Education Careers
Prepare for an in-demand career in one of USJ’s nationally accredited teacher education programs
The national teaching shortage creates an unprecedented opportunity for individuals interested in entering the teaching profession.
Program Offerings
- Hybrid, Synchronous Models
- Off-campus Locations
- Partner School Districts
- On-campus Laboratory Schools
USJ has a strong reputation for preparing students for diverse careers within the teaching profession, including programs that lead to teacher licensure in Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education at both undergraduate and graduate level, as well as Early Childhood Education at the graduate level.
We also offer advanced programs for practicing teachers looking to deepen their knowledge or seek additional teaching endorsements in critical shortage areas like Special Education or TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages).
We prepare teachers whose work is grounded in current research, theory, and evidence-based instructional practices to become agents of change across the various careers in education. This is accomplished through close faculty mentorship, rigorous coursework, and high-quality supervised fieldwork in our clinical partnership placements.
Undergraduate Teacher Licensure Programs
In conjunction with academic majors offered at the University, undergraduate students’ complete coursework and clinical experiences that lead to a recommendation for teacher licensure while completing their undergraduate degree. Undergraduates can pursue teacher licensure in the following areas:
- Elementary Education | Grades 1-6
- Comprehensive Special Education | Grades K-12
- Secondary Education, Biology | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Chemistry | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, English | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, History, and Social Studies | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Mathematics | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Spanish | Grades 7-12
- Special Education, B.S. with Teacher Licensure
Graduate Teacher Licensure Programs
Qualified graduate students can earn a master’s degree in teaching (MAT) that includes coursework and clinical field experiences that leads to a recommendation for licensure in the following areas:
- Early Childhood Education/Special Education, M.A. | Nursery to Grade (Hybrid)
- Elementary Education, MAT | Grades 1-6 (Hybrid)
- Comprehensive Special Education, MAT | Grades K-12 (Hybrid)
- Secondary Education, Biology | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Chemistry | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, English | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, History | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Mathematics | Grades 7-12
- Secondary Education, Spanish | Grades 7-12
Graduate Cross Endorsement Programs for Licensed Teachers
Licensed Teachers can earn a master’s degree while also completing requirements for cross endorsement in critical shortage areas:
- Special Education – Advanced Teaching, M.A., Cross Endorsement program for Licensed Teachers
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), M.A., Cross Endorsement program for Licensed Teachers (Online)
Off-Campus Education Programs
Learn more about USJ’s convenient and flexible off-campus education programs:
https://www.graduateprogram.org/university-of-saint-joseph/
- Education – Personalized Professional Pathways Concentration (MAPPP), M.A. (Online)
- Instructional Technology, M.A. (Online)
- Curriculum & Instruction, M.A. (Online)
- Literacy, M.A. (Online)
- Special Education, M.A. with Graduate Certificate in Autism and Neurodiverse Learners (Online)
- Special Education, M.A. with Graduate Certificate in Autism and Neurodiverse Learners (Online)
- Special Education, M.A. with Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities (Online)
- Autism and Neurodiverse Learners Graduate Certificate (Online)
- Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities Graduate Certificate (Online)
- M.A. in Special Education (No Cross Endorsement) (Hybrid)
- M.A. in Special Education Advanced Teaching (Cross Endorsement) (Hybrid)
- M.A. in Education with Concentration In Arts Integration (Hybrid)
Why USJ for a Career in Education?
- Small faculty-student ratio provides the personal attention and guidance needed to be successful in today’s diverse educational settings
- High quality fieldwork experiences at the beginning, middle, and end of the teacher education program ensure that candidates have robust practice-based opportunities needed to be ready to learner ready on day one.
- State-of-the-art technology that supports learning, collaborative, and feedback while students are in clinical field placements and completing field-based course assignments.
- Education faculty who are renowned professionals involved in research, clinical practice, and professional scholarship at the national level.
Advance in your career through clinical placements in partner school districts and renowned laboratory schools:
- The Gengras Center
- The School for Young Children
- East Hartford Public Schools
- Bloomfield Public Schools
- South Windsor Public Schools
Alumni Network
Join an alumni network making a difference in their communities as teachers and leaders:
Stay in touch and build your network by connecting with other USJ alumni on Facebook and Instagram.

Notable Alumni:
Johana Hayes M’12, DAA’17
U.S. Representative
Fifth Congressional District of CT

All initial licensure programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Educator Preparation Providers (CAEP) 2018. Our cross-endorsement programs in Special Education and TESOL are nationally accredited.