Education Studies

Discover our Bachelor of Education Studies

Learn how education moves society and culture while evaluating the issues and trends across the educational system. Our BA in education studies breaks down how motivate students, develop and influence learning outcomes. 

What is education studies?

This degree prepares you for teaching across non-traditional classrooms like across community agencies, nonprofits, religious education, or corporate trainings.

What can you do with an education studies degree?

Your education and degree can help you reach your professional goals.

Mount Mercy University can never promise a career or particular outcome upon graduating. We encourage you to explore potential jobs and employment settings. Here is a list of potential job titles, traits, and settings a graduate in our Education Studies program could achieve.

With Mount Mercy’s education studies degree, you have the flexibility to pursue additional certifications, graduate school, or begin teaching in the following areas:

• Youth Ministry Director
• Community Education Coordinator
• Education Policy Advocate
• Corporate Training Specialist
• Corporations and businesses
• Nonprofit organizations
• Consulting firms
• Religious organizations

Why an Education Studies degree from Mount Mercy?

Gain a deep understanding of what makes education systems effective from a historical and cultural standpoint. In our classrooms, you’ll learn the skills to support diverse student needs alongside the academic skills and concepts required to run non-traditional classrooms.

What can you do in our Bachelor of Education Studies program?

There are several ways you can gain professional experience as an education studies major at Mount Mercy:

Student Teaching

Student teaching consists of supervised teaching, group and individual conferences, weekly seminars, attendance and participation in professional meetings, and involvement in other school activities. Application forms are made available during the spring term of your junior year.

You are given the opportunity to state a preference of schools (public or private), grade and/or subjects. Student teaching is done only in state-approved public and private schools in the metropolitan area with certified teachers, in the fall term of your senior year. It is offered pass-fail for all students.

For more information about the application and placement process, please see the current catalog.

Education Leadership Seminar

The Education Leadership Seminar focuses on topics of special importance to students finishing their Elementary Education degree and assuming leadership roles in classroom and school settings. Key topics include:

• Classroom management techniques
• Participating in professional meetings
• Managing and supervising adults as well as students
• Conducting parent conferences
• Developing a professional portfolio
• Interviewing and resume development
• Understanding professional contracts and licensure
• Ethics

The Education Leadership Seminar is our capstone event for the teacher education program, and is one of the requirements for graduation. Mount Mercy students have had successful field experiences and internships in many of the surrounding school districts, as well as Cedar Rapids Community Schools and the Metropolitan Catholic Schools. The Elementary Education program has an excellent reputation for the scope and quality of its field-based component.

Student-Iowa State Education Association (S-ISEA)

To supplement your coursework and practical experience, Mount Mercy offers the Student-Iowa State Education Association (S-ISEA) club. Through grants and fellowships, the program is able to present such programs as "Getting Engaged with Science" (Tandy Corporation Grant) and the "TORCH American History Institute" (McLeodUSA Consumer Services and Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Fund).

Mount Mercy University’s Elementary Education degree prepares you for licensure within the state of Iowa.

Mount Mercy has not determined if the curriculum meet licensure requirements in other states. Mount Mercy’s education program is approved by the Iowa Department of Education.

What will you learn in our Bachelor of Education Studies program?

You’ll learn the history, theory, and latest research underpinning education with a focus on content knowledge, teaching methods, and current issues in education. When you complete your degree, you’ll be prepared to build effective curriculums  to conduct non-traditional classroom spaces.