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Hamline Education student, student teaching through Hamline-to-Hamline partnership with Hamline Elementary

Education Major with Initial Teaching License

Bachelor of Arts

How to become a teacher in Minnesota

When you join Hamline's education department, you open the door to decades of lifelong learning. Whether you teach in the classroom, a community space, or in other training contexts, you’ll be joining an incredibly important and fulfilling profession with an opportunity to make a difference in your students' lives.

You'll work side-by-side with professors and classmates to develop the strategies, knowledge, and skills you need to create a student-centered classroom and succeed in any number of education-related fields. Don't just take our word for it: K-12 principals consistently rate our graduates as highly prepared to succeed in the classroom, and four recent Minnesota Teachers of the Year earned their degrees from Hamline.

Your teaching license options

  • Adult Basic Education
  • Chemistry, 9-12
  • Communication Arts and Literature, 5–8 and 5-12
  • Elementary Education, K–6
  • English as a Second Language, K–12
  • General Science 5–8
  • Life Sciences, 9–12
  • Mathematics, 5-8 and 5–12
  • Physics, 9–12
  • Social Studies, 5–8 and 5-12
  • Special Education: Academic Behavioral Strategist
  • Special Education: Autism Spectrum Disorder
Hamline education student
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Get top-notch preparation to become a teacher

Discover why teaching is such an important—and rewarding—profession. Hear from faculty and staff about what makes Hamline’s teacher preparation program unique and how you can join a network of thousands of Hamline alumni teaching in Minnesota.

Student research opportunities

At Hamline, students participate in research with faculty as early as their first year, something usually reserved for graduate students at other institutions. You'll design and conduct your own research project based on your individual interests and goals.

The list of possible research projects is as varied as our students. For example, picture yourself:

  • Designing and implementing a restorative justice program with middle schoolers
  • Traveling abroad to pair your education major with an international teaching opportunity in cities in Mexico, Ireland, Thailand, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Australia
  • Facilitating a “book club” in a high school classroom as a way to promote social justice
  • Developing a school garden as part of an environmental education program
  • Participating in a clinical experience in a Minneapolis school as you build your understanding of what makes an effective school and classroom teacher
  • Joining one of Hamline’s collaborative projects at Hamline Elementary just across the street from campus, including one-on-one tutoring; environmental education; restorative justice training; guided clinicals with master teachers; sponsored fellowships in literacy and STEM education; and student-teaching

During your research process, you’ll collaborate with professionals at major research institutions, publish your research in academic journals, and present your work at local, regional, and national conferences.

Internships for education students

A variety of experiences in schools are built into the education major to help prepare you for success as an educator. As part of these experiences, you might find yourself: 

  • Assisting in a recording or videography studio at High School for the Recording Arts
  • Helping students build their science exploration skills in the “Inquiry Zone” at Crossroads Science Magnet Elementary School
  • Tutoring first graders in reading and math skills at Hamline Elementary
  • Helping English language learners build their speaking and listening skills at Hmong Prep Academy 
  • Teaching a lesson on the Civil Rights Movement in a social studies classroom at Harding High School
  • Leading a discussion of The Hate U Give or The Marrow Thieves with English students at Avalon High School
Shelby Conrad, Education student at Hamline
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Find your passion in the classroom

As a Hamline education student, you will have the opportunity to go into a classroom right away and start working with students. Hear from a current education student about how going into the classroom early helped them find their passion for teaching.

Explore career paths

Our innovative courses and one-on-one mentoring by faculty will give you the tools to succeed in a variety of jobs, such as:

  • Classroom paraprofessional
  • Social studies teacher
  • Writing coach
  • Nature center community educator in a non-school setting
  • K-12 principal 
  • College professor

You can also put your degree to work in any number of fields, including:

  • Educational consulting
  • Test development
  • Curriculum design
  • Child psychology
  • Corporate training
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Headshot of Hamline Student Ray Doss

Hamline’s education major gave me incredible career readiness skills. With a holistic understanding of how the job worked, I was able to enter the field of teaching with a great foundation to stand on.

Ray Doss ‘20, Education; social studies teacher at Hiawatha Academies

Take your studies further with graduate school

Many education graduates have returned to Hamline to pursue advanced degrees and licenses in education. Our goal is to support you on every step of your journey in education. Post-graduate opportunities for education students include:

  • Additional teaching licenses, from teaching English as a foreign language to adult basic education
  • Administrative licensure for principals and superintendents
  • Education specialist degree (EDS)
  • Master of Arts in education
  • Master of Arts in literacy education
  • Master of Arts in natural sciences and environmental education
  • Master of Arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages
  • Doctorate in Education

Take your first step today