1:11 Faculty to student ratio

One professor, one course

You take only one course, and your professors teach only one course, each block. Professors teach and mentor through discussions and hands-on learning. And in only 18 days, you’ll have made the kind of rich and fulfilling connections that lead to great recommendations.

One Course At A Time frees professors to teach not by the clock, but by what the subject matter dictates. The distinct campus rhythm of following the block plan provides ample opportunities to take the classroom on the road.

Class in session off-campus

  • Field trips to live music events for music education majors
  • Student teaching in urban or rural high schools (or in one of 14 other countries)
  • Mentoring elementary kids as part of a service-learning partnership with Mount Vernon’s schools
  • Off-campus studies courses, like Comparative Education in Belize, where you’ll traverse San Pedro Town, interact with students, parents, and teachers in the local schools, and study in-depth the island’s various cultural groups including Mestizo, Mayan, Latino, Garifuna, and Creole populations
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“In daily class sessions we test, shape, and strengthen our scholarship and beliefs by bringing a myriad of personal experiences into the realm of educational thought. My intention is to build alliances across differences, to rub ideas together, and then watch and learn as the sparks fly.” –Kerry Bostwick, Professor of Education

16—Average class size

The best teachers possess a wide breadth of knowledge and also appreciate learning for learning’s sake. Your coursework at Cornell—in our Teacher Education Program and across your academic interests—is grounded in the liberal arts. Small classes encourage discussion, allow for questions, and build relationships between faculty and students and between student peers.

The knowledge you’ll take with you is limited only by your own curiosity. At Cornell, you’ll explore wide and dive deep into your courses, better preparing you for the curious minds you’ll one day teach.

Learning outcomes

As a future educator, you’ll soon learn to develop learning goals and outcomes for your students as you develop your curriculum. Here are ours:

  • Elementary education majors are prepared for Iowa licensure in grades K-6 and licensure in other states is easily attainable upon program completion
  • Secondary education students will meet the teacher licensure requirements for the State of Iowa in multiple endorsement areas and the coursework readily applies to other states
  • Your coursework prepares you for graduate work in education-related fields, such as school counseling, education policy, reading specialists, and instructional design

Life after Cornell

89% of our Teacher Education Program students become certified teachers after graduation.

Our graduates have a high placement rate in and beyond the state of Iowa.

A handful of recent Cornell education alumni careers

  • Physical education teacher, Dominican Republic
  • Elementary teacher, Iowa
  • Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Fellowship, Thailand
  • High school music teacher, Texas
  • Spanish teacher, Oregon

Getting your first teaching position

The high placement rate doesn’t surprise some people, like Cornell’s Director of Teacher Education Cindy Postler, who sees students work hard to achieve this goal.

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“Our students are counseled throughout their senior year regarding resume writing and interview preparation,” Postler said. “They are proactive in searching for teaching positions as early as January and February of their senior year. Our students attend education job fairs, search district websites and network with their home districts and their student teaching placement districts.”