Answer your calling to teach by learning proven practices to help you excel in the pre-K, elementary, or secondary classroom.
The School of Education at MidAmerica Nazarene University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on March 31, 2025, through April 2, 2025. 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).
Please use the button below for more information on submitting your testimony.
Develop your teaching skills through hands-on learning and data-driven methods. You’ll be equipped to serve diverse learners, lead in various subjects, contribute to your professional community, and create student-centered instruction. All of this is offered with a spiritual focus at MNU.
Accredited by KSDE and CAEP.
Application to the teacher education program is a separate admission process from applying to MNU.
If you completed a Kansas Teaching Pathway program in high school, you are ready to seamlessly move into MNU’s Teacher Education program.
MNU honors the early learning you’ve completed. By participating in an MNU approved pathway through your high school, you can qualify to receive six credit hours of coursework, which count towards an education degree. For more information related to transfer courses and the steps required to receive course credit, contact our Licensure and Assessment Coordinator, Janelle Hoffpauir, at jdhoffpauir@smcun.com or 913.971.3526.
Do you want to be a person who influences and transforms lives? MNU prepares dynamic teachers through transformative technology, creative courses and innovative instructors. Learn how to make a difference in your future students’ lives and prepare them for fulfilling lives.
Majors:
While MNU no longer offers the middle level science program, School of Education advisors can provide an overview of two available pathways to help you meet your professional goals.
MNU provides opportunities to complete Areas of Emphasis to add endorsements or to grow your expertise as a professional educator. Gain rich field experiences in a variety of local classrooms before student teaching, as well as opportunities to visit Costa Rica and complete part of your student teaching in an international school.
Our program provides instruction on innovative strategies and teaches you how to effectively infuse technology in your classroom. You’ll have access to an education-specific honor society and a student-led professional development organization. Your path to success starts here—since spring 2011, our students have an overall 98% pass rate for the exams required for teacher licensure.
In order to be licensed, students must achieve a passing score on both the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Exam and the appropriate Praxis II Content exam. Information for the exams are available from the Department of Teacher Education.
Elementary Education majors transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene University from a regionally accredited college or university must complete at least 21 semester hours at MidAmerica before being placed in Student Teaching. Fifteen of these hours must be from the professional education block (exclusive of student teaching) and at least six semester hours must be from the major. MidAmerica Nazarene University does not accept transfer credit for Elementary and Professional Education courses from non-accredited institutions. The School of Education’s licensure officer reviews all transcripts. Persons who have not previously held a Kansas teaching certificate will be required to pass pre-licensure exams prior to issuance of a Kansas license. These examinations include the Principles of Learning and Teaching examination and the Praxis II Content examination.
Students who plan to teach in the public school system (middle school level) are advised to major in the academic field of their choice and to take the required professional education courses. The following academic program has been approved by the Kansas State Department of Education for licensure in middle school education:
Middle school education majors transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene University from a regionally accredited college or university must complete at least 21 semester hours at MidAmerica before being placed in Student Teaching and/or recommended for licensure. Fifteen of these hours must be from the professional education block (exclusive of student teaching) and at least six semester hours must be from the major. MidAmerica Nazarene University does not accept transfer credit for the major and Professional Education courses from non-accredited institutions. The School of Education’s licensure officer reviews all transcripts. Persons who have not previously held a Kansas teaching license will be required to pass pre-licensure exams prior to issuance of a Kansas license. These examinations include the Principles of Learning and Teaching examination and the Praxis II content examination.
While MNU no longer offers the middle level science program, School of Education advisors can provide an overview of two available pathways to help you meet your professional goals.
Students who plan to teach in the public school system (secondary grades) are advised to major in the academic field of their choice and to take the required professional education courses. The following academic programs have been approved by the Kansas State Department of Education for licensure in secondary education:
Secondary Education majors transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene University from a regionally accredited college or university must complete at least 21 semester hours at MidAmerica before being placed in Student Teaching and/or recommended for licensure. Fifteen of these hours must be from the professional education block (exclusive of student teaching) and at least six semester hours must be from the major. MidAmerica Nazarene University does not accept transfer credit for the major and Professional Education courses from non-accredited institutions. The School of Education’s licensure officer reviews all transcripts.
Persons who have not previously held a Kansas teaching license will be required to pass pre-licensure exams prior to issuance of a Kansas license. These examinations include the Principles of Learning and Teaching examination and the Praxis II content examination.
Kansas regulations currently permit a person who is licensed for teaching grades K-6, 6-12, or P-12 to be recommended for licensure in additional secondary area(s) if the applicant has met the specified licensure requirements and/or achieved a passing score on the appropriate Praxis II Content Exam. Contact the MNU Licensure and Assessment Coordinator for additional information
Student teaching is a notably intense and demanding experience. Consequently, students are advised to suspend/avoid outside employment during the student teaching semester. In extreme or dire circumstances requiring students to maintain employment during student teaching, that employment must be reported by students to the cooperating teacher and the University Supervisor. The employment must not interfere in any way with student teaching. If a student’s performance during student teaching does not meet expectations, the student will be asked to stop working or to repeat the student teaching experience. Attendance at school faculty meetings, parent teacher nights, performance of other extracurricular duties and attendance at on-campus seminar sessions is expected of all student teachers.
If there is an interruption in a candidate’s Teacher Education Program of two semesters or more between the education coursework and student teaching, the student is required to meet with the Chair of Teacher Education and the appropriate advisor to seek approval for readmission into the program.
Initial teacher preparation programs approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) are:
The advanced program approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is:
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires institutions to publish data annually on eight annual measures. The data demonstrates the quality of the provider’s programs and graduates to potential students, employers and media. CAEP examines the provider’s P-12 student learning impact, teacher effectiveness, employer satisfaction and completer satisfaction.
Kansas legislature has decided that P-12 student data from state assessments cannot be released. Thus, MNU’s educator preparation program (EPP) is unable to collect data on how its graduates are performing in the field. The EPP created a case study plan to collect and analyze data from graduates’ classrooms to meet this expectation. In addition to our case study, MNU’s EPP collects data from our graduates through alumni surveys. The survey tracks the program’s ability to prepare candidates for the field and their ability to demonstrate effective teaching methods.
MNU’s EPP collects data through employer surveys, which MNU sends to employers of completers who are one to three years post-graduation. The employer survey tracks employer perceptions regarding the readiness of our graduates to perform effectively in the classroom.
Kansas State Department of Education requires completers to pass licensure exams. The exams measure completers’ content knowledge for their endorsement subject area and pedagogical knowledge. Per guidelines, in order for these test results to be made public, ten or more examinees are required.
The EPP measures the ability of completers to be hired in education positions through graduate self-reporting of employment and a review of KSDE employment information.
Concern about paying back student loans is common. That’s why we provide the Pioneer Pledge, our loan repayment assistance program. If your income is modest after graduation, Pioneer Pledge assists with your educational loan repayments. Learn more on our financial aid pages.
Find the teaching program that’s right for you. Talk to your MNU team to customize your journey.
2030 E. College Way
Olathe, KS 66062-1899
913-782-3750 or 800-800-8887
