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College of Education

Teacher Education FAQ

CAEP Accreditation

The College of Education at NC State University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) March 20-22, 2022. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

We invite you to submit written testimony to:

CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:

  • In CAEP’s performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
  • A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
  • Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review. 
A teacher in a classroom

Professional Education FAQ

1) How many students are in the College of Education?

  • There are currently 614 undergraduate students in the College of Education. Of these students 74% are white, 78% are female, and 97% are full-time.  These students are spread across 10 programs/licensure areas.
  • There are 179 MAT students in the College of Education.  Of these students 77% are white, and 75% are female. These students are spread across 11 programs.
  • There are 82 Alternative Licensure students in the College.  Of these students 60% are white, 66% are female, and all are part-time students. These students are spread across 11 programs/licensure areas.
  • There are 1,146 students in Advanced Programs in the College of Education. Of these students 64% are white, 73% are female, and 32% are full-time students.

2) What is the average class size?

  • Most of our undergraduate teacher education classes are capped at 24 students.
  • Most of our graduate courses are capped at 20 students.

3) What are the admission requirements for the College?

  • All undergraduate students must be formally Admitted to Candidacy (ATC) before they become eligible to student teach. ATC criteria include a minimum 2.75 GPA, passing standardized test scores, a minimum of 45 credit hours, and successfully completing ED 204 (Introduction to Teaching) and co-requisite. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/updated/licensure/admission-candidacy
  • In order to be admitted to the MAT program, individuals must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. In addition, 24 semester hours in the core content area are required. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/updated/mat/admissions
  • In order to be admitted into a Residency program (NC TEACH or Pathway to Practice), a participant must meet the minimum requirements for a Residency License according to NC DPI. An individual must have a 2.70 GPA and meet one of the following content requirements: 1) a degree in the subject area, 2) 24 hours in the subject area, OR 3) the Praxis II or Pearson tests for the license area. For more detailed information visit: https://ced.ncsu.edu/nc-teach or http://pathwaytopractice.com.

4) What is the average GPA for incoming freshmen?

  • 4.48 weighted HS GPA
  • What is the average SAT/ACT score for incoming freshmen?
  • SAT 1262 (88%ile), ACT 28 (89%ile)

5) How long does it take to complete a degree?

  • Most full-time undergraduate students who begin as a freshman will complete their degree in 8 semesters. Transfer students range from 4-6 semesters depending on when they transfer into the college.
  • The MAT program can be completed in as little as 18 months.
  • The alternative licensure program can be completed in 1 year.
  • Graduation Rates (Outcome Measure 5)
  • How long does it take to complete the program?

6) How will I interact with other College of Education majors?

  • All of our programs require a series of Core Courses in which candidates from all disciplines are enrolled. Additionally, candidates interact with their peers in college-sponsored organizations, our Passport to Success program, and our required Professional Growth Opportunities.

7) What types of field experiences should I expect?

  • Field experiences will vary by program. However, all candidates will complete a field experience each semester they are in the program starting with their 200-level course. These experiences will be in a variety of public, K-12 school settings. Experiences culminate during the senior year with a year-long student teaching. For more detailed information please visit the Professional Education Handbook.

8) What international experiences will I have access to?

  • College of Education students are strongly encouraged to participate in international experiences. The university offers a wide-ranging study abroad program and there are specific College of Education offerings. These offerings include a 2-week program in China and Mexico and a 4-week program in China. For more information please visit http://ced.ncsu.edu/global-programs/.
  • Students also regularly participate in international alternative service break programs during the winter and spring breaks.

9) What other opportunities are available for me?

  • To further enhance the growth and development of our candidates the college offers a variety of free Professional Growth Opportunities. These experiences range from 1-hour sessions to multi-day experiences in far-ranging topics related to education. To see a list of these opportunities please visit: Professional Development
  • Candidates who want to go above and beyond the traditional teacher education experience can apply to our Passport to Success program. This program is designed to more fully integrate curricular and co-curricular aspects of the NC State teacher education program. Candidates have the opportunity to design targeted “outside of the classroom” experiences to enhance what they learn in their teacher education program. For more information visit: Passport to Success
  • Candidates in the college also have the opportunity to participate in a “living and learning” community called SAY Village. Students Advocating for Youth (SAY) participants are provided the opportunity to interact with and support local at-risk k-12 students in a variety of contexts. For more information visit: SAY Village

10) What scholarships are available?

11) How do I know I’ll be prepared to teach when I graduate?

  • The College of Education uses a variety of metrics to ensure you are fully prepared to successfully teach. Each of our candidates has a national performance assessment called the edTPA (https://edtpa.aacte.org/).  The edTPA is an evaluation of Planning, Instructing, and Assessment Tasks. These are among the most critical elements of effective teaching.
  • Our college also collects alumni and employment data from our graduates. This data provides the college with critical information for program improvement.  Based on this data we are confident that our graduates are not only prepared but excel in the classroom.
  • Data from the NC Department of Public Instruction demonstrates the effectiveness of our graduates. Over the last 3 years, over 97% of our graduates were shown to be proficient or above on their in-service performance evaluation and over 83% met or exceeded student growth on standardized achievement tests in their classrooms.
  • Our alumni complete multiple surveys regarding their preparation. The results overwhelmingly suggest our graduates are highly satisfied with the quality of their education and their preparation to teach.

12) When I graduate what kind of continuing support can I expect?

  • Results of prior alumni surveys suggested that graduates needed additional support in some specific areas including working with ESL students and parents.  The College of Education is committed to the success of its graduates. We feel an obligation not only to the teachers we prepare but to the children in their classrooms.  To support our graduates we developed a Beginning Teacher Institute (BTI). The institute includes two 2-day series of workshops prior to the start of the school year for recent graduates. The institute topics are developed based on alumni surveys and feedback. In 2018, we supported more than 130 beginning teachers from 40 different Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across the state. According to the evaluation survey of the 2018 participants felt more prepared to 1) prepare engaging lesson plans (82%); 2) manage their classroom (93%), 3) teach with technology (70%), 4) support students with specific learning needs (82%), and assess student learning (80%). To learn more about the BTI visit: Beginning Teacher Institute

13) Where might I expect to work?

  • The college hosts two job fairs during the academic year for candidates who are graduating. The vast majority of our graduates take positions in public schools throughout North Carolina (91%).  Most obtain employment in the Wake County Public School System. Some graduates choose to teach outside of North Carolina (2.5%) and some choose professions outside of education or continue on to graduate school (5%).

14) How much will I make as a teacher in NC?

  • In North Carolina, teachers are state employees. Every teacher earns a base salary provided by the state, additionally, some school systems provide a local supplement.  The supplement amount will vary by district. The starting salary for a teacher in NC is $33,000 and supplements vary from $0 – $6000 in additional pay. The salary schedule can be found at https://www.ncpublicschools.org/fbs/finance/salary/

13) Is this Educator Preparation Program (EPP) approved by the N.C. Department of Publication Instruction? 

  • Yes, the College of Education is an Educator Preparation Program approved by the N.C. Department of Publication. You can contact DPI if you have questions about renewing your teaching license. Additionally, you can follow the EPP Complaint Process for any issues or concerns about noncompliance with EPP requirements.