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Theatre Education
Learn how to share your love of theatre with the next generation.
-
Pride and Prejudice, 2024 -
Love/Sick student directors, 2024 -
Peter Pan, 2023 -
Theatre Education Major Jadyn Craig -
Professor Peter M. Rule mentoring student Ivy Johnson -
Proof student directors, 2022 -
Theatre Education Major Ray Shaul -
The Seagull, 2023 -
Professor Todd Quick, Educator/Artist, speaks to the cast of A Christmas Carol -
Dr. Vanessa Campagna, Educator/Artist, speaks to the cast of The little Mermaid
Starting in Fall 2026, courses in this discipline will continue to be offered; however, it will be in the form of an endorsement, which can be added to an elementary or secondary teaching licensure program of study.
Act, direct, design, write — learn to do and teach it all
The Theatre Education degree trains you as a theatre generalist who is fully prepared for a career of teaching theatre. Licensure qualifies you to teach pre-Kindergarten through grade 12.
A pathway to your career
The Departments of Theatre and Educational Studies partner in delivering an exceptional curriculum. You will receive training in all areas of theatre practice and learn to master research-based methods for teaching. You’ll gain hands-on experience by working closely with area drama or theatre teachers during ongoing practicum experiences. In your final year at Monmouth, you’ll complete a semester-long student teaching experience in a theatre or drama classroom.
Experiential learning
Your education in the classroom is supplemented by involvement in co-curricular theatre productions. Our annual Theatre Season features four productions and you’ll be eligible to begin earning resume credits in your first year. Students work in all areas of production: directing, design, technical, stage management, acting, and more! You’ll graduate with the knowledge and tangible experience needed to run successful theatre programs at the pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 levels.
We also enjoy an amazing partnership with the local community! On one theatre production each year, you’ll collaborate with local youth, taking on leadership responsibilities and mentoring roles. These experience will make you increasingly successful job market.

98.08%
of Monmouth College Educational Studies graduates since 2017 are currently employed or continuing education (Source Wackerle Center for Career, Leadership, and Fellowships).

Exemplary
The Illinois State Board of Education has rated the Monmouth College Elementary Education program to be EXEMPLARY. (Source ISBE Illinois Preparation Profile)

