BW alumna helps students grow with heartfelt gift July 2
Emily Collins '23 offered each child a plant with a history that ties back to her own kindergarten teacher.
School of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences
(440) 826-2166
At Baldwin Wallace, your path to becoming a contributing, compassionate and competent professional educator begins your first year with relevant coursework and in-school classroom observations.
Rigorous and career-focused, BW's undergraduate education program builds on the strengths of a liberal arts-focused foundation.
Your education studies will include comprehensive, professional coursework and practical experiences. You'll learn innovative classroom techniques and research-based teaching methods and gain the knowledge, skills, technical competencies and professional perspectives to prepare for an ever-changing education environment. Before you graduate, you'll have more than 650 hours of field and clinical experience in a variety of diverse school settings.
BW graduates meet a rigorous set of standards on their way to licensure eligibility. As a result, they meet and most often exceed requirements set by the State of Ohio.
Small classes, personalized attention and high standards are at the forefront of the program. You'll learn the latest, effective teaching practices, as well as see them modeled in classes by faculty members with decades of teaching experience. An education studies minor is also available for students interested in the field of education, but not interested in getting a teaching license.
The rigor and high professional standards of BW's education program have fostered an outstanding reputation in Northeast Ohio and beyond. BW has partnerships with more than 60 districts and hundreds of schools.
Baldwin Wallace University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Department of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for initial and advanced programs. Music Education (grades PK-12) is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). All BW licensure and endorsement programs are approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE).
View additional education accreditation information and CAEP annual reporting measures.
In addition to traditional undergraduate programs, BW offers two initial teacher licensure programs for individuals with bachelor's degrees seeking to enter the teaching profession without earning another bachelor's degree.
BW also offers a Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) program, endorsements and licenses, professional development courses for licensed teachers, and courses leading to a school social work license.
BW alumna helps students grow with heartfelt gift July 2
Emily Collins '23 offered each child a plant with a history that ties back to her own kindergarten teacher.
Literacy grant grounds future teachers in the science of reading March 3
BW education faculty revise department coursework, collaborate with Fairview Park schools with support from an Improving Literacy Partnership Incentive Grant.
The career accelerator you need in 2025: Project management skills January 15
Compelling evidence supports the development of project management skills as a career game-changer no matter what field you work in.
2025 US News rankings affirm BW's standing as a superior college choice September 24
BW is yet again among the top 10 best colleges in the 12-state Midwest region and earned a number of other standout rankings.
New year excitement begins as BW welcomes incoming class August 26
Week of Welcome is the kick-off to the new year, as 700 incoming first-year students joined the YJ4L community.
Faculty-student collaboration at the heart of BW Summer Scholars June 26
From research to creative projects, BW Summer Scholars are pursuing topics that enable them to expand their studies with the help of a faculty mentor.
BW students win NASA/Ohio Space Grant Consortium scholarships June 6
Eight Baldwin Wallace students earned the competitive scholarships for STEM majors, including aspiring math and science teachers.
174th BW Commencement celebrates resilience May 5
The celebration was a first for undergraduates who began their college journey in the tumultuous fall of 2020 after missing out on high school graduation ceremonies.
Students from all disciplines take a bow at BW Ovation 2024 April 26
The annual Ovation celebration put an exclamation point on 2023-24 Baldwin Wallace student achievement.
BW's undergraduate education program provides a professional experience for aspiring teachers that includes:
This license is for candidates who wish to teach children in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 (ages 3-10). This program allows students to earn multiple credentials including the early childhood education license and early childhood intervention specialist license. Graduates of the program will be able to teach young children with and without disabilities in a variety of inclusive settings. Candidates may also choose to complete certification in English for the Second Language Learner by adding two courses.
The middle childhood license is for grades 4 through 9 (ages 8-14), and requires that teachers hold a license in two subject areas from the following: reading and language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Students who select reading and language arts as one of their middle childhood teaching areas will also receive the reading endorsement (grades 4-9) as an addition to their middle childhood teaching license. Students must complete requirements of the middle childhood program outline and two subject areas from the teaching fields for middle childhood.
The Adolescent/Young Adult (AYA) license is for subject-related teaching disciplines that span grades 7 through 12 (ages 12-21). Candidates will obtain an AYA Major with options for either a second major or a minor, depending upon the area they wish to teach.
Licensure Content Areas Offered in AYA:
The multi-age license is for subject-related teaching disciplines that span pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (ages 3-21). See also adolescent/young adult, above, for additional subject-related teaching areas. Content areas for multi-age licenses:
This intervention specialist license is for kindergarten through grade 12 (ages 5-21). Graduates of the program will be able to teach students with disabilities in a variety of inclusive settings.
This minor is available for students interested in the field of education, but not interested in getting a teaching license.
Experiential learning bridges classroom study with real-world opportunities. You can enhance your studies through internships, co-curricular activities and other learning opportunities that include:
Throughout your four years at BW, you'll have a variety of field experiences that enable you to observe as well as teach in a classroom. The capstone of BW's education program is a year-long clinical practice experience. Through this opportunity, you'll demonstrate competencies in planning, delivering and assessing student learning. You'll develop the skills and professional attitudes needed to be responsive to student needs, to work collaboratively with other professionals, and to successfully represent the high standards and teaching practices you learned through your BW studies.
Personally and professionally rewarding, student organizations and activities foster career skills, leadership and teamwork.
Baldwin Wallace Student Education Organization (BWSEO)
BWSEO is a student organization that promotes and supports the professional teacher education interests of traditional and non-traditional students. It keeps students informed of educational activities and trends. It also sponsors its own professional conference each year.
Across Ohio and beyond, BW education alumni can be found in successful careers as teachers, administrators, curricular leaders and more.
Chair, Department of Education
Ph.D., Kent State University
Assistant Professor
Ed.D., University of South Carolina
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Professor
Ed.D., Walden University
Assistant Professor
Ed.D., Walden University
Debra Janas
Chair, Department of Education
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Loretta Ayers
Assistant Professor
Ed.D., University of South Carolina
Rochelle Berndt
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Gary Christie
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
Cynthia Dieterich
Professor, Ph.D.
Kent State University
Susan Finelli-Genovese
Professor
Ed.D., Walden University
Brandi Seither
Assistant Professor
Ed.D., Walden University
Shawn Straub
Director of Field & Clinical Education
M.A., Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Erin Byrne
Data & Licensure Coordinator
Adjunct Faculty
M.A., Middle Tennessee State University