Workforce Education and Development, B.S.

Program Description

This major leads to the B.S. degree and may also lead to certification as a career and technical education teacher, and/or a coordinator of cooperative education, provided other requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education are met. The Industrial Training option does not lead to teacher certification.

To be certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a career and technical education teacher, a person must have sufficient employment experience beyond the learning period to establish competency in the occupation to be taught. Further interpretation of this requirement may be secured by contacting the Department of Learning and Performance Systems. (See also Teacher Education Programs.)

What is Workforce Education and Development?

Workforce Education and Development (WFED) at Penn State is a nationally and internationally recognized program for people interested in teaching within career and technical education or professional training programs. Our program prepares individuals to teach in public and private secondary and postsecondary educational institutions or training programs in business, industry and manufacturing.

The Industrial Education option is for people wanting to pursue a Pennsylvania Department of Education Certification and a B.S. degree to teach career and technical education.

The Occupational Home Economics option is for people wanting to pursue a B.S. degree to teach family and consumer sciences.

The Health Occupations option is for people wanting to pursue Pennsylvania Department of Education Certification and a B.S. degree to teach in healthcare professions.

The Industrial Training option is for people wanting to pursue a B.S. degree to teach or provide professional training within business, industry or manufacturing.

You Might Like This Program If...

You participated in career and technical education courses or programs in the past. If you have an interest in technology, technical applications and teaching, this program may be a good fit for you. A Workforce Education and Development degree is for people who have an interest in teaching in technical programs including, but not limited to: automotive technology, carpentry, computer programming, culinary arts, electronics technology, graphic arts, healthcare professions and HVAC.

Entrance to Major

Baccalaureate degree candidates must meet the following requirements by the end of their fourth semester to be admitted to the Workforce Education (WFED) major:

1. Complete the following courses: ECON 102 or ECON 104, EDPSY 14, EDTHP 115, ENGL 15 or ENGL 30H, and WFED 101 
2. Complete 3 credits in literature (GH)
3. Complete 6 credits in Quantification (GQ)
4. Minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA
5. Complete and document a minimum of 80 hours of experience

Direct Admission to the Major

Incoming first-year students who meet the program admission requirements are admitted directly into the major. Admission restrictions may apply for change-of-major and/or change-of-campus students.

For more information about the admission process for this major, please send a request to the college, campus, or program contact (listed in the Contact tab).

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development, a minimum of 124 credits is required:

3 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes 3 credits of General Education GS courses.

Requirements for the Major

Common Requirements for the Major (All Options)

A grade of C or better per course is required for teacher certification.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better for teacher certification
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
or ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy
EDPSY 14	Learning and Instruction	3
EDTHP 115	Education in American Society	3
WFED 1	Education for Work: Trends and Issues	3
WFED 101	Early Field Experience in Teaching Vocational Industrial Education/Health Occupations Education Sub	1
WFED 