EDUCATION
& COUNSELING
Find Your Program
LEARN THE SKILLS TO UPLIFT & INSPIRE
The Education and Counseling programs at Northern Arizona University (NAU) prepare you to teach, mentor, and support people at every stage of life. You will study education, psychology, and human development while gaining hands-on experience through internships, student teaching, or fieldwork. Whether you focus on classroom teaching, counseling, or community programs, you will build the skills to make a meaningful difference in schools and beyond. Certificates and advanced pathways also allow you to specialize further and expand your career options.
BACHELOR'S PROGRAMS
B INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES – EARLY CHILDHOOD
Diversify your mastery of expansive topics. Earn the knowledge to work with preschool and primary school-aged children while pursuing a broad general education to support your unique ambitions—combining focused studies in early childhood education, psychology, and curricula with an individual minor, concentration, or certificate program and diverse coursework in communication, languages, and science. Through this degree program, you will enhance your teaching skills and prepare to succeed through a technologically advanced, culturally responsive, and student-focused course of study.
BS APPLIED HUMAN BEHAVIOR 90-30
Make a meaningful impact in individuals, families, and communities while completing your degree efficiently. This 90–30 program lets transfer students apply up to 90 prior credits, finishing the remaining 30 at NAU. You’ll gain a broad understanding of human systems, diversity, and social structures, while building practical skills in problem-solving, ethics, and community engagement. Graduates are prepared to support client success, drive positive social change, and pursue careers in behavioral health, human services, or advanced study.
BSED CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Put technical education theory into practice. With a degree in Career and Technical Education, you’ll learn leadership and teaching methods in both professional and classroom environments with curricula focused on your specific field. Combining university coursework with your experience, academic study, or industry knowledge, you’ll increase your technological literacy and learn to apply appropriate methods to empower your career—integrating leading practices to support any classroom, workplace, or professional environment.
BSED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Teachers can change the world. The BSEd Elementary Education program leads to Arizona teacher certification and will give you a solid foundation to teach in K-8th grade classrooms. Coursework includes mathematics, liberal studies, educational foundations, bilingual education, educational psychology, special education, curriculum, and educational technology. Our program is technologically advanced, culturally responsive, and student-focused. And our small class sizes guarantee that you’ll receive a lot of individual attention and engage in plenty of classroom teaching.
BSED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION – LEARNING & PEDAGOGY
There are several related occupations for which there is significant growing demand in the Southwest region and nationwide which this degree addresses. The degree will be of interest to those who homeschool, trainers, educational consultants, curriculum developers, educational sales representatives, youth program leaders (afterschool programming, camp directors, youth sports), faith-based children’s/youth leadership, instructional designers, tutors, and substitute teachers. Additionally, early childhood teachers, preschool directors, social and community service directors may be interested in this plan.
BSED SPECIAL & ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Become an effective teacher for every child. As a special and elementary educator, you’ll help shape the character—and future—of every child in your classroom. The dual elements of this program prepare you to teach children who have learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, and orthopedic and health impairments, as well as those who do not. You’ll gain a strong background in elementary education (teaching of math, science, social studies, reading, and more) paired with rich coursework in special education.
BSW SOCIAL WORK
Support vulnerable individuals and families. Become a champion for your community’s marginalized children, adults, and families through NAU’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program. As you engage with dynamic, topical coursework and hands-on learning, you’ll learn to advocate for human rights and social justice in vulnerable populations. You’ll gain the skills and knowledge to effectively address poverty, structural racism, and oppression with a special focus on rural and indigenous regions in the Southwest.
MASTER'S PROGRAMS
MA SCIENCE TEACHING
Deepen your knowledge of content and enhance classroom practice through a focus on research-based teaching strategies that make science accessible to learners. The Master of Arts in Science Teaching (MAST) degree is designed to meet your needs as a professional science educator. The program is fully online. Whether you want to increase your knowledge of pedagogy or science content in order to improve your practice or you are interested in becoming a leader in your school or district, we are here to help you.
