• EMU's teacher education program is NCATE-certified
• Students get classroom experience within the first 5 weeks of the program.
• Students learn reflective practice techniques so that they continue to be the best teachers in their field, year after year. 
• Students are mentored by PhD-level faculty who model being excellent educators by caring for students and calling out each student's gifts. 

At many colleges students don’t get into the classroom until their third year. At EMU it's different. 

• At EMU, education students are in local classrooms, observing and learning, by their fifth week of classes. 
• Local school divisions are richly diverse in culture, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
• Field experiences are embedded throughout program so that education students are in the field nearly every semester.
• Early Childhood education majors assist in EMU’s lab school, the Early Learning Center. The Early Learning Center provides valuable interactions for EMU students with the 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds enrolled at the center.
• Students are in a classroom full-time during student teaching, and receive regular feedback and assistance from the classroom teacher and an EMU representative.
• Student teachers also participate in Reflective Teaching Seminar class which provides additional support to students during the student teaching semester and covers valuable topics such as preparing for job searches and interviews.
• Students may choose more than one student teaching placement to experience multiple classroom settings and locations. 

• The Virginia Department of Education reported in 2017 a shortage of more than 6,000 teachers.
• Harrisonburg and Rockingham County school supervisors seek EMU teacher-education graduates.
• The average starting salary for teachers in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County Schools is $43,000.
• EMU teacher-education graduates often move on to graduate school  to further specialize and often give leadership in administrative leadership roles.
• 100% of 2016-17 program graduates who sought positions in education were employed in PreK-12 education settings and graduated with an average grade point average (GPA) of 3.66. 
• 100% of program graduates pass the state licensure exams.

• Declare an education major and you may be eligible for a  $3000 renewable scholarship.
• EMU has offered close to $1 million in academic merit scholarships collectively to students with outstanding academic achievement. 
• Academic scholarships range from $12,000 to $20,000 per year and are renewable for four years depending on academic performance.
• EMU students are eligible for Pell Grants and Federal Need-Based Grants as well as student loans.
• Virginia students may be eligible for a Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG).

• Learn more by contacting  EMU's Financial Assistance Office.