College of Education

Greetings from the College of Education:

The College of Education at Concordia University Chicago has been preparing teachers and educational leaders since its founding in 1864. As one of the oldest teacher preparation colleges in the nation, Concordia-Chicago’s reputation for excellence is widely known. Today, the College of Education is nationally recognized and accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE) and the Illinois State Board of Education. Founded by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod to prepare teachers for Lutheran Parish Schools, the college has and continues to prepare teachers, school leaders, school counselors, and Directors of Christian Education for both the Church and the world.  

The College of Education, in partnership with the College of Graduate Studies, prepares teacher candidates to enter classrooms in early childhood education, elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, and special education at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The College of Education continues to be committed to serving the special needs of Lutheran parishes by preparing Directors of Christian Education (DCE) to lead the educational ministry in Lutheran congregations. Concordia-Chicago’s program equips these servant leaders to support the teaching ministry of congregations for the 21st century.

The College of Graduate Studies houses the university’s doctoral degree programs for educational leaders, early childhood education, public school leadership, nonpublic school leadership, or public school leadership with a superintendent's endorsement available for qualifying candidates.

Graduates of Concordia-Chicago’s education and DCE programs are prepared as servant leaders who demonstrate integrity and competence manifested by the care and concern Concordia-Chicago graduates afford every pupil. We invite you to discover the opportunities Concordia University Chicago offers you to prepare to enter the classroom or to advance your educational career through graduate study.

- Dr. Kristi Stricker, Interim Dean

About the College of Education

The College of Education at Concordia University Chicago prepares teachers, school leaders, school counselors and directors of Christian education (DCE) at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Its doctoral programs offer specialization in early childhood education, public school leadership and nonpublic school leadership.

Recognized as a leader in teacher education, Concordia-Chicago graduates the state’s largest number of public school teachers among private Illinois colleges. More than 3,000 Chicagoland teachers and administrators seeking their graduate education degrees enroll each year. You can view Concordia-Chicago's CAEP/NCATE and 2015 Title II Report Card accreditation reports online.