Bachelor of Science or ARt
Teacher Education
The Teacher Education program equips future educators to lead with confidence in today’s classrooms. Through hands-on experiences and strong academic preparation, students develop the skills to teach, inspire, and make a lasting impact on students and communities.
Find Your Calling
You can tailor your Teacher Education experience to match your interests and career goals. Students choose from multiple pathways, each designed to prepare you for licensure and success in the classroom.
Certification: Birth–3
Shape a child’s earliest years, when learning happens fastest. This pathway prepares you to teach infants through third grade, building the foundational skills, literacy, social-emotional development, and early learning, that set children up for lifelong success.
Certification: K–6
Teach across every subject and become the steady presence a child remembers for years. You’ll build strong foundations in literacy, math, and child development while gaining classroom experience earlier than most programs offer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary teachers earn a median annual salary of $61,000, with more than 1.4 million teaching positions nationwide.
Certification: 5–9
Guide students through one of the most formative stretches of adolescence. You’ll specialize in a subject area while learning to support students navigating rapid academic and personal growth. Middle school teachers earn a median annual salary of $62,970, with about 40,500 openings projected each year nationwide.
Certification: 7–12
Bring depth and passion to a subject you love, English, math, science, social studies, and help students prepare for what comes after graduation. High school teachers earn a median annual salary around $62,000, with over 1 million teaching positions nationwide.
Certification: K–6 or 7–12
Advocate for students who need it most. You’ll learn inclusive instruction and individualized education planning to support learners with diverse needs. Special education teachers earn a median annual salary of $64,270, and with about 37,800 openings projected each year nationwide, schools consistently need qualified, compassionate educators in this field.
Your Roadmap to Admission
From application to enrollment, we guide you through each step with clarity and personal support so you can focus on what matters most and take the next step toward your future.
Tuition & Aid
Investing in your education is a big decision, and you do not have to navigate it alone. Every admitted full-time undergraduate student is guaranteed a merit scholarship, and CSM offers additional aid and personalized guidance to make your degree attainable. Our team will walk you through your options so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Why Students Choose CSM
Classroom Experience From Day One
While most programs wait until senior year, CSM places you in real classrooms a full year earlier, so you graduate ready to make an impact from day one of your career.
Small Classes, Real Mentorship
You won’t get lost in a lecture hall. CSM’s education faculty know you by name and guide you through every step of certification.
A Clear Path to Certification
With five pathways and flexible endorsement options, you can build the exact credential you need without guessing at what comes next.
A Legacy of Women Leading in Education
As one of the Midwest’s only all-women’s colleges, CSM has spent generations preparing women to lead classrooms with confidence and purpose.
Teaching Rooted in Purpose
Grounded in the values of the Sisters of Mercy, service, compassion, and dignity, CSM prepares you to see every student as a whole person.
I wanted to follow in my family’s footsteps, and CSM prepared me to be a confident teacher who advocates for every student and leads with purpose in the classroom.
Sarah Dragon, Teacher Education Alum
Field Experiences
Field experiences are a core part of the Teacher Education program at College of Saint Mary, giving students the opportunity to step into real classrooms early and often. These experiences are designed to build confidence, develop practical skills, and connect coursework to real-world teaching.
Throughout the program, students:
- Observe and assist in K–12 classrooms across a variety of settings
- Practice teaching lessons and supporting student learning
- Work with diverse student populations and learning needs
- Build relationships with mentor teachers and school communities
These experiences culminate in a full-time student teaching placement, where students take on the role of lead teacher and apply everything they’ve learned in a real classroom environment.
Teaching Endorsements
Teaching endorsements allow you to expand your licensure and tailor your degree to your interests and career goals. Endorsements give you the flexibility to add subject areas or specialties, making you more versatile and in demand as an educator.
Students can:
- Add endorsements to broaden the grade levels or subjects they are qualified to teach
- Specialize in areas that align with their interests and career goals
- Strengthen their resume and increase job opportunities after graduation
Whether you want to teach multiple subjects, support specific student populations, or expand your expertise, endorsements help you build a more flexible and competitive teaching profile.
Teacher Education Career Outlook
Careers in education remain essential and in demand.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 3.8 million teaching positions nationwide, with a median annual wage of about $61,000. Ongoing demand, driven by retirements and workforce needs, creates steady opportunities across public, private, and specialized education settings.
Accreditation
The Assurance of Accreditation
The assurance of regional accreditation means that our degrees have been evaluated for their outcomes — including how well they prepare you to meet the needs of your employers, yourself and our global society. College of Saint Mary is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.
The Teacher Education Department is accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education (888) 285-2556.
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Wherever you’re starting from, we’ll help you build a future with confidence.