Education Programs Offered by the University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is featured in our ranking of the Top 20 Best Master’s in Reading and Literacy Online.
Students attending the University of Northern Iowa can apply to programs that help them get their education licenses and programs that let them add endorsements to the licenses they already have. Undergrads without any teaching experience can choose majors in 23 different fields. Some of these programs prepare students for teaching in K-12 or K-8 settings, but other programs are available for those who want to teach at the middle or high school levels. They can study programs to learn how to teach chemistry, biology, art, physical education, technology, and social sciences. Each program features in-school work in local districts and options for students outside of school, including helping with Model UN programs.
Those who have a bachelor’s degree and/or an Iowa teaching license can work with the university to get endorsements that allow them to teach one or more subject areas. The university offers a special education endorsement with concentrations in working with early childhood students and working with those with mild to severe disabilities. There are also endorsement programs in teaching English as a second language, literacy education, health education, and English. The university also offers certificate programs that students can finish too. They can learn about teaching French and other foreign languages or teaching literature and cultures to others.
More than 20 Master of Arts programs are available for teachers too. The art education program helps prepare students for identifying the skills and talents of their students and teaching them how to use those skills. Students in the school library studies program learn how to organize books and other resources and how to instruct their students on using those resources. The University of Northern Iowa offers both a school psychology and a school counseling program. Both programs help students meet the requirements for teaching in K-12 settings and getting their teaching licenses. They also learn how to support and help their students.
Three education doctoral programs are available too. Students can major in special education, which is a program that includes education leadership courses too. Once they graduate, they can work as directors in special education facilities. The university’s curriculum and instruction program focuses on the ways in which educators work and how they teach. There is also a doctoral program available in allied health, recreation and community services too.
About the University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is the largest public university in the northern half of the state. During the years following the Civil War, the state looked for ways to help orphans and soldiers, which led to the creation of the Iowa State Normal School. This school prepared teachers and required that they work closely with those orphans. When the state closed the orphan school in 1876, it became a separate school that offered educational programs. It would later adopt the name of the Iowa State Teachers College before becoming the State College of Iowa to show its large course offerings. The college became the University of Northern Iowa in 1967 and uses both that name and the abbreviation UNI.
UNI now requires that students complete a liberal arts core. This core includes classes in six areas that include fine arts and natural sciences and technology. It culminates with a capstone that students do in their final years. UNI also offers 40 different study abroad programs that allow students to study and work in more than 20 countries.
University of Northern Iowa Accreditation Details
The school psychology, athletic training, construction management, and counseling programs are just some of the programs offered by UNI that have specialty accreditation. UNI itself has accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) too. This accreditation is why the university can give any student who uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) financial aid and accept their transfer credits.
University of Northern Iowa Application Requirements
To apply to UNI, students have the choice between using the Common Application or the UNI application. The UNI application asks students to create a new ID with their personal information and then log into the system with that information. Students must take the 15 units of classes deemed as college prep courses and submit a transcript that shows their grades in those classes, including math and social studies. The university bases its admissions decisions on a student’s grade point average, test score, class ranking and the number of prep courses taken. After finishing the application, prospective UNI students can mail in their transcripts and ACT or SAT scores.
Students applying to a UNI graduate program in education should submit an information request and speak to a faculty member before using the application. They will need to supply official transcripts sent through the mail or filed online and a resume that lists all the teaching experience they have. Most of the programs also ask for a copy of the student’s teaching license and require that the license is valid. Students can apply with a license obtained from another state. The university has the same requirements for those applying to its doctoral programs but also requires a GRE score from those students.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Traditional students attending UNI for their undergraduate years will pay $8,938 per year as an Iowa resident or $19,480 per year as a nonresident. The cost of room and board comes to around $9,100 each year but can vary based on the options that the student chooses. Traditional graduate students pay $9,159 each year as an Iowa resident and $19,633 per year as a nonresident. Online students pay $320 per credit hour in the university’s undergrad programs and $509 per credit hour in a doctoral or graduate program.
Graduate and doctoral students can apply for loans through the FAFSA and for scholarships and assistantships through the university. The assistantships pay students $5,284 to $7,920 for the full-time work they do based on whether they are in a graduate or a doctoral program. They can also apply for scholarships and fellowships. Undergraduate education majors can get also get loans and scholarships when they use the FAFSA, though they can qualify for grants and work-study too. The College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa creates packages for students in any education degree program that includes government and university financial aid.