Train to Teach. Rise to Lead.
Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural (TLS) studies graduates go on to teach and lead with excellence. In fact, the past two Arizona Teachers of the Year are College of Education grads.
At the Department of Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, we prepare educators who champion equity, access, and social justice, guided by internationally recognized faculty. Our Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education degrees lead to Arizona teaching certification, with options in bilingual education, ESL, and literacy along the way.
Not everyone who studies with us stays in the classroom, and that's by design. Whether you lead a classroom, a sports program, or an organization, it starts here. TLS also offers pathways into secondary certification, sport and recreation leadership, and organizational leadership through Leadership and Learning Innovation, along with graduate study at the master's, doctoral, and certificate level. Wherever your interest in education and leadership takes you, there's a program built for it.
Classrooms. Teams. Organizations. Our graduates lead all three.
Program Spotlight
Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Anywhere in Arizona
Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education an earn your Arizona K-8 teaching certification from anywhere in the state. It includes ESL and K-5 Literacy endorsements, with an optional Bilingual endorsement.
The program has live online classes plus flexible coursework, with practicum and student teaching completed in your own community. Choose full-time (2 years) or part-time (4 years); Fall and Spring starts available. K-8 school employees may qualify for credit toward the degree.
Earn Your Master's. Get Certified. Start Teaching.
Become certified to teach Birth-3rd Grade or K-8 in Arizona, plus earn a K-5 Literacy Endorsement, through UA's flexible, statewide hybrid master's programs. Launching Summer 2027.
✓ Study from anywhere in Arizona
✓ Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years)
✓ Eligible students may have tuition fully covered through the Arizona Teachers Academy
Graduate Research & Specialized Programs
Our graduate research and specialized programs offer advanced study in diverse areas, including the M.A. and Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies and Sports and Recreation Management. These programs equip students with the skills to lead in academia, education, and community-based fields. Graduates are prepared for impactful roles in education and beyond.
Alumni Spotlight
Max Berry is a Program Manager at Earn to Learn, an Arizona-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering students to learn and grow. Max graduated from the University of Arizona in 2023 with a degree in Leadership and Learning Innovation and a minor in History. As an undergraduate, Max served as an AmeriCorps/ Next Step Advisor at Desert View High School in Tucson, where he assisted high school students in transitioning to post-secondary education. This internship led to a full-time role as a Program Coordinator for Earn to Learn’s Next Step Program, mentoring Next Step Advisors in supporting Arizona’s students. After a year and a half in that role, Max was promoted to Program Manager of Workforce Operations, where he helped launch Earn to Learn’s newest initiative, the Early Career Pathfinders Program, an effort to bring early career exploration and development opportunities to middle school students across the state.
