Middle School Education (Grades 4-8)

Majors & Minors
Middle School Education (Grades 4-8)

Middle School Education (Grades 4-8)

University of �鶹��ý at Lafayette student Alexis Stackhouse is a middle school education major and black student leader on campus

“Without teachers, you don’t have these other jobs, other occupations. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life and I felt through teaching, that’s my way of changing the world and making my impact on the world.”

Alexis Stackhouse’s love of volunteering leads to a career in education

You should major in middle school education if:

You want to teach students at a formative age.
You want to be that teacher who makes a difference in kids’ lives.
You want to encourage students’ curiosity and expand their understanding of the world.

Be the teacher who inspires. Be the teacher that students will remember.

As a middle school education major, you’ll learn the theories and practices to become a great teacher — a teacher who builds confidence and introduces students to new worlds of opportunity.

Our classes focus on adolescent development plus working with families and communities to support students. You’ll observe middle school classes, develop lesson plans, and practice teaching in local schools and camps.

All middle school education majors choose a primary concentration and a secondary focus area. Choose from:

English education
General science education
Mathematics education
Social studies education

With this degree, you’ll meet the �鶹��ý Department of Education requirements for certification to teach grades 4 through 8. When you graduate, you’ll be certified to teach in the two focus areas you choose.

Middle School Education at �鶹��ý Lafayette

What's Middle School Education (Grades 4-8) Like?

Research
Group work & collaboration
Writing
Presenting
Student teaching & internships

for training teachers

�鶹��ý Lafayette graduates the most certified teachers of any college or university in �鶹��ý.

Life as a Middle School Education Major

�鶹��ý Lafayette College of Education Secondary Education Program

Work with Students Your First Semester

The College of Education partners with public and private schools to give you three levels of experience in the classroom. Observe classes, develop lesson plans, and teach entire classes through our Teacher Preparation Program.

Hands-On Instruction & Research

You’ll have access to the research centers housed in the College of Education, including the Center for Gifted Education and the Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies. These centers host camps and conferences where you can work with students, network with professionals, and learn the latest developments in education.

Year-Long Teacher Residency

In your final year of our Teacher Preparation Program, you will participate in an innovative two-semester Teacher Residency program. Co-teach with an expert mentor teacher for the full year, which will give you an authentic, active, and extensive experience in a school setting. This experience will give you the confidence and skills to command your own classroom after graduation.

Student Organizations

Connect with education professionals and other students in our on-campus student organizations and honor societies. Get involved and join the Associated Professional Educators of �鶹��ý, international education honor society Delta Iota chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, and the �鶹��ý Association of Educators.

Middle School Education Courses According to Students

Freshman Year Sophomore Year Junior Year Senior Year

EDFL 106: Introduction to Education

“We are currently learning about this history of education, which I find very interesting. It is amazing to see how the education industry has grown, and the number of students enrolled in school has doubled just over the last fifty years. It is incredible to learn how my future career has developed and how it will continue to develop over the years."

Amalie Bourque, Middle School Education Major

EDFL 201: Teaching, Learning and Growth

“This class is what prepares us to take the Praxis on the principles of learning and teaching. You learn about �鶹��ý state standards, you learn about the theorists and how their research on children affects education today. We also do field experience hours. It’s a very student-led class.”

Alexis Stackhouse, Middle School Education Major

EDCI 427: Teaching in a Diverse Society

“It just really opens your eyes, not just to racial diversity, but religious diversity and opening your mind to see other people’s perspectives — which is obviously super important in a classroom where you’re going to have students from different backgrounds.”

Katy Meaux, Music Education Major

SPED 391: Foundations of Inclusive Education

with Dr. Kay Rone Wilson

“Dr. Wilson challenged what you would think about special education. We did so many activities, experiments – she would ask questions you wouldn’t normally think about, like, do you think someone is protected under the law to have an emotional support animal like a snake? The class challenged me but was interesting at the same time because you learned about so many different perspectives you wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Dylan Hebert, Secondary Education & Teaching Major

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

To major in middle school education, you must meet the University's admissions requirements.

See the full admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with your degree in middle school education, you must:

Maintain a 2.5 overall GPA and a 2.5 cumulative GPA in all of your major courses
Apply for and complete the Teacher Preparation Program
Pass the Praxis

Declaring a major in middle school education does not automatically enroll you in the Teacher Preparation Program.

You must apply for and be admitted to the Teacher Preparation Program during the semester when you expect to earn 45 credit hours (typically the first semester during your second year).

To be accepted, you must:

Complete freshman courses with a "C" or better.
Maintain a 2.5 overall cumulative GPA or better.
Complete the

Before you can start your Teacher Residency, you must pass your content-specific Praxis test for middle school education and the Praxis PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching): Grades 5-9.

Upon completion of the entire program, you will receive certification through the �鶹��ý Department of Education to teach Middle School Education Gr 4-8.

Resources

Apply Now

�鶹��ý