The MAST degree is designed for:
- Secondary (middle or high school) science teachers pursuing advanced knowledge in the profession.
- Secondary science teachers preparing for leadership roles such as secondary curriculum, instruction or professional development specialists, department heads, etc.
- International science educators interested in extending their knowledge and skills through engaging in the American school system.
The program is designed to be completed in two years on a part-time basis. A thesis or final project is required to complete the program. The program does not lead to certification.
MED CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Apply practical techniques to education and leadership. Draw from industry leading methodologies in career and technical education to prepare driven students and continuing professionals across a variety of hands-on fields. Through your courses, you’ll master relevant legal frameworks, industry philosophies, and research skills to stay current at the cutting edge of this rapidly evolving field. Customized to meet your unique experience and professional needs, this program will focus on relevant and adaptive methods while you apply innovative technology and training tools to transform your career.
MED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Support young children and their families. Establish the advanced framework to support your career as an expert pre-school and primary-level educator in diverse learning environments. Through this rigorous master’s in Early Childhood Education, your coursework will explore curriculum and instruction, educational foundations, and educational research. Selecting an emphasis that aligns with any professional interest—from organizational leadership to mastery of your classroom—you’ll become an expert in child development and learning while building both family and community relationships.
MED EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
Generate change in the practice of education. This program will further develop and enrich your understanding of the contexts and forces that shape educational policy and practice. You’ll study how historical, political, cultural, and economic conditions shape formal and informal educational contexts. You’ll also gain skills to articulate arguments for—and administer—critical changes within your education community.
MED EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMMUNITY COLLEGE/HIGHER EDUCATION
Share your knowledge and inspire your students. Focusing your studies in community college and higher education administration, you will establish the skills to shape key decisions, institutional policies, and academic curricula in any organization. As you rise to meet the needs of today’s students, administrators, and teachers, this Master of Education will prepare you to apply specialized communication skills, digital literacy, and innovative methodologies to transform your team and to reimagine the possibilities of higher education in any role—from administrator to faculty member.
MED EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP K-12 SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Take on active leadership roles in education. In this program, you’ll apply organizational theory and socio-cultural aspects of education to support and further develop your professional area. Coursework and activities in this program will enhance your ability to supervise instructional development and assessment and will hone your skills in school finance and budgeting. You can pursue areas of interest tailored to your professional aspirations and collaborate with peers across the field to explore and apply leadership concepts to address common challenges.
MED EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – PRINCIPAL PRE K-12
Reimagine K-12 education. Gain skills to be a leader in facilitating student success. In this MEd program, you’ll apply organizational theory and socio-cultural aspects of education to supervise instructional development and assessment—and to manage school budgets. Working with peers across the field, you’ll explore leadership concepts to address common challenges. Program electives allow you to tailor your coursework to your professional aspirations, and you’ll have opportunities to practice your new skills in an internship program.
MED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Harness innovative techniques and develop effective curricula. From schools and workplaces to family homes and public spaces, digital technologies continue to create new possibilities and challenges in education. Through this master’s in Educational Technology, you’ll learn to apply these advances as tools to support the learning and development of your students. Combining relevant classroom technologies and innovative curricula, you’ll promote advanced computer skills, analytical and critical thinking, and media literacy while shaping your career in education, leadership, and training.
MED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Advance your skills as an elementary educator. Master the art and science of teaching in diverse elementary school settings. Through a master’s in Elementary Education, you’ll develop specialized expertise in the methods and practices of your field and will learn to apply innovative strategies while creating positive impacts in your students’ lives. Through both theoretical and hands-on learning in core and emphasis tracks, you’ll focus your progression to meet individual career goals and to empower meaningful interaction in any learning environment.
MED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION – CERTIFICATION
Be a teacher of elementary school students. Deepen your knowledge of issues and current research on best practices in the field of elementary education and become an effective K-8 teacher. You’ll complete advanced courses in teaching methods and curriculum development that emphasize sound pedagogical practices and develop the skills, knowledge, and dispositions you need to confidently enter the field of education.
