Middle Level Education |
| Middle Level Website |
| Undergrad Dual-Major |
| Master's Degree Program |
| Middle Level Endorsement |
| SAMLE Student Organization |
| Portfolio Guide |
UNI’s Middle Level Education program prepares teachers who are able to design instruction for young adolescents in grades 5-8, enjoy an ever-changing group of students and school setting, and provide leadership. A division of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, the Middle Level Education program increases job prospects for graduates who learn to teach, work with, and understand the characteristics of young adolescents. Since 1938, UNI has provided Iowa with over 1,700 teachers specifically educated to teach young adolescents.
Choose subject areas
Middle Level students are prepared in at least two subject areas - such as math, science, social studies, or language arts – and also earn a teaching license at either the elementary, secondary or K-12 level. Students develop electronic portfolios to document their knowledge of subject matter and teaching abilities.
Dual-Major Program Requirements
Practical experiences
The Middle Level Education program has a unique, long-term relationship with a middle school in the metropolitan area. At the school, UNI students observe, engage, and teach young adolescents, while being supervised and coached by the course instructor. UNI Middle Level students:
- assist in classrooms
- tutor middle school students with diverse needs and experiences
- create and teach a WebQuest (an online instructional unit)
- experience 100 hours in a variety of additional school settings.
Out of Class Opportunities
The Student Association of Middle Level Educators (SAMLE) provides a forum for UNI students interested in teaching young adolescents. At the bi-monthly meetings, UNI students interact with their peers as well as professional educators from the metropolitan area. SAMLE members have helped with an annual literacy conference and Special Olympics. They also organized leadership conferences for 8th grade students.
Middle Level Education students can also participate in the People-to-People Ambassadors Program. UNI students travel to locations rich in culture and history, such as Washington, D.C., and work with groups of middle level student leaders by supervising field trips and providing guidance for academic assignments. UNI is one of only five universities in the U.S. that was invited to participate.
Excellence in faculty
Faculty in the program have published articles in nationally leading journals; earned awards for their teaching, service, and research; and served in leadership positions in national, state, and local professional organizations. The faculty members are well-prepared to support students to excel in middle level education.
Graduate opportunities
A maser of arts in education degree is offered with a major in Middle Level Education over a 3-year time period. Groups of graduate student take the sequence of courses to earn the degree.
