Undergraduate Programs
Under the authority and with the approval of the Illinois State Board of Education, Wheaton College offers the following certifications:
Initial Elementary Certificate,
for elementary education majors planning to teach in Kindergarten through grade nine.
Elementary education majors also choose and complete a 16-hour concentration in one of the following areas: Applied Heath Science, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Communication, Economics, English, Foreign Language (French, German, Spanish), Geology, History, Linguistics (ESL or Bilingual Education), Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Check in the WheTEP Handbook 1 appendix for a list of the required and recommended courses in each concentration.
The Elementary Education program of Wheaton College has been nationally recognized and has achieved this honor through the 2006 NCATE/ACEI accreditation. NCATE provides a list of the teacher education programs >> that have this distinction.
Initial Secondary Certificate,
for secondary education majors planning to teach grades 6-12
Secondary education majors must complete a program in an approved major field of specialization. Currently majors approved for secondary education certification by the State of Illinois are: English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space, or Physics designation), and Social Science (History designation). The Initial Secondary Certificate can be earned as a traditional undergraduate student or in conjunction with the Master of Arts in Teaching.
Initial Special Certificate,
for Foreign Language and candidates planning to teach in Music for Kindergarten through grade 12
Middle Grade Endorsements, for Art, Biological Science, French, General Science, German, Language Arts, Mathematics, Music, Social Science, Spanish, Speech, and Speech/Theater
Presently the State of Illinois does not require a separate teaching certificate for middle schools. A middle grade endorsement can be added to any of the three initial certificates listed above.
Wheaton also has a Master of Arts in Teaching program.