Career and Technical Education (BS) - Trade and Industry Education

About

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is an area of public education that focuses on providing students with opportunities in high skill, high demand and high wage areas. Appalachian State University prepares individuals to teach students about these areas at the middle and high school level, at the postsecondary level, in industry and through cooperative extension agencies. Appalachian is the only institution in the state that prepares CTE teachers, and is widely recognized as providing top-quality teachers for the public schools.

Just as young people need to be taught how to read, write or calculate, they also need education in business, marketing and financial literacy, family and consumer sciences literacy and technological literacy. Appalachian prepares future teachers in these areas through five certification tracks within the Career and Technical Education (BS) program:

Business, Finance and Information Technology Education
Business, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Education
Family and Consumer Sciences
Technology, Engineering and Design Education
Trade and Industrial Education

In the Career and Technical Education (BS) - Trade and Industrial Education degree, you will be able to focus your studies on a specific area of technical education such as drafting, cabinet-making, carpentry, electronics, printing graphics, metals manufacturing or even welding. You will also dive deeper into your studies through focused Second Academic Concentrations related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), graphic communications, sustainable design and technology or materials science.

Transfer students or students who have completed Community College courses related to a specific skill area should contact the program director to determine if these courses can count toward a program of study at Appalachian.

After Graduation

Employment: Our students are typically hired throughout North Carolina as well as in surrounding states such as South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Trade and Industrial Education (T&I) instructors are able to teach specific courses in grades 9-12 or at the local community college related to their skill set. Examples include drafting, carpentry, digital media and welding. A complete list of all T&I courses in North Carolina is located on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s website.

Graduate School: Qualifying students can participate in Appalachian’s Accelerated Master’s Program, sometimes referred to as a 4+1, by taking graduate coursework during that student’s senior year that can fulfill both undergraduate and graduate course requirements toward the completion of a Master of Science in Technology. This master’s degree offers concentrations in Appropriate Technology, Building Science and Sustainable Design and Construction.

Other complementary graduate programs include:

Professional Licensure

This is a program that can lead to licensure or certification in North Carolina. Appalachian State University cannot confirm whether this program will meet the requirements for professional licensure in other states or territories.

If this applies to you, check the Professional Licensure webpage for information on licensure requirements and licensing agencies in other states. Or, you may address questions to State Authorization at App State at stateauthorization@appstate.edu or 828-262-7559.

People

Alumnus Profile: Garrett Howlett ’14
“If anyone is considering a career in technology or education, they should deeply consider attending Appalachian.”
– Garrett Howlett,
STEM coordinator, Mount Airy City Schools
Alumnus Profile: Joseph Gannon ’16
“Education is the backbone of Appalachian. As far as technical education goes, the emphasis on sustainability is what sets Appalachian apart from other schools.”
– Joseph Gannon
Alumnus Profile: Ben Caldwell ’06
“I would recommend Appalachian to potential students due to the size of the school, the location in the state and the great faculty.”
– Ben Caldwell, automotive instructor at A.C. Reynolds High School
Faculty Profile: Dr. Jerianne Taylor

CTE “connects the dots” in teaching technical skills, business foundations and the soft skills needed in the workplace, says Taylor, CTE professor and program director.
Alumni Profile: App State leads nation in board certified teachers

For the sixth consecutive year, App State tops the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ list of “Top 50 Alma Maters by Total Number of NBCTs,” leading the nation for the number of National Board Certified Teachers — 2,211.

Courses

Program of Study
Four Year Guide

Click on the pdf for your major
NCCC Transfer Four Year Guide

Related Programs

Minors

No minor is required for this degree. Students can pursue a minor in Business and Information Technology Education.

View all minors

Engagement Outside the Classroom

North Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education (NCACTE)

Appalachian Educators - open to all education majors; sponsors service events and provides professional development and leadership opportunities.

Student North Carolina Association of Educators - a pre-professional organization for college students interested in a career in education.

Chi Sigma Iota - the international honor society for students, professional counselors and counselor educators.

Kappa Delta Pi - the national honorary education fraternity.

Orchesis - the expressive arts honor society, which sponsors activities throughout the year.

ASU TECA (Technology Education Collegiate Association) - the student club for technology education majors. ASU TECA is affiliated with ITEA and TECA National. Members attend regional and national conferences, work with public school teachers and serve as judges and coordinators for the North Carolina Technology Student Association.

View all student organization contacts

Global Learning

Appalachian is committed to introducing students to different cultures and teaching them how to live and interact in a global society. Opportunities for education majors include international student teaching.

Admission Requirements

Admission to Appalachian’s Teacher Education Program is required.

Apply

Visit

Connect

Degrees

Want to learn more?

Costs and Aid

Why Appalachian?

The CTE program is delivered online and on campus.
Graduates are hired quickly and often have multiple job offers.
This program has a long-standing commitment to excellence in CTE teacher preparation and is well-respected at the local, state, national and international levels.
Faculty and students are actively in involved professional and student organizations related to Career and Technical Education. Students have the opportunity to compete in regional, state and national TEECA, TSA and VEX competitions through the student organization ASU TECA.
This is a small, personal program in which teacher candidates take courses and participate in field experiences together for four semesters. All students are known well by each other and by the CTE faculty.

Location

Boone and Hickory* and online

*The Hickory Campus location is pending accreditation from SACSCOC for this program. Accreditation is expected in summer 2023.

Careers

High school teachers
Community college instructors
Adult educators in community agencies
Private school teacher
Educator in business or industry
Career center instructors

Contacts

Reich College of Education

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Jerianne Taylor
Professor
taylorjs@appstate.edu
Program director

Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers a broad range of comprehensive degree programs at the baccalaureate and master’s level. The department seeks to provide quality programs that emphasize an integration of academics and field experiences.

Reich College of Education
Approximately 2,400 students
- The Reich College of Education enrolls approximately 2,400 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. It houses five departments: Curriculum and Instruction, Family and Child Studies, Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Leadership and Educational Studies, and Reading Education and Special Education.
Teacher preparation
- Appalachian has been training quality educators for more than 100 years and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- Appalachian offers the largest undergraduate teacher preparation program in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. There is at least one RCOE graduate working in every county in North Carolina.
- The Reich College of Education is recognized consistently in the annual Institution of Higher Education Performance Report by the State Board of Education.
Close ties to public schools
- The Appalachian State University Public School Partnership – which includes 125 schools in nine surrounding districts – provides sites for student teachers and interns as well as professional development opportunities for teachers.
- The Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork, located in Walkertown, North Carolina, serves over 300 K-5 students. The Academy provides a balanced education through the implementation of research-based practices, state-of-the-art literacy instruction, and exemplary classroom instruction and administration.
Graduate programs
- The School of Graduate Studies’ Accelerated Admission program, in which select undergraduate students can fulfill both undergraduate and graduate course requirements in their senior year toward the completion of a graduate degree program, is offered in: higher education, reading education and special education.
- Other education-related master’s degrees, graduate certificates and specialist degrees are listed on Appalachian’s School of Graduate Studies website.