In close collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department (in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development) offers:

A 15-credit minor in educational studies to all interested undergraduates, and
A five-year integrated teacher certification program, which awards Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in (a) Secondary Education, with concentrations in science, math, English, social studies and world languages, (b) Elementary Education, and (c) Special Education

Our programs are organized around reflective inquiry and socially responsible professional practice. We are committed to educating scholar-practitioners who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to enact meaningful connections between theory and practice, promote a developmental model of human growth and learning, exercise ethical professional judgment and leadership, and advocate for quality education for all learners.

Faculty of the Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department are available for individual advising by appointment throughout the year. Our teacher preparation programs are accredited by the State of Connecticut and are nationally recognized by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

Students who successfully complete the teacher preparation programs at Fairfield qualify for an initial teaching certificate as secondary educators (grades 7 through 12) or elementary educators in the state of Connecticut. This certificate is recognized by 38 other states and the District of Columbia, all of which participate in the NASDTEC Interstate Contract.