Teacher Preparation Programs

• Programs Leading to Licensure
• Early Childhood Initial Licensure
• Early Childhood Professional Licensure
• Elementary Initial Licensure Program
• Elementary Professional Licensure Program

The Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development began as a nursery school serving children from Boston living in poverty. Although its focus has expanded greatly since its inception, one of the cornerstones of the Eliot-Pearson mission is its dedication to promoting excellence in early childhood education. The department's two laboratory schools, the Eliot-Pearson Children's School and the Tufts Educational Day Care Center, serve as models for best educational practices, and -- along with our renowned Evelyn G. Pitcher Curriculum Laboratory -- provide opportunities for students to learn, work, and conduct research. Eliot-Pearson enjoys a reputation as one of the country's most respected programs in the study of children and the training of experts in the field of education.

The late Ernest L. Boyer, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, named it one of the leading programs in the country in his seminal work Ready to Learn. He wrote that Eliot-Pearson is “engaged in pioneering laboratory and research work in early education.”

Here is what a few of our alumni have said about Eliot-Pearson's programs:

“Everywhere I go, principals ask for Eliot-Pearson graduates, explaining that our students make the very best teachers!”

“You don't just learn about teaching, you learn about children.”

“All children need a healthy environment in which to grow and we were given that as well.”

“Tufts gave me the tools and strategies that I use everyday to help me understand each child I encounter.”

“I've attended several prestigious universities... none has made more of an impact on my skills as an educator than my experience at Tufts. As the CEO of Compton Unified School District in California, the in-depth knowledge of child development remains my primary filter in decision-making for 30,000 students."

Learn more about the Graduate Teacher Preparation Programs Leading to Licensure.

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