77%
of Monmouth College graduates teach in Illinois public schools for at least 3 years, compared to 60% of graduates from other colleges and universities in Illinois. (Source ISBE Illinois Preparation Profile)
- <blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “Monmouth’s theatre education major gave me the skills I need for the classroom and the director’s chair.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Natalie Stortoni ’16, drama teacher at Gage Park High School in Chicago</footer></blockquote>
FAQs
- Is financial assistance available for students who want to become teachers?
Yes! Students in our department have several opportunities for financial assistance due to their intention to become teachers. Here are three:
Our department sponsors a program for students interested in rural schools called TARTANS (Teachers Allied with Rural Towns And Neighborhood Schools). This program offers regular programming along and a yearly stipend, with an expectation that students will teach in a rural school for at least three years after graduation. For more information, contact professors Tammy La Prad or Arren Duggan.
Many of our students are Golden Apple Scholars. This state-funded program is a teacher preparation and tuition assistance program for high school seniors, and first- and second-year Illinois college students who have the determination and drive to be excellent teachers in Illinois schools-of-need.
The TEACH Grant is a federally-funded program that provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to a student who agrees to serve for at least four years as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
The State if Illinois sponsors a scholarship for students of designated minorities who are pursuing teaching as a career through the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program. In exchange for the $5000/year scholarship, students agree to serve for at least three years as a teacher in a school of 30% minority. enrollment,
- What makes Monmouth’s education program stand out?
Monmouth is the only college in the United States to have formal partnerships with two national organizations – the Teton Science Schools (TSS) and the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC). These partnerships have allowed our Educational Studies Department to create a rural teacher corps program (TARTANS) and provide place-based education opportunities at local schools (PLACE). If you have longed to be a teacher who has a dynamic vision of change and wants to give back to others, then find out more about Monmouth’s distinctive program designed to revitalize rural schools and communities by contacting professor Tammy La Prad.
- I would like to do my student teaching in my hometown at the school where I went. Can I do so?
We want you to have a range of experiences that will prepare you best for your teaching career. Therefore, we want to place you in a setting for your student teaching that will broaden your experiences. We typically do not place people in districts where they went to school. We place students in schools that are within a 60-mile radius of Monmouth, or students can student-teach with the Chicago Semester program. This is the time to try something new and challenging!
- I am interested in teaching in a state other than Illinois. Can I still get my teaching license at Monmouth?
Yes! We have had many graduates who earned their teaching degree at Monmouth and then moved to another state upon graduation. Often states’ requirements differ slightly, so you will likely be granted a provisional license for your first year while you take any classes that might be required (typically only one or two). After you have completed those requirements, you will be granted a full teaching license in the other state. For more information, contact professor Tom Sargent.
- I am interested in education for my career but not as a classroom teacher. Can I do that at Monmouth?
Yes! The educational studies major is designed for students who feel a connection to education and who want to learn about the teaching and learning process, but they are not interested in pursuing an Illinois teaching license at the moment. Contact professor Tammy La Prad or see our educational studies major/minor page.
- Is financial assistance available for students who want to become teachers?
Yes! Students in our department have several opportunities for financial assistance due to their intention to become teachers. Here are three:
Our department sponsors a program for students interested in rural schools called TARTANS (Teachers Allied with Rural Towns And Neighborhood Schools). This program offers regular programming along and a yearly stipend, with an expectation that students will teach in a rural school for at least three years after graduation. For more information, contact professors Tammy La Prad or Arren Duggan.
Many of our students are Golden Apple Scholars. This state-funded program is a teacher preparation and tuition assistance program for high school seniors, and first- and second-year Illinois college students who have the determination and drive to be excellent teachers in Illinois schools-of-need.
The TEACH Grant is a federally-funded program that provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to a student who agrees to serve for at least four years as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
The State if Illinois sponsors a scholarship for students of designated minorities who are pursuing teaching as a career through the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program. In exchange for the $5000/year scholarship, students agree to serve for at least three years as a teacher in a school of 30% minority. enrollment,
- What makes Monmouth’s education program stand out?
Monmouth is the only college in the United States to have formal partnerships with two national organizations – the Teton Science Schools (TSS) and the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC). These partnerships have allowed our Educational Studies Department to create a rural teacher corps program (TARTANS) and provide place-based education opportunities at local schools (PLACE). If you have longed to be a teacher who has a dynamic vision of change and wants to give back to others, then find out more about Monmouth’s distinctive program designed to revitalize rural schools and communities by contacting professor Tammy La Prad.
- I would like to do my student teaching in my hometown at the school where I went. Can I do so?
We want you to have a range of experiences that will prepare you best for your teaching career. Therefore, we want to place you in a setting for your student teaching that will broaden your experiences. We typically do not place people in districts where they went to school. We place students in schools that are within a 60-mile radius of Monmouth, or students can student-teach with the Chicago Semester program. This is the time to try something new and challenging!
- I am interested in teaching in a state other than Illinois. Can I still get my teaching license at Monmouth?
Yes! We have had many graduates who earned their teaching degree at Monmouth and then moved to another state upon graduation. Often states’ requirements differ slightly, so you will likely be granted a provisional license for your first year while you take any classes that might be required (typically only one or two). After you have completed those requirements, you will be granted a full teaching license in the other state. For more information, contact professor Tom Sargent.
- I am interested in education for my career but not as a classroom teacher. Can I do that at Monmouth?
Yes! The educational studies major is designed for students who feel a connection to education and who want to learn about the teaching and learning process, but they are not interested in pursuing an Illinois teaching license at the moment. Contact professor Tammy La Prad or see our educational studies major/minor page.