— Ryan Drake '25
Help shape the future as a teacher with a bachelor of arts in education and learning.
Learn by doing with a curriculum rich in hands-on teaching experiences. Education and learning majors spend time in our on-site Early Learning Community and in local schools, and they gain international experience with study abroad courses focused on exploring education systems around the world.
The program offers a deep understanding of the psychological, social, philosophical, and curricular foundations of education, and prepares students to work with children in a variety of settings. Students interested in teaching elementary education or special education should declare a major in education and learning. Students who are interested in teaching at the secondary level should major in their content area and contact undergraduate program chair to plan their licensure program.

Earn a Teaching License
Students can major in education and learning through the College of Arts & Sciences to gain experience with teaching and to develop an understanding of the education field.
Students who want to earn an Oregon preliminary teaching license apply to the College of Education to complete additional professional course requirements and a student-teaching experience during their last two years of their bachelor’s degree.
Earn Teaching Endorsements
Students who choose the education and learning major for licensure can pursue an Oregon preliminary teaching license with an elementary education or special education endorsement. Pair your education and learning major with a minor in teaching English to speakers of other languages to add an ESOL endorsement to your license, and learn about more add-on endorsements and graduate degrees in the Pacific University College of Education.

— Lillian Wolfe '20
Career Preparation
Teachers who study education at Pacific University are in high demand as teachers. Due to Pacific’s extensive hands-on classroom teaching experiences, Pacific graduates start their careers as experienced teachers. Pacific education and learning majors who choose to become teachers also find support at Pacific through the New Teacher Academy.
Headlines
In his decade as a teacher and school administrator in Alaska, Ralph Watkins '09, PhDEL '24 has only become more passionate about helping Native Alaskan students thrive in the classroom.
Through a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, Pacific University's College of Education is investigating what is helping STEM teachers to thrive in Oregon's high-need schools.
Over 100 current & incoming Pacific undergraduates have applied for a guaranteed graduate school spot through Pacific University's unique admissions program, Pacific Priority.