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Eriksson College
of Education

Student teacher graduating
Learn to teach at Austin Peay.

Our diverse program offerings bring your career as an educator even closer from our Pre-K – 12 programs through our Doctorate in Educational Leadership. From initial licensure to preparing you to lead as a school administrator, we equip you to succeed.

Austin Peay's education programs will give you the tools you need to be a world-class educator.

Our departments of Teaching and Learning and Educational Specialties offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs that will give you the training you need to be successful in our classroom and in yours. Our various Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs provide multiple avenues for career changers and college graduates in other disciplines to prepare themselves to become teachers. The Doctorate of Educational Leadership will prepare you for a variety of positions from state and district leadership roles to educational research and higher education careers.


Upcoming Events



Spring Book Club


Spring Book ClubThe Austin Peay State University community students, faculty, staff and local teachers are invited to participate in the Spring Book Club, hosted by the 365bet Student Tennessee Education Association (STEA) chapter. Join us for an interactive discussion of this eye-opening memoir, "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban," by Malala Yousafzai. A limited number of books will be available for students who attend monthly STEA meetings in the spring. Please come ready to discuss the book! Light snacks will be provided.

For more information or to RSVP, please email Dr. Joanne Philhower at
philhowerj@tincyn.net

Date: April 11, 2024
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Woodward Library 232


Academic Departments

Joanna Zimmerle teaches students in Ready2Teach classroom
Educational Specialties

The Department of Educational Specialties offers advanced degree programs in both licensure and non-licensure areas. The mission of the department of Educational Specialties is to prepare and support educational professionals in their development as effective practitioners.

students listening in classroom
Teaching and Learning

The Department of Teaching and Learning offers degrees in initial licensure programs. As you pursue your potential career as a professional educator, please explore what the Department of Teaching and Learning has to offer in support of your career goal.


Scholarship Opportunities


Join Kappa Delta Pi

Established to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching as well as to sustain an honored community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service, the name is derived from Greek words representing “knowledge, duty, and power.“ Pioneering since its inception with the inclusion of both women and men, Kappa Delta Pi is internationally comprised of 582 chapters and more than 45,000 members. Benefits for members include job search assistance, opportunities for leadership, professional development and access to teacher resources.  


Applications are due no later than Friday, March 1, 2024. 

Review membership requirements and download application here


Sarah Dugger
Sarah Dugger
('21) Doctor of Education

It’s been a great program. A lot of really practical course work, things I’ve been able to implement over the last three years.
Sibyl Brush
Sibyl Brush
('24) Pre-K - 3rd Grade Education

The professors and students in this department are some of the most inclusive, progressive and kind people I’ve ever met.
Emmanuel Méjeun
Emmanuel Méjeun
('17) Music Performance and Education

Everything about my story is tied to music: it’s my passion, it’s my love, it’s going to be my job — It’s everything to me.
Susannah White
Susannah White
Elementary Education

Without Austin Peay's programs, I wouldn't have found my passion for teaching children, or seen the joy a child experiences when they learn how to sing or play an instrument.

News Feed

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Austin Peay hosts unique career fair tailored for students with autism
Austin Peay hosts unique career fair tailored for students with autism

Austin Peay State University hosts a pioneering Reverse Career Fair designed for students with autism, fostering a supportive environment tailored to their needs for connecting with employers and preparing for successful careers post-graduation through the Full Spectrum Learning program.

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feb-2024-cheryl-lambert
Austin Peay State University to host fourth Rural Education Conference

Registration is open for the fourth annual Rural Education Conference, hosted by the Center for Rural Education at Austin Peay State University and taking place virtually from 8 a.m. - noon CST, March 19.

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feb-2024-leadership-exchange
365bet College of Education emphasizes collaboration during spring partnership meeting

The power of partnerships is more than a talking point for Dr. Prentice Chandler, dean of the Eriksson College of Education at Austin Peay State University. These partnerships are elevated, celebrated and taken seriously, and this attitude was fully apparent as the College of Education hosted its semiannual Partnership Advisory Council Meeting on Feb. 15.

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feb-2024-bruster-lambert
Austin Peay education professors release trauma-informed practices book

A new textbook - edited by Dr. Benita Bruster and Dr. Cheryl Lambert from the Eriksson College of Education at Austin Peay State University - offers research-based strategies to help teachers effectively manage disruptive student behaviors by incorporating trauma-informed practices.

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jan-2024-icbte
365bet professors selected as inaugural ICBTE Faculty Fellows

The Tennessee Grow Your Own Center's (TNGYOC) Institute for Competency-based Teacher Education (ICBTE) has named six faculty members from Austin Peay State University's Eriksson College of Education as inaugural Faculty Fellows.

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Tracy Bettencourt teaching a student in a class
Tracy Bettencourt

"365bet has amazing technology I can't afford at home like book scanners or screen readers. This University gave me the same opportunity to succeed as any other student, and I wouldn't change my experience for anything in the world."

Allison Oliver
Allison Oliver

"I believe great institutions and effective educators are humble enough to know that progress comes from shared learning experiences and that we can learn from each other."

Joanne Philhower
Joanne Philhower

“I look forward to learning from and with my students just as much as they learn from me. I'm excited about getting to know them as people and not just as students.”