The programs and courses offered in the Education Department have been carefully designed to offer students a well-rounded and thorough examination of the nature of education as a social, cultural, philosophical, historical, and professional phenomenon. In essence, students may choose from two tracks of study in our department: one track is designed for those students who are interested in pursuing a career in teaching immediately after graduation (the Teacher Education track), while the other is designed to provide students who have an interest in teaching or in education, but who do not wish to teach immediately after leaving Gettysburg, with opportunities to explore the foundations and implications of education as a social and cultural phenomenon (the Educational Studies track). Students who choose the Educational Studies track may be interested in pursuing teaching as a career but may wish to delay certification until graduate school or may choose to pursue an alternative route to certification.

Regardless of the track selected, students who take courses in the Education Department are expected to meet certain objectives established for the program they choose and document their growth through the creation of an online portfolio. The Education Department has secured an agreement with Foliotek to provide an online portfolio structure for use by students in the program.

Below are links to descriptions of the overarching learning goals established for core courses in the department, as well as detailed descriptions of the curricula designed to frame student learning in both the Teacher Education and Educational Studies programs.

Education Department Curriculum & Portfolio Guide (PDF)