MED ELEMENTARY EDUCATION – READING K-8
Enhance children’s learning. Through this program, you’ll use foundational knowledge to critique and implement literacy curricula to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based literacy instruction for all learners. You’ll focus on curriculum design and development, teaching methods, and application of classroom strategies that will help you effectively reach all your students. You’ll graduate with advanced knowledge that will make you even more competent in fostering the reading skills of the children in your classroom.
MED ESL & BILINGUAL EDUCATION
In NAU’s MEd program, you will acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for developing ESL skills across reading, writing, and listening. Through our curriculum, you’ll explore the major theories and research related to the structure and acquisition of language, examine current research in bilingual and ESL instruction, and apply theory to structure classroom practice to develop the bilingualism and biliteracy of all students.
MED HUMAN RELATIONS
Advance your interpersonal communication skills. Immerse yourself in a diverse, rigorous, and collaborative atmosphere. You’ll study human development, personality theory and motivation, learning theory, multiculturalism and diversity awareness, and the principles of behavioral change—all topics that are sure to help you thrive in your profession. Learn to examine research design and statistical methods within the psychological sciences and explore psychological theories in lifespan development, personality, and educational psychology.
MED INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Become a champion of cross-cultural exchange. Increase your knowledge of—and experience with—study-abroad and foreign-language programs. Working with experts in the field, you can become a leader in international education. You’ll develop the skills to evaluate environments and contexts through an informed lens and to examine contemporary issues in international education and policy. By establishing platforms for shared learning across international boundaries, you’ll uncover new opportunities to broaden student perspectives and drive collaborative innovation in education.
MED SECONDARY EDUCATION – CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
As a practicing secondary teacher, you’ll enhance your content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge and skills. You can pursue courses in a specific academic area while strengthening your understanding of educational concepts by delving into the history and philosophy of education, issues, and trends in curriculum and instruction, and educational research and statistics.
MED SPECIAL EDUCATION
Channel your passion to advance your career. This MEd program will expand your professional opportunities. You’ll develop advanced skills for supporting individuals with disabilities in private settings and human service agencies. Or, if your goal is to teach, you’ll increase your special ed knowledge and skills for school settings. This plan is appropriate if you are interested in continuing professional development related to supporting individuals with learning and behavioral challenges.
MED SPECIAL EDUCATION – EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH CERTIFICATE
Be an effective, supportive educator. If you aspire to teach young children with disabilities, aged birth to eight, this graduate degree plan is for you. The demand for early childhood special educators currently outpaces the supply across the country. This program will prepare you to be an effective special ed teacher in early intervention, preschool, and kindergarten to third-grade settings for private, human service, and public school environments.
MED SPECIAL EDUCATION – MILD/MODERATE DISABILITIES CERTIFIED
Become certified to teach students with disabilities. This MEd in Special Education certification plan focuses on educating students with learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders, mild-moderate intellectual disabilities, and orthopedic and health impairments. In our collaborative learning community, you’ll gain skills to select, adapt, and use instructional strategies to promote positive learning results for individuals with exceptional learning needs and to practice culturally responsive ways to address the needs of those with exceptionalities.
MS MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Connect mathematical theory to the real world. Find the connections between secondary and post-secondary mathematics content and effective teaching practices. Deepen your understanding of key concepts in middle school, high school, and college mathematics while learning to use current research to guide your professional development as a teacher. Use a variety of tools to create exciting, interactive learning environments designed to engage all learners. This program will help you gain the skills to help any student excel in mathematics.
MSW SOCIAL WORK
Provide service to the community around you. Advocate for social change through NAU’s Master of Social Work (MSW). Geared for practice with rural and Indigenous populations of the Southwest, our program prepares you to serve a variety of individuals and communities. Our curriculum combines theory with practical, hands-on experience, providing you the tools and connections to serve those in need. You’ll also develop skills to promote legislation that supports the well-being of people across generations, social strata, and cultures.
MSW SOCIAL WORK – ADVANCED STANDING
Give voice to marginalized communities. Become a leader in promoting human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. Act in service to vulnerable and underserved populations locally, regionally, and globally. Grounded in social work knowledge, values, and skills, our curriculum focuses on how social workers can act in addressing poverty, structural racism, and oppression in rural and indigenous populations of the Southwest.
UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES
UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE – EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Gain content knowledge to build meaningful curricula. Grounded in a strong child development knowledge base, this certificate plan allows you to build on your understanding of young children’s traits and needs to promote their development and learning. You’ll gain skills to implement developmentally effective teaching and learning approaches and to foster respectful, reciprocal relationships to involve families in their children’s learning. Coursework includes early childhood studies and practicum experiences that lead to an Arizona State Department of Education Early Childhood Endorsement.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Deliver effective assistive technology services. This program will give you the knowledge and skills to improve the lives of the people you serve. Coursework will teach you to describe and discuss common pathologies and the potential benefits of assistive technologies for individuals with these disabilities. You’ll understand how to respond to the diverse cultural health practices, languages, health literacy, and communication needs of disabled people. And you’ll be able to implement assistive technology in a respectful, empathetic, and effective way.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHING & LEARNING
Utilize your past experiences to promote education. Through this graduate certificate in Community College Teaching and Learning, you’ll master the skills and knowledge expected from community college faculty members. Through coursework in adult education, classroom technology, and specialized methodologies, this program will prepare you to harness your existing professional and academic mastery in any learning environment while equipping you to cultivate impactful classrooms and to promote advancement among your students.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – DISABILITY RESOURCE SPECIALIST
If you have a bachelor’s or master’s in rehabilitation counseling, special ed, educational psychology, or a related field, this certificate can take your career to a new level. Learn to identify the barriers that can prevent disabled individuals from fully participating in life activities—and understand disability access laws that apply within a post-secondary educational environment. You’ll refine your skills by engaging in fieldwork in a disability resource office and/or through hands-on practice in an internship.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
As an educator, you must be prepared to meet student needs in a rapidly evolving digital world. This certificate program in Educational Technology is designed to expand your technology skills as you tackle online teaching and implement new tools in the classroom. Based on nationally recognized standards and curricula, this program will prepare you with advanced industry knowledge and experience as you take your career to the next level.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
Be an agent of positive change. Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is an approach to improving human behavior by making challenging behavior unnecessary and preferred behavior easy and effective. Through the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, you’ll conduct behavioral assessments, design interventions, and facilitate meaningful differences in self-determination and daily functioning that will enhance quality of life for clients and all those involved in their lives.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – PRINCIPAL PRE K-12
Advocate for the success of every student. Translate theory into practice as you examine the role of the school principal through courses in instructional planning, supervision of instruction, personnel administration, publicity and politics, leadership, and school law. The program offers school-based leadership experiences and clinical internship practice that will develop your professional skills.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE – READING SPECIALIST K-8 PATH TO CERTIFICATE
Gain the skills to diagnose and remediate reading difficulties for K-8 students—and create a safe environment for them to advance their reading skills. You’ll identify types, genres, and characteristics of children’s literature and recommend practical ways to use these materials. Working with students in classrooms, you’ll apply effective remedies for those who are struggling to read—and create, maintain, lead, and evaluate reading programs for kindergarten through 8th grade.
WHY NAU?
#1
BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN ARIZONA
#1
LOWEST AVERAGE DEBT OF ANY ARIZONA PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
100%
ONLINE PROGRAMS BUILT AROUND YOU
125+
ONLINE DEGREES PROGRAMS
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ACCREDITATIONS & AWARDS
Find out why Northern Arizona University has been recognized for excellence in higher education. We are proud of these prestigious awards that showcase our commitment to academic excellence, affordability, and student success.
