The education major is designed for the undergraduate to recognize education as a discipline whose presence is historical, social, political, and economical. Through social inquiry, critical analysis, and community engagement, education majors will examine the central position educational systems occupy in civic functioning.

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Colorado College's Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)Licensure program is a true 5th-year program, during which former Colorado College undergraduates build from the foundational coursework and practicum experiences from their undergraduate career while completing student teaching, an internship, and a master's research project. 5 Years, 2 Degrees, and a Career! This graduate + initial licensure program is also available to candidates who completed their undergraduate degrees at other institutions and usually takes 18 months.

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The Master of Arts in Teaching - Dyslexia Specialist degree is a graduate program administered by the Colorado College. This intensive two-year training program is for individuals seeking to learn the most effective, research-based strategies of reading instruction, including instruction for students with dyslexia and related disorders.

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The Teaching and Research in Environmental Education (TREE) Semester is a 16-week, residential semester program that mirrors the traditional study abroad experience. Undergraduate students live and learn in community at the scenic Catamount Center in the montane forest outside Woodland Park, Colorado. The TREE Semester is for students of all academic interests, but is specifically designed for those interested in exploring both environmental and educational fields.

These scholars will cultivate their own and their K-12 students' conceptions of environmental stewardship and respect for the natural world. Where traditional programs provide only limited teaching opportunities, the TREE Semester allows undergraduates to learn about their students' development through almost 100 hours of experiential teaching. Undergraduate students will learn by simultaneously teaching and researching how K-12 students develop. Our educational research informs our teaching and our teaching informs our research in a cycle of virtuous learning.

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This course introduces students to the norms, values, routines, policies, and relationships that form the classroom culture in a public school setting. Students spend 6/18 class days rotating through local public schools. Each student gets to experience an elementary, middle, and high school classroom environment. Furthermore, students experience two different school districts to see how context informs classroom culture practices. Thanks to the unique experience afforded by the Block Plan, students are in the field from the start. This means, students are in the classrooms, meeting with teachers and observing and interacting with students, in the first week. Responsibilities vary according to the needs of the school, but emphasis is on individualized help to K-12 students. Coursework explores educational theories and learning environment design and compares and contrasts instructional strategies. In line with our institutional DEAI commitments, the course focuses on how K-12 educators establish an inclusive and equitable classroom environment.

Course professor Nickie Coomer says: While we are studying teaching practices, we are also studying the culture of the schools in which students are placed. What that means is that students are not only beginning to study the art and science of teaching and the importance (and joy) of working with kids, they’re also learning how to study culture: how to engage in field observations, engage in reflections, and how to attend to language that reflects some of the quantitative patterns we study about race and disability in our on-campus class sessions. This includes the over representation of students of color in exclusionary discipline and special education, and the exclusion of students with disabilities from general education classroom settings.

This advanced course in curriculum, instruction, and assessment builds on foundational knowledge in environmental and sustainability education by focusing on the development and assessment of curriculum that builds environmental literacy through transdisciplinary environmental inquiry. Class discussion, lesson planning, and reflective teaching focus on developing a comprehensive framework that facilitates a broad approach for inquiring about environmental issues and detecting narrowness and bias in the arguments made by others concerning environmental challenges, issues, and problems. Teaching methods specific to environmental and outdoor education are emphasized through a practicum that spans the course. Students complete a course project portfolio that meets expectations for environmental education certification from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education