Teacher certification

NAU is the only state university with education programs accredited by CAEP

Northern Arizona University’s Department of Teaching and Learning offers premiere teacher education programs to meet the needs of residential and community campus undergraduate and graduate students. Whether you are working on your very first degree in education or already have an undergraduate degree in another field, NAU can help you achieve your dream of becoming a teacher.

Our teacher education programs are designed to create competent and preferred practitioners. A balance of foundational theory, current best practices, and relevant field experiences ensures that our teacher candidates are highly qualified and prepared for their future careers.

A fulfilling career

Elementary school teachers do more than educate. They also advocate for, boost the morale of, motivate, and encourage the creativity of children. U.S. News and World Report listed teaching as one of the “100 Best Jobs” in America and asserts, “We can expect 167,900 more job openings for grade school teachers by the year 2022, with the most job opportunities in southern and western states.”

NAU & Teaching and Learning’s accreditation

NAU is the only state university with education programs accredited by CAEP

NAU & Teaching and Learning’s accreditation

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

NAU’s professional education programs  recently were accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the first programs in Arizona to receive this distinction. The prestigious designation provides evidence that NAU graduates are meeting national standards for teacher training.

Higher Learning Commission

Northern Arizona University received numerous accolades and a strong recommendation for continued accreditation in a report from the Higher Learning Commission.

“To say the results were positive is an understatement,” said former NAU President John Haeger. “We should certainly take this as confirmation that we are moving in the right direction.” The final report, released in March 2014, was the result of the commission’s October 2013 site visit to NAU as part of the university’s accreditation renewal process, a standard practice that occurs every 10 years as a way of ensuring that degree-granting educational institutions are meeting the expectations outlined by the accrediting agency.