Education Degree Programs Offered at Concordia University Nebraska
Concordia University Nebraska is also featured in our ranking Top 20 Best Master’s in Reading and Literacy Online.
The Education Department at Concordia University Nebraska oversees the education programs available for both graduate and undergraduate students. There are 10 different majors available for undergrads. They can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Education in Art Education, which looks at how teachers show students how to create art and how to enhance their art skills. Students in the early childhood education major learn about working with children before and after they start school, while the middle-level education program focuses on teaching students in junior high and middle school. Concordia University Nebraska also offers majors in music education, teaching English as a second language, elementary education, special education, and secondary education.
Master of Education degree programs are also available from the university. One focuses on teaching children from birth through third grade, while another focuses on early childhood education. Most of the education programs available include internships or practicums. Students will spend at least one semester working in the field to make sure that they understand both the challenges they will face and the skills they need. Concordia University Nebraska allows students to work with children who are the same ages as those they will teach in the classroom later.
All of the graduate education programs offered by Concordia University Nebraska are available online. The curriculum and instruction program is a good choice for those who want to to work with teachers and help them become better at their jobs. Students in the literacy program learn how to teach reading and literacy to others and how to instruct adults who never learned how to read. Several endorsements are also available for students who already work as teachers but want to focus on a new subject. They can earn endorsements in special education or reading specialist online.
About Concordia University Nebraska
Concordia University Nebraska is a private university that belongs to the Concordia University System. Established in 1894 as a seminar institute, it originally offered students the chance to live and take classes in the same building. Called Founder’s Hall, that building is still used by the university today. The institute’s emphasis on teaching programs made it a direct competitor to some of the normal schools operating in the state at the same time but allowed students to take religion courses and develop a strong commitment to their faith too. The affiliation it had with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod still exists today. It changed from German language classes to teaching classes in English during World War I and later became a junior college and then a full college. The college gained university status in 1998, shortly after joining the Concordia system.
Called CUNE to separate it from the other branches of the system, the university still offers a number of education degree programs. Students who already have their licenses and teaching experience can get education endorsements too. Most of the university’s graduate programs are available online but include some opportunities for students to do work on its campus. More than 700 graduate students attend CUNE each year, but the university also has an enrollment of more than 1,900 undergrads.
Concordia University Nebraska Accreditation Details
All the bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in education offered by CUNE have accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). NCATE also covers the fieldwork that students do as they prepare to become teachers and get their licenses. CUNE has regional accreditation too, which is why the university can award financial aid packages to students and give them credit for their past work. That accreditation comes from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Concordia University Nebraska Application Requirements
There are just three steps for graduate students who want to attend CUNE and get an education degree. All graduate students will start with the online application, which asks general information to find out if the student is ready for grad school. Students will then submit their official transcripts. They have the choice between requesting those transcripts from their former colleges or filling out a request form and letting the university get their transcripts from those schools. They will then submit both a resume and a letter of intent. This letter must be between 500 and 750 words and explain the goals that student has for both school and the future.
Undergrads will also use an online application and follow a similar admissions process. When they fill out the application, they will come across a section that asks them to report their ACT/SAT scores. Another section asks students to report their high school grades. CUNE can usually make an application decision without official scores or transcripts, though it may request that students submit official copies of that information. Students can then pay the enrollment deposit and fill out the paperwork necessary to get housing on the university’s campus. CUNE generally only requires official transcripts from students who need to transfer credits into a university program.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students majoring in education can enroll in a hybrid program and take a few classes on the CUNE campus. Those students will pay $425 per credit hour for each class they take. This is the same rate that students in any of the online programs pay too. The main financial aid available for graduate students includes loans and the TEACH grant. Students can also apply for scholarships based on whether they enroll in hybrid or entirely online programs.
Undergrads pay a higher cost of $32,890 each year in tuition alone. They also pay fees that total $600 a year. Those who opt to live on the CUNE campus will pay $8,850 for room and board too. CUNE awards enough financial aid that the average cost students pay out of pocket comes to less than $14,000 a year. Financial aid goes to almost any student who uses the FAFSA and the right code on that form to indicate they will attend Concordia. They can get $5,500 a year in subsidized student loans and more than $22,000 a year in scholarships and grants. Students enrolled in the education degree programs offered by Concordia University Nebraska can get financial aid that helps them cover the cost of getting to their internships too.