Let’s Try Something...
Name a teacher who has had a positive impact on your life. Can you think of anyone? We’re guessing that several names, not just one, immediately come to mind. Most people have had at least one teacher who served as much more than just an instructor. By becoming a teacher yourself, you would be able to help students reach their potential and believe in themselves--just as your favorite teachers did for you. If you share our belief that all children have the promise within them to become someone better, to pursue a future that is life-changing, and to make the world a better place, the UNC Charlotte Cato College of Education is here to help you every step of the way. Our nationally-accredited programs, award-winning faculty, and expansive extracurricular opportunities are designed to help our students make the absolute most of their education and form a solid foundation for their teaching careers.
Read on to learn how the Cato College of Education can help take you where you need to go, or learn more about our programs here.
Why Teach?
Teaching is much more than just a job. It’s an opportunity to recast futures, rewrite destinies, and change lives. It’s the opportunity to put new ideas into motion every day. It’s the chance to constantly ask new questions and explore new answers. In fact, some say that to be a teacher is to be a lifelong student. If you love to learn, teaching will give you the opportunity to engage with your favorite subject matter through multiple points of view.
Why UNC Charlotte?
Why should you choose UNC Charlotte’s Cato College of Education? We’re glad you asked. Our students uniquely benefit from:
- A prime location in Charlotte, N.C., the largest city in the state. Our lush, wooded main campus is peaceful and self-contained, yet still in close proximity to the bustling city.
- 5 undergraduate major options and 6 undergraduate minor options, all nationally accredited and approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
- Six research centers and educational institutes, including the Center for Adolescent Literacies; the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation; the Multicultural Play Therapy Center; and more.
- Plenty of mentoring: With over 118 full-time faculty members, you’ll have endless opportunities to assist in faculty research, create networking contacts, and explore new avenues.
What You’ll Learn
Our mission is to prepare highly effective, ethical educators who are able to have a positive, lasting impact on their students and their communities. Your coursework will train you to be successful in a wide variety of educational settings, including urban and high-need areas, and with students of various backgrounds and educational needs. We believe that the most successful educators are those who focus on the whole child: not just the child’s cognitive needs, but the emotional, physical, environmental, and family circumstances that surround those needs as well. Through your studies, you will learn how to lead effective and engaging classroom dialogues, communicate an understanding of information to others, and transform lives.
Who You’ll Learn It With
It's no surprise, our faculty members are passionate about teaching. Year after year, they're recognized for their commitment to students through high marks on evaluations and prestigious awards. In 2020, Dr. Heather Coffey won UNC Charlotte's top teaching award for motivating and mentoring students to achieve in the classroom, in the community, and in their future careers.
The Places You’ll Go
We are incredibly proud of our graduates, who have gone on to work in many area public schools and shown themselves to be successful in a wide variety of educational environments. Our graduates have won more than 65 teaching and educational awards since 2015, which can be viewed here.
How We’ll Help You Get There
UNC Charlotte is in close proximity to over 12 public school districts and dozens of private schools, almost all of which have hired our graduates. We maintain a close working relationship with these institutions and are therefore able to provide our students with excellent career opportunities. In fact, our job placement rate is the 2nd highest in the UNC system.
Our University Career Center provides the following services and programs to students and alumni:
- Career Fairs held throughout the year provide education-related internships, volunteer, summer, and full-time opportunities.
- Education Career Fair: Held each Spring semester, this event is tailored specifically for Education majors.
- Hire-A-Niner, an online job and internship database which any student can access.
- Southern Teachers Agency: A free placement service that helps college seniors and recent graduates find education jobs throughout the South.
Program Resources & Opportunities
One of our greatest missions is to give our students hands-on experience in genuine classroom environments. Hands-on learning options include the Niner Clinical Immersion School; the Urban Education Collaborative; the Freedom School at UNC Charlotte, and faculty research opportunities. In addition, education students can access the following extracurricular programs and resources:
- North Carolina Teaching Fellows
- The Cato College of Education Honors Council
- Active Learning or “Smart” Classrooms
- Education Learning Community
- Study Abroad Opportunities
- Internal Scholarships and Aid
- External Scholarships
Start Your Journey With The Cato College Of Education
If you’re ready to prepare for the challenging, meaningful, and rewarding career of teaching, the Cato College of Education is here to help you begin your journey. We invite you to come tour our campus, apply for scholarships, or submit your application. We are incredibly proud of our previous classes of 49ers and can’t wait to welcome you to the UNC Charlotte family.
Have a question about applying?
Education Recruiter
Shanique Lee
shanique.lee@uncc.edu
704-687-7353