Mission
The mission of the Department of Education at WSSU is the preparation of knowledgeable, ethical and effective educators. The Department of Education provides opportunities that enable prospective educators to develop skills and dispositions necessary to meet the challenges of the profession with creativity, self-reliance, ethical thinking, responsibility and respect for human differences. To achieve the department's mission, strong emphasis is placed on teaching (the preparation of classroom teachers through exemplary teaching practices and adherence to guidelines of accrediting agencies), research (the collection and analysis of data that support best principles and practices of teaching and learning, and contribute to the body of knowledge of the profession) and service (the offering of professional service to Winston-Salem State University community, schools and community organizations; and contributing to the continued improvement of teacher licensure and professional development). 

General Information
The Department of Education offers programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in birth-kindergarten, elementary, middle grades and special education. In addition to baccalaureate degrees in education, the Department of Education provides professional courses for all teacher education programs. In addition, the program provides field experiences through directed observation, participant observation, and student teaching under the guidance of experienced cooperating teachers and university supervisors.

Students, who complete requirements for baccalaureate degrees in education with satisfactory performance on PRAXIS examinations, also satisfy the requirements for teacher licensure as outlined by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction.

The teacher education program at Winston-Salem State University has long enjoyed a reputation for preparing competent and dedicated teachers. The success of the teacher education program has been the result of diligence, resourcefulness, and innovation. Informed by recent research on cognition, teaching and the higher order thinking abilities of children, the department has established the theme and goal of producing effective thinkers.

Education majors are prepared to be effective thinkers through the provision of learning experiences which require them to engage in critical, creative and logical thinking, problem solving and decision-making. Such opportunities for higher order thinking are made available not only in education courses but in courses campus-wide. The conceptual framework is knowledge-based, articulated, shared, coherent, and consistent with the unit and institutional mission.

SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHER LICENSURE (9-12)
The School of Education in collaboration with the English and Foreign Languages Department, the Mathematics Department, and the Social Sciences Department offers secondary education licensure in the following areas:

1. English Education
2. Mathematics Education
3. Social Studies Education

For further information about these programs, students must refer to the catalog sections under these departments.

SPECIAL SUBJECT TEACHER LICENSURE (K-12)
The School of Education in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department and the English and Foreign Languages Department offers special subject teacher licensure in the following areas:

1. Art Education
2. Music Education
3. Spanish Education

For further information about these programs, students must refer to the catalog sections under these departments.

TRANSFER STUDENTS FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Students from North Carolina accredited community colleges who complete an associate degree of arts or an associate degree of science, may transfer to Winston-Salem State University’s Teacher Education Program as juniors. This means that the general education core is automatically completed and students may proceed with other specialty area and professional education courses.

Learning Outcomes
The Department of Education will…

1. Offer programs that adhere to the best principles and practices for teaching and learning, and address the challenges of today’s diverse classroom environment.
2. Develop in pre-service teachers those skills and attitudes enabling them to meet the challenges of their profession with creativity elf-reliance, critical thinking, responsibility, and respect for human differences.
3. Provide contacts with children, teachers and other professionals through field experiences, including early field experiences and student teaching.
4. Provide students the opportunity to pursue graduate study and available positions consistent with their career goals.