Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at University of Minnesota and Inver Hills Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Metropolitan State, Minnesota State Moorhead, Saint Cloud State, and Bemidji State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider St. Catherine University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Hamline and MCTC.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Concordia, St. Catherine University, The College of Saint Scholastica, and University of St Thomas.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of St. Olaf College, Martin Luther, Minnesota State Moorhead, and University of Minnesota.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of St. Olaf College, Martin Luther, Gustavus Adolphus College, and Concordia.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, University of Minnesota, and St. Catherine University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at University of Minnesota, Augsburg, Concordia, and St. Olaf College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Olaf College, St. Catherine University, and Concordia.
Spotlight Schools Search
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
- Programs: 7 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
Jones International University
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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St. Mary's • Winona, MN
Studying Communications With A Theatre/Speech Emphasis (completion in 1980)
• 12/6/2011
"I felt I got a fantastic education. Of course, at that age, I didn't fully appreciate the opportunities that were available and didn't study as hard as I should have. If I had it all to do again, at this age, I would earn a 4.0, because I value my educational opportunities now."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | St. Mary's is an excellent school, with a caring and professional staff. They provide an excellent education for those willing to work and take advantage of it. I have recommended the school to several of my students each year. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | At the time I went to school, they had a strong education department. I haven't really kept up with it through the years, but being a Catholic private college, their standards were high. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I think there could have been more methods courses specific to the teaching field. There should also be more counseling about what majors to combine and courses to take to teach in each area. |
| Instruction | 8 | It would have benefited me to have specific methods courses in Theatre Speech and Language Arts. Our methods courses were very general. I would also have been able to handle a class better, if there had been instruction on classroom discipline. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was difficult, but not that challenging. If you kept on top of the work and completed tasks in an organized way, it was enjoyable and informative. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Often, learning would start with bookwork, but it would be supplemented with activities. Even in the 1970's St. Mary's professors seemed to understand the learning style differences among their students. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I attended in the 1970's and the schedule was fairly rigid. Today, they offer online, off campus and flexible schedules. They have developed as each of those areas has grown. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | When I attended, they had a very extensive library funded by donations. Facilities were abundant and accessible to students. The college was relatively small, so advisors and professors were available to all students. Class sizes were small and there was considerable one-on-one time with instructors. |
| Social Life | 10 | There were ample opportunities to become involved in extracurriculars and sports on campus. Because it was a smaller campus, most people knew each other, so socializing was extremely easy. There were dances and activities every weekend. To say there was a wonderful support system among the students would not be an exaggeration. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The placement department was very helpful in steering me toward potential jobs and helping me put together applications and references. Even today, I can access records and have them sent to potential employers. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I am constantly contacted by the alumni program, but I don't really participate in it to any degree. The school was very supportive in helping with job placement, although I found my first teaching assignment in a newspaper classified. |
Bethel University • Saint Paul, MN
Studying MAT In Secondary Lang. Arts Education (completion in 2002)
• 12/15/2011
"I felt prepared entering the classroom. And, I'm still teaching, so they must have done something right!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I guess it was a fast program that prepared me well. For adults who are looking for a career shift or an easy master's degree, Bethel is the place to go! |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Bethel is a university that graduates great teachers. There are a lot of them around the Twin Cities and they all have good reputations. |
| Program Quality | 6 | I felt well prepared, but because it was a master's program, I didn't feel terribly connected to the school. That made it difficult for me to love the experience. Definitely worthwhile, however. |
| Instruction | 6 | The teachers seemed to know a lot. What they lacked was some practical application. I learned far more from my teacher who was in the classroom every day. |
| How Difficult | 3 | School has always been easy for me. My undergraduate degree was much more challenging than my teaching license degree was. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Obviously, student teaching is very hands on. Most of what we did was experiential or lab-related. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | It was a night and evening program until the very end. Obviously, for student teaching, we had to be around during the day to teach. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | It's a pretty small school and it doesn't have a great library. I didn't spend any significant time on campus. |
| Social Life | It was a program for working adults. Many of my classmates had families. Most of us were more interested in spending time with the friends we already had. | |
| Placement Services | 2 | The school didn't really do anything to help me actually land a job. They mostly just gave me the tools to do it myself. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I think it is pretty good. I'm just not all that interested in alumni activities. |
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