The education department is happy add to UNH’s list of accreditations, earning the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) this year.

Students who receive a Master of Science in Education at UNH will have greater marketing ability when applying for jobs because of the advanced leadership skills the program provides as a member of NCATE.

NCATE was established in 1954 with the goal of helping to establish high-quality teacher foundations across the country. The association was built as a result of combining five of the largest educational groups, including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), the National Education Association (NEA), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA), according to the NCATE official website.

A public opinion poll conducted by Penn and Schoen showed that about 82 percent of the public prefers teachers that have graduated from a nationally accredited school. Almost 700 institutions nationwide are accredited, and the number continues to grow with the country’s demand for better-trained educators.

UNH is currently the 10th institution in Connecticut to receive the NCATE accreditation, and other schools in the state are currently applying. Institutions that have already been accredited included all four of Connecticut State University systems, UCONN, Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University and University of Hartford.

Receiving a Masters of Education at University of New Haven proves to be a competitive process, but provides students with benefits such as small classroom sizes that allow students to receive individualized attention when necessary. Internships are intense and hands on, and schedules are generally flexible. Education faculty members come from a large range of knowledgeable backgrounds in both elementary and secondary education settings.