Nazareth College is a long-standing leader in teacher education in the Rochester area and beyond, and now the College’s School of Education has introduced an official undergraduate major in Inclusive Childhood/Middle Childhood Education.  For many years, students studying childhood and middle childhood inclusive education completed a liberal arts and sciences major as well as a 39-credit hour program in teacher education.  With the new change, students will have a double major: one in an area of the liberal arts and sciences, and one in inclusive childhood/middle childhood education.

“This change put students’ professional education coursework on equal footing with their liberal arts and science coursework,” said Timothy Glander, dean of Nazareth’s School of Education. “We believe that the liberal arts and sciences major requirement is a distinguishing feature of the academic experience our teacher education students have at Nazareth. Yet, the new education major is sending a strong message about the value both areas contribute to their educational experience and preparation.”

While it is a new major, there are no changes in the program, in coursework, or in the number of credits, and students are still required to also have a major in the liberal arts and sciences.

“This new move to an education major will allow our students to more thoroughly identify themselves as people preparing to be teachers,” said Kate DaBoll-Lavoie, chair of the Department of Inclusive Childhood Education at Nazareth. “It gives this part of their study more credibility and legitimacy.  It also helps prospective students see a much clearer picture of the School of Education when we can formally say that we have an education major on the undergraduate level.”

Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a coeducational college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located on 150 scenic acres near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Nazareth has a strong commitment to experience-based learning and civic engagement. In the past decade, Nazareth has produced 18 Fulbright recipients and two Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.