Western Carolina University is a public regional comprehensive university with nationally and internationally recognized teacher-scholars dedicated to student learning. The University provides comprehensive educational opportunities to residents in North Carolina’s far west region and attracts students from across the country and around the globe to explore the region’s vast natural diversity. Founded in 1889 as a teaching college, Western Carolina University is the fifth oldest institution in the University of North Carolina System. It now serves more than 11,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level programs.
Western Carolina University’s mission is to create learning opportunities that incorporate teaching, research, service and engagement through on-campus, off-campus, online and international experiences. The university focuses on educational outreach and research, and creative and cultural activities to sustain and improve individual lives and enhance economic and community development in Western North Carolina and beyond. Educating future teachers has been a passion of ours since WCU began as a teaching college over 125 years ago. With that, we pride ourselves on continuing to offer unparalleled teacher education programs for those beginning their journeys to become teachers and for current teachers working to advance in their careers.
My combined degree of Special and Elementary Education takes on every aspect of inclusion. I am grateful for the instruction provided by top notch professors on diversity, culture, and ability. The Inclusive Education program provides unique learning opportunities that help us transform the way we think about teaching, engage us in activities that help us understand a universal design for learning, and inspire us to be the change we want to see in the world of education.
As the westernmost campus in the University of North Carolina system, Western Carolina University is proud to offer quality academic programs, including nationally recognized degree programs in education. Our teacher education programs prepare highly effective and ethical graduates who are inspired to be lifelong learners engaged in the community, and empowered to become leaders who strive to transform the future. Through rigorous coursework and extensive field experiences in partner schools, our graduates are well prepared for their future work as teachers and teacher leaders.
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Application Fee & Annual Tuition
$1,000
In State Tuition
$5,000
Out of State Tuition
$65
Application Fee
Ways to Lower Your Costs
Students at Western Carolina University have reduced the cost of their program using these methods. Check with Western Carolina University to see if you can, too!
Amount
Description
$275,000
Grants, Stipends, Scholarships
The College of Education and Allied Professions has over 66 unique scholarships and awarded approximately $275,000 to students for the 2023-24 academic year.
$1,000-$2,000
Work Study, Working While Still Enrolled
Work study opportunities are available. Typical awards are between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars per year based on financial need.
$500-$2500
NC Promise
Through NC Promise, the state has significantly reduced student tuition cost to $500 per semester for in-state and $2500 per semester for out-of-state students. See more information here.
Art (K-12) Birth to Kindergarten (PK-K) Elementary Education (K-6) English (9-12) Health & Physical Education (K-12) Language Arts, Middle Grades (6-9) Math (9-12) Math, Middle Grades (6-12) Music (K-12) Science (9-12) Science, Middle Grades (6-9) Social Studies (9-12) Social Studies, Middle Grades (6-9) Spanish (K-12) Special Education: Adapted Curriculum (K-12) Special Education: General Curriculum (K-12)
Program Semesters/Steps Overview
All teacher education students take core professional education courses that include field experiences in partner schools. Additional requirements focus on courses within the university liberal studies program and courses within majors.
Year-long internship in a school setting. During Intern I, students will be at the school one or two days a week and will complete coursework on other days. During Intern II, students will be in a full-time internship at their host schools.
Program Hallmarks
Field experiences and internships are essential components of our teacher education programs. Our teacher candidates begin Early Field Experiences in our first education courses and are engaged in focused observation, interviews and assisting classroom teachers. In methods courses, teacher candidates plan and teach lessons under the mentorship of faculty and classroom teachers. In their final year, teacher candidates complete a two-semester internship that includes full-time student teaching for an entire semester.
The College of Education and Allied Professions at Western Carolina University includes understanding, appreciating, respecting and embracing diversity as a core value. We integrate content into curricular and co-curricular experiences to promote students' knowledge, skills and dispositions related to diversity and cultural responsiveness. Students participate in and reflect upon diversity dialogues, field experiences in diverse settings and their individualized professional development progress, goals and plans related to diversity. In an effort to provide cross-cultural experiences for preservice education students, our Transformative Rural Urban Exchange Program provides teacher education majors a week visiting high-need and high-impact schools in rural and urban communities, sharing cultural experiences, attending university classes and interacting with their participant counterparts.
Our future teachers are mentored throughout their programs by dedicated faculty, professional advisors, and mentor public school teachers in their field placements. We support new teachers through beginning teacher symposiums and the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program.
Western Carolina University’s School University Partnership is recognized nationally as an exemplary partnership between the WCU College of Education and Allied Professions and Western North Carolina public schools. This partnership is designed to strengthen school-university relationships, establish professional development partnerships, strengthen teacher preparation and continued development, connect practice with teaching and learning theory, and share resources. SUTEP has partnerships with more than 100 schools in 18 school systems in the western region of North Carolina. Programs are comprehensive, collaboratively planned and implemented, and include: recruiting teacher education students, placing students in schools, providing professional development opportunities for teachers and school executives, redesigning teacher education programs, developing grant proposals and working together on research projects.
Operated by Western Carolina University in partnership with Jackson County Schools, The Catamount School is a lab school for 6th, 7th and 8th graders designed to explore innovative teaching approaches and applied learning opportunities in order to help every student discover their full academic potential. The Catamount School is located on the campus of Smoky Mountain High School.
Stats
Gender
Male
Female
24%
76%
Ethnicity
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic/Latino
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
0%
1%
4%
5%
0%
86%
3%
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