College of Education

You’ll change lives.
(We’ll show you how.)

It takes more than passion alone to change the trajectory of a child’s life. You need to understand how to be a great mentor and advocate for communities. You need to know the ins and outs of building a lesson plan from scratch. You need hundreds of hours of classroom experience to hone your abilities.

For all of the above and more: Butler delivers. (Which is why our Elementary and Middle/Secondary Education students have had a 100 percent placement rate for well over a decade.)

Whether your aspirations lead you into the classroom or to another educational setting, we provide you with the tools and confidence needed to shape how future generations learn, dream, and prosper.

Butler student examines an item that a young student is showing her

Butler/IPS Lab Schools

Philosophy Into Practice

All teacher education students are given the opportunity for site-based instruction at our two IPS/Butler Lab Schools, which are Reggio Emilia inspired, project-based schools—and models for others to follow.

Our Lab Schools

More than just practice

Real-time teaching opportunities

At Butler, we believe in the power of experience to develop extraordinarily prepared teachers. From their very first semester, Butler education majors are put in real classroom settings—with students of all ages—to see firsthand what it’s like to be an educator. Our extensive hands-on experience gives alums a competitive edge in the job search.

Youth and Community Development

Go Beyond the Traditional Classroom

Our newest major—Youth and Community Development—prepares students to provide high-quality educational and outreach practices in community settings. Graduates are hired for positions in museums, nonprofit youth organizations, educational policy roles, recreation and sports programs, and community centers.

Youth and Community Development

Educational Neuroscience Symposium

Join us for the Educational Neuroscience Symposium on September 30, 2023. The 2023 Butler University Educational Neuroscience symposium invites educators, parents, mental health professionals, all others who work with children and youth. This day-long hybrid symposium will address nervous system development and how development is impacted by trauma which informs our discipline protocols, as we meet adults and students in their emotional and social nervous system states.

See Speakers & Breakout Sessions

Learning Never Stops

Butler offers graduate degrees and certificates that prepare you to be successful principals and school counselors. Boost your career and reach more students through our on-campus master’s and certificate programs aimed at counselors, social workers, and educators.

See COE Graduate Programs

Professional Development

Any person seeking professional development, graduate credit, or PGP points through the College of Education can do so through the TEACH Butler program. The program includes workshops, online learning, conferences, guest speakers, and more.

TEACH Butler

Upskilling Educators

The high attrition of educators, coupled with an insufficient pipeline of teacher candidates from bachelor’s degree programs, has led to drastic increases in alternative teaching credentials and emergency permits. Teacher-Led, Teacher Education program, offered by Butler University’s College of Education and Executive Education, is designed to support new teachers, alternatively credentialed, emergency-permitted, or long-term substitute teachers with the training they need to succeed in the classroom.

Teacher-Led, Teacher Program

Innovative Classrooms

See Inside
South Campus

Our new home on the 40-acre South Campus includes a library for Education students and classrooms equipped with the latest technology, including video cameras to record practice teaching.

Watch Flythrough Video Take the Virtual Tour

Available concentrations for Youth and Community Development majors

99%

Placement rate of COE graduates

1,500

Student-teaching hours logged by Elementary Education majors

Alumni Spotlight

“Spending time with people in the College of Education feels like one big hug.”

2019 graduate Tommy Roers studied Secondary Education and Spanish and went on to become a Fulbright Scholar in Uruguay where he taught English. He now serves as an English as a Second Language teacher at Pike High School in Indianapolis.

Read Tommy’s Story

A language class with different colored flags

Featured Story

Butler University and Ivy Tech Community College Announce Statewide Transfer Agreement

Ivy Tech Community College and Butler University have partnered to create their first transfer agreement, making a seamless process for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. This agreement also seeks to address Indiana’s teacher shortage by providing an affordable pathway.

Read the Full Story

Who will be your next great colleague?

Know a student who would be a great fit for Butler’s undergraduate or graduate programs? Nominate (TAP) them today!.

TAP Here