New Teacher Prep Programs Begin Fall 2021

WINTERVILLE—In response to North Carolina’s critical shortage of qualified teachers, Pitt Community College is adding a pair of new associate degrees intended to give more students an opportunity to become licensed elementary, middle and high school educators.

According to Melissa Rees, chair of PCC’s Education and Child Development Department, the college will begin offering Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees in Teacher Preparation this fall. She said registration for the transfer programs begins April 5.

“These new training options are part of a universal articulation with four-year teacher licensure programs offered at 15 University of North Carolina System institutions,” Rees said. “PCC students who successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours in these curricula and meet requirements specified in the articulations will transfer to bachelor’s degree programs as juniors.”

Rees said the new curricula consist of general education courses and four teacher education classes: “Teaching and Learning for All,” “Foundations of Education,” “Literacy Development and Instruction,” and “Teacher Licensure Preparation.” She said Nikki Miller, an educator with more than 20 years of public schools experience, is designing the educational courses.

“We hope that offering these new educational options will allow more students to join the teaching field, and we’re very excited to be an integral part of increasing the quantity and quality of licensed teachers in North Carolina,” Rees said.

For more details, contact Miller at lnmiller330@my.pittcc.edu or Rees at mrees@email.pittcc.edu.