School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Sciences

Enrich the lives of children and families

Toddler playing in an indoor sandbox with a dinosaur and motorcycle as a teacher observes.
Welcome to the College of Education at Missouri State

Get prepared to improve people's quality of life

Support kids’ growth and development. Help families thrive. Better the lives of others.

FIND YOUR FIELD

CHOOSE A MAJOR

Do you want a career where you get to nurture the minds and character of young children? Or is your desire to care for kids and families undergoing health-related crises? Perhaps you seek to work in a field that allows you to work in agencies that guide people to navigate life’s challenges. Find a program that meets your needs and get started in realizing your career goals. You can opt to complete some of our programs fully online.
Teacher looking at a smiling toddler through a magnifying glass
Child development - Guide our youngest generations

Build your competence and ability to nurture kids’ (from infancy up to age 8) all-around growth (online option available).
Man playing a board game with a young person in a hospital bed
Child life - Offer support and comfort

Gain expertise to work with children – and their families – experiencing medical challenges or hospitalizations.

A teenager and parent in a counseling session
Family studies - Improve human well-being

Learn how to effectively engage with and meet the needs of families or individual family members through various stages of life.
A teacher surrounded by students in a school gymnasium
Youth development - Empower young people

Get youth ready to transition into adulthood successfully by helping them learn and grow socially, emotionally and cognitively (online option available).
A heart for the disadvantaged

Serving at-risk populations

Aaliyah Williams has a passion for helping people improve their lives, especially kids.

Her time at Missouri State University studying child and family development set her up to support children from low-income families.

Aaliyah Williams

Pursue a rewarding career

Get an affordable education at Missouri State, and follow your path to become a teacher.
Teacher pipeline
#1
No school in the state produces more educators each year than Missouri State.
Putting a bear in every building
Average annual tuition (Undergrad)
$8,200
MSU’s total costs are lower than most other universities in the state and the nation.
Explore typical costs