, and leadership strategies in education, all through a flexible online program.
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Minors

The education studies minor is to address the needs of students who want to work with children or work in educational spaces, but whose goal is not necessarily to become a certified classroom teacher. Majors such as engineering, psychology, criminology, sociology, social work, and health science to name a few may find this minor helpful in pursuit of their career goals that involve children, adolescents and young adults across educational spaces.

See full course requirements and minor details

Departmental Resources

Individuals planning to teach in Illinois public schools must obtain a Professional Educator License (PEL). As part of the licensure process, all teacher candidates are required to pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) content-area test(s) required for their intended teaching field, as established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Field and clinical experiences are essential components of every teacher education program, providing candidates with meaningful opportunities to apply theory in P–12 classroom settings. Student teaching is the culminating clinical experience and is required for all teacher candidates. In accordance with department policy, all student teaching placements are in or near the Peoria area.

Field Experiences

Beginning in your first semester, you’ll gain valuable classroom experience through clinical field experiences, working directly with students in local schools.

Novice Teaching

Novice Teaching is a supervised teaching experience in a P–12 classroom that provides teacher candidates with early, hands-on teaching experience. Candidates gradually assume instructional responsibilities by planning, delivering, and assessing lessons within their designated teaching area while working under the guidance of a cooperating teacher and university supervisor.

Student Teaching

Student Teaching is a culminating supervised clinical experience in a P–12 classroom designed to prepare teacher candidates for full-time teaching. Placements are in schools within or near the Peoria area. Candidates assume primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and assessing instruction in their designated teaching area while working under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and university supervisor.

All candidates seeking a Professional Educator License (PEL) must pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) Content Area Test required for their intended teaching field. Successful completion of the appropriate content-area examination is a licensure requirement established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Program	Test Code	Content Area Test
Early Childhood (Birth through Grade 3)	206	Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)	305	Elementary (Grades 1-6)
High School Education Biology (Grades 9-12)	239	Science: Biology
High School Education Chemistry (Grades 9-12)	240	Science: Chemistry
High School Education English (Grades 9-12)	207	English Language Arts
High School Education History/Social Sciences (Grades 9-12)	315	Social Science: History
High School Education Mathematics (Grades 9-12)	208	Mathematics
Middle School Education (English/Language Arts)	201	Middle Grades (5-8) Language Arts
Middle School Education (Mathematics)	202	Middle Grades (5-8) Mathematics
Middle School Education (Science)	203	Middle Grades (5-8) Science
Middle School Education (Social Science)	204	Middle Grades (5-8) Social Science
Special Education	290	Learning Behavior Specialist I
PK-12 Art Education	214	Visual Arts
PK-12 Music Education	212	Music

Education Department