Originally founded as the Addison Teachers Seminary in 1864, the University has a 150-year track record of producing some of the most qualified teachers in the country.

More than a dozen CUC graduates have been recognized by the highly prestigious Golden Apple Foundation for outstanding teaching, which speaks volumes about the level of training you will receive.

Our College of Education prepares candidates to teach early childhood and Kindergarten through grade 12. In addition to public school teaching, we also prepare candidates to teach in Lutheran schools and congregations in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

In addition to your general education courses, you will receive training in specific special education courses, which focus on the characteristics, assessment and instructional strategies needed to teach students with disabilities.

You can earn your Learning Behavior Specialist II endorsement by taking additional coursework at the master’s or doctorate level, allowing you to work in different areas of special education, such as bilingual special education and consulting fellow teachers on accommodating students with special learning needs.

Concordia-Chicago teacher candidates must complete a rigorous 16-week student teaching internship in real classrooms. This means you are managing and teaching a class of your own and building your resume before you even graduate.

• A completed admission application for Concordia University Chicago.
• Official transcripts of all college coursework from each institution you have attended.
• Foreign transcripts evaluated by a Concordia-Chicago-approved international credentialing service. Concordia-Chicago accepts evaluations from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
• A certified document pledging financial support for your first year of study and without any unexpected events, and enough funding from the same or an equally dependable source for the following years.
• Proof of graduation from a secondary school.
• A transfer verification form for students transferring from a school in the United States.
• Proof of English proficiency, via one of the following:
• A score of at least 72 (internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) — Concordia-Chicago’s DI code is 1140
• A score of 6.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Successful completion of Level 112 at an ELS Language School (ELS) or a certificate of completion of program from an English Language Institute (ELI), along with a recommendation of the program director
• Duolingo test with a minimum score of 95