University of Northern Iowa

Technology Education Majors

Summary

 

The technology education major at UNI prepares you to teach technology education or industrial technology at the secondary level (junior high and high school) in Iowa. When you successfully complete this degree, you can receive an Iowa teaching license in industrial technology.

 

The goal of technology education programs in junior high and high schools is to provide students with technological literacy for today’s world. Content includes communication technology, construction, manufacturing, power and energy, transportation, and, in some cases, biotechnology. The program also includes exploration of careers associated with these broad areas. Programs incorporate both lecture and exciting laboratory activities for students and provide opportunities for students to integrate science, math and communication principles.

 

Technological change occurs at an increasingly rapid pace, drives much of the change in society and is an important element in global competitiveness. Given this importance, it is critical that everyone understand our increasingly technological world. Students need this understanding so that they can make appropriate career choices and be citizens who will make good decisions regarding the technology that surrounds them, whether in the voting booth, at work or at home. In short, technology education provides technological literacy, and this is an invaluable “basic” for all students.

 

Major:

Technology Education & Trainging: Training, B.A. 

Technology Education & Training, B.A.-teaching 

 

Minor:

Technology Education & Training, B.A.-teaching 

 

(Click major/minor/certificate title to see typical courses for the program)

 

Degree programs

Iowa teacher certification

A baccalaureate degree in technology education leads to Iowa teacher certification in industrial technology in grades seven through 12. Certification requires coursework in construction, communication, energy and power, manufacturing, and transportation. This is included in the technology education major.

 

Minor program

The technology education minor requires completion of 30 semester hours. Students with another education major can complete this minor in order to qualify for a second teaching endorsement in industrial technology. This is also an excellent minor for anyone wishing to do training in industry.

 

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Careers

 

There is a need for technology education teachers nationwide. Students who do well in this program have little trouble finding jobs after graduation. Although not specifically designed for this purpose, the program also provides many of the necessary courses for those who wish to teach at the community college level in a technical field or for those who wish to work as a trainer in industry.

 

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Unique Features

  • Only technology education program offered by a public institution in the state of Iowa

  • Several annual competitive scholarships

  • Department of Industrial Technology Advisory Board

  • Technology Education Collegiate Association chapter affiliated with national professional organization, ITEA

  • Dedicated departmental student computer labs

  • Hands-on experiential learning opportunities

  • Classroom experiences in school settings

  • Dedicated faculty who have strong professional relations with educational institutions, school districts, and the potential employers of program graduates

  • Developing contemporary instructional materials

  • Elective lab courses permit development of technical specialty

  • Iowa Department of Education approved program

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Facilities

  • Housed in the Industrial Technology Center, featuring classrooms with state-of-the-art media facilities

  • Specialized laboratories with modern equipment and testing devices

  • Student computing laboratories for instructional and student use

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Scholarships

 

Several full-tuition industrial technology scholarships are available to incoming freshmen on a competitive basis through the College of Natural Sciences Mathematics, Science and Technology Symposium held in the fall semester. Other scholarships are available through endowments and industrial donations to students majoring in Technology Education. One example is the Willis and Hazel Wagner Scholarship.

Students in technology education are eligible for the Iowa Forgivable Loan Program, which is for teaching areas where there are shortages of teachers. Contact the UNI Financial Aid Office about this loan program.

 

More information on department scholarships can found at Financial Aid.

 

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