Education

You can shape tomorrow by teaching others today.

Most of us have encountered a teacher along our educational journey, some of us have encountered many, who was such an inspiration and made such an impression that our intellectual fabric was forever changed. This is why teachers are among our world’s most valuable assets.

Friends University is proud to offer education degrees that provide extensive classroom experience before student teaching, classroom management strategies embedded into methods courses, and a wide variety of district placements for field experiences. All Friends University K-6, PK-12 and 6-12 teacher licensure programs are approved by the Kansas State Department of Education. Our Teacher Education program has been continuously recognized and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since the founding of that organization in 1954, and is currently accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

To view Friends University CAEP outcomes, visit the CAEP accreditation outcomes page.

To view student outcome data, download the student outcome data PDF.

Download the teacher education handbook.

Teacher of Promise Scholarship

Two $1000 Teacher of Promise scholarships are awarded each semester to two outstanding student teachers who have demonstrated excellence in their teacher preparation program and K-12 classroom performance. Teacher of Promise scholarships are offered by Credit Union of America.

Employment

Most graduates in Teacher Education are hired as a licensed teacher in their area of licensure and begin at the start of the next academic school year. Frequently December graduates are hired for full time teaching positions beginning the following January. Others may be hired as substitute teachers and assistant coaches for the spring semester. Many Friends graduates are employed in the greater Wichita schools and surrounding districts. Some graduates choose to return to their home state where they begin their careers as a professional educator.

To view teacher education program licensure, download the teacher education program licensure disclosure PDF.

Seventy-two graduates completed initial teacher preparation programs at Friends University from 2012 – 2015. Initial pass rates for state teacher licensure exams ranged from 92% to 94% for each of those three years. Nearly all graduates contacted over the past three years in follow-up surveys were hired within their area of licensure (field of study) or area of wellness expertise (for Health, Physical Education and Recreation). Some graduates are given opportunities to expand their instructional/professional skill sets by taking teaching/coaching assignments that extend beyond the teaching license and/or degree they hold.

Salary information

Teacher salaries vary from one district to another and salaries vary across different grade levels and teaching fields. The base salary for a BS/BA level beginning teacher with no experience for the local district (USD 259, Wichita) is $43,654 with a full range of benefits that typically include sick leave, health insurance, flex spending accounts, retirement, etc. Salary schedules are negotiated locally by each district and may vary from year to year. Stepwise raises are built into the system based on years of experience and advanced training and degrees so that the current full range of salaries in USD 259 maximizes at $68,559 with a doctoral degree and 15 years of experience.

Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship

This service obligation scholarship program provides financial assistance to students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degree programs as well as currently licensed teachers pursuing new endorsements in hard-to-fill disciplines or master’s degrees in hard-to-fill disciplines or either group planning to teach (K-12) in an underserved geographic area in Kansas.

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Colleges of Distinction

Already recognized by Colleges of Distinction for its innovative approach to education, Friends University has been honored further for its expert blending of the liberal arts with professional programming in Education. The 21st-century job market now demands teachers who are both stellar communicators and critical-thinkers, and it is with Friends well-rounded approach to teacher development that you will be especially prepared to take on the postgraduate world.

Art Education, Bachelor of Arts

By sharing your passion for and knowledge of the visual arts, you can empower others to find their creative voices and tell their stories.

Biology Education

The Biology Education program at Friends University prepares students to teach biology in grades 6-12.

Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science

Elementary teachers have the great responsibility of molding the minds of our community’s most vulnerable and impressionable members.

English Language Arts Education, Bachelor of Arts

Educators emphasize the best and latest methods for instructing older children in the areas of composition, creative writing, dramatic readings and interpretation, literature, poetry and reading comprehension.

History, Government and Social Studies Education, Bachelor of Arts

The History, Government, Social Studies Education major is designed to get into the classroom those students whose passions for history, civics, sociology, government, economics, and other related fields has inspired them to become teachers themselves.