Program of Study

College of Education Teaching Programs

Founded as a teacher's college in 1949, Grand Canyon University has been helping teachers find their purpose and achieve their potential for more than 60 years. GCU offers a variety of  bachelor's and master's degree programs in education, as well as continuing education courses for teachers. Offering teaching programs in elementary, secondary, early childhood and special education to name a few, the College of Education proudly prepares educators to serve and lead in public and private PK-12 schools world-wide.

The teaching programs at Grand Canyon University are designed to support and promote the university's mission to prepare learners to become global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators and responsible leaders from the context of its Christian heritage. The College of Education inspires excellence in pedagogy and scholarship; advances reflective, innovative and collaborative teaching practices to maximize student learning and achievement; promotes servant leadership in educational communities; and engages a diverse and global community of learners with purpose and passion.

Professional Education Programs

Grand Canyon University's teaching programs reflect the standards of both national accrediting bodies and the Arizona Department of Education. The primary goal of GCU's College of Education is to produce highly-effective teachers and administrators who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to stimulate change in their students, their schools and their communities.

The College of Education's teaching programs are designed to ensure that learners aspire to a set of personal and professional goals that will enable them to be educators focused on student learning and achievement. These goals are reflective of standards set forth by state and federal departments of education, professional education organizations and accrediting bodies.

Six of the College's programs have received National Recognition status from several specialized professional associations. National recognition indicates that the programs have been benchmarked against national expectations for teacher or principal quality and found acceptable to the association. The College's nationally recognized programs are:

• MEd in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (non-IR) by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• MEd in Early Childhood Education (IR) by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• MEd in Educational Administration (IR) by the Educational Leadership Constituents Council (ELCC)
• MEd in Secondary Education / Physical Education emphasis by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)
• BS in Early Childhood Education by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• BS in Secondary Education / Physical Education emphasis by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

These programs have undergone a rigorous program review process in alignment with the College's pursuit of national accreditation, a mechanism for establishing and ensuring highly effective P-12 teachers and administrators nationwide.

GCU's College of Education Promise
Grand Canyon University's College of Education encourages our graduates to make a personal commitment of excellence to both their students and the profession. This commitment is nurtured throughout their program of study and solidified during student teaching.

Believing in the preparedness of our graduates, the excellence of our teaching programs, and the personal commitment graduates have made to both their students and the profession, the College promises to provide first-year teaching assistance, as necessary, to graduates recommended for teacher certification.

Assistance may be requested by the graduate, principal, or superintendent at no expense and can range from a refresher course in the area of difficulty to GCU faculty mentoring. Coachable areas include, but are not limited to, curriculum planning and design, classroom management, and differentiated instruction. For further information, contact the College of Education's Office of Field Experience.