ELF has programs leading to teaching and leadership, including undergraduate and graduate programs in secondary education, educational leadership, educational supervision, college student personnel, and two-year college teaching and administration. 

At WCU, whether you’re studying to be a secondary school teacher or a community college administrator, you’ll work with outstanding teachers in a range of subject specialties, from English and art to music and science. You have the advantage of an outstanding record of placement by an award-winning program that has prepared teachers for over 100 years. ELF’s programs are fully accredited at the local, state, and national levels, and recently received rave reviews from several accrediting bodies.

Ready to take your graduate studies even further? The doctoral program in educational leadership has concentrations in administration, curriculum and instruction, and higher education-community college. Graduate courses are available on both the main campus in Cullowhee and at the Graduate Center at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Some classes and programs are also offered online and via distance education (ITV).

Most graduate students are employed as administrators and teachers in the schools and community colleges of western North Carolina and enroll on a part-time basis, taking courses in the evenings or online.

We’re here to help you, from admission all the way through to placement. At Western, you don’t need to worry about navigating the rough seas of licensure on your own. We lead the state in guiding teachers through field experiences, internships, assembling a first-rate technology portfolio, to taking the pre-professional and subject tests. Our online Teacher Education Handbook and student resources will assist you as you progress through each stage of your preparation.

For more information, contact the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations.