Are you searching for the top teaching colleges in Alaska to fulfill the certification requirements needed to educate young minds in the state’s urban and extreme rural settings? Although Alaska is the fourth least populous and the least densely populated state in the nation, the “Last Frontier” is by far the largest state in terms of land area and over twice the size of Texas. According to the Department of Education and Early Development (EED), Alaska is home to 506 public elementary and secondary schools that serve the academic needs of over 130,000 children from kindergarten through 12th grade. If you are interested in joining the more than 10,000 full-time certified teachers practicing in the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” the following are the top teaching colleges accredited through the NCATE for excellence in Alaska.

Alaska Pacific University

Education Department

As a comprehensive private institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church on a 170-acre urban campus in the state’s largest city of Anchorage, Alaska Pacific University is recognized as the 80th best college and 22nd top school for veterans in the West by the U.S. News and World Report. With a strong commitment to Alaska’s multicultural and international heritage, the Education Department directs students on their academic journeys towards licensure as teaching professionals from a holistic approach. At all levels, the department is focused on qualifying graduates to work with students in grades K-8 as teachers and/or teacher aides.

Teacher Preparation Programs

• Associate of Arts (A.A.) in Education
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Education (K-8)
• Undergraduate Minor in Education
• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
• K-8 Professional Development Certificate
• K-8 Graduate Certification Only-Option Program (CO-OP)

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Contact

4101 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 561-8225
admissions@alaskapacific.edu
http://www.alaskapacific.edu/academics/education/

University of Alaska Anchorage

College of Education

Currently ranked as the 71st best college and 27th top public school in the West by the U.S. News and World Report, the University of Alaska Anchorage is situated in the state’s population center as a large comprehensive public institution of over 18,000 students. With accreditation through the NCATE and eight other specialty area educational organizations, the College of Education is consistently recognized for graduating the largest number of certified teachers in the state. While over 80% of the college’s graduate programs can be pursued entirely online, UAA also maintains strong partnerships with universities throughout the Kenai Peninsula to allow students to pursue an on-campus accredited teaching degree closer to home.

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Early Childhood Education (P-3)
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Undergraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Development

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Education (K-12)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counselor Education
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Early Childhood Special Education (P-3)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education (K-12)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Teaching and Learning

Certificate Programs

• Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Early Childhood Education (P-3)
• Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education
• Graduate Certificate in Language Education
• Graduate Certificate for Principals
• Graduate Certificate in Special Education

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Contact

3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-4613
kabrennan@uaa.alaska.edu
http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/coe/

University of Alaska Fairbanks

School of Education

Based on a main 2,250-acre urban campus in downtown Fairbanks with satellite campus locations in Bristol Bay, Chukchi, Bethel, Nome, and the Interior Aleutians, the University of Alaska Fairbanks is a comprehensive public land, sea, and space-grant institution with over 11,000 students. Since opening in 1917, the School of Education has prepared professional educators who are culturally responsive, effective, and reflective practitioners. Since schooling in Alaska has many unique characteristics that differ from anywhere else in the world, the School focuses on preparing teachers to work in rural Alaska with a focus on native cultures.

Associate’s Degree Program

• Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Early Childhood Education (P-3)

Bachelor’s Degree Program

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Elementary Education (K-6)

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Secondary Education (7-12): with concentrations in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, or Arts Education)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education (K-12)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling (K-12) with Special Rural Emphasis

Certificate Programs

• Post-Baccalaureate Elementary Licensure Certificate (K-6)
• Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Licensure Certificate (7-12)
• Post-Baccalaureate Special Education Licensure Certificate (K-12)

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Contact

505 South Chandalar Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775
(907) 474-7341
uaf-soe-school@alaska.edu
https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/soe-home/

University of Alaska Southeast

School of Education

Located on a rural campus in the state’s quaint capital city of Juneau surrounded by the only temperate rainforest within North America, the University of Alaska Southeast is a comprehensive four-year public liberal arts institution with satellite locations in Ketchikan, Sitka, and online from anywhere with an Internet connection. With NCATE accreditation, the UAS School of Education offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs designed to prepare teachers for enhancing students’ lives. Partnering with P-12 schools throughout southeastern Alaska, the School is focused on valuing the individual diversity and native heritage of the area.

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Special Education (K-12)

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Elementary Education (K-6)
• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Secondary and Middle Grades (7-12)
• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Special Education (K-12)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Technology
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Mathematics Education (K-8)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Reading Specialist

Graduate Certificate Programs

• Distance Teaching and E-Learning
• Educational Technology
• Elementary Education (K-6)
• Mathematics Education (K-8)
• Reading Specialist
• Special Education (K-12)

Accreditations

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Contact

11120 Glacier Highway
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 796-6076
jyed@uas.alaska.edu
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/education/

In order to begin teaching in Alaska, the Department of Education and Early Development (EED) will require you to possess valid teacher certification after completing at least a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. When you choose to pursue one of these accredited degree programs from the top teaching colleges in Alaska, you will have the professional credentials, skills, and pedagogical strategies needed to begin a rewarding career educating the next generation of citizens in the “Last Frontier.”

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