Queens students begin education courses and clinicals their first semester. First year courses include Foundations of Education and Teaching Diverse Learners where students are exposed to a variety of schools and classroom settings to begin building a foundation of knowledge of how to successfully meet the needs of all learners. Students work with their education advisor to develop a customized four-year plan of study.

Students apply for admittance in the education program. Courses taken in year two include Cultural Arts, Data-Driven Instruction, Digital Literacies, Teaching Exceptional Learners and Teaching Students of Poverty and ELL. This year students are immersed in learning how to develop and teach lessons effectively to all types of learners and how to work with parents.

Students focus primarily on specific content courses including Literacy, Science and Math. Students also take Classroom Management and apply this knowledge during clinicals which are strategically planned in a variety of school settings. Students see theory in practice, while teaming with master teachers to observe and teach. 

Students are immersed in a year-long internship while continuing to take professional education coursework. The fall senior block of courses includes STEM, Critical Issues in Education, Social Studies, Integrating Curriculum and Vocabulary Development. Students are required to spend one full day in their internship classroom in the fall and student teach full-time with their clinical educator in the spring semester.

The Cato School of Education is committed to continuous improvement. Cato is accredited by NCATE and is preparing for reaccreditation with CAEP in Spring 2022. Faculty continually attend state, national and international conferences presenting research and increasing their learning. Faculty publish articles, chapters in edited books, books and manuals in their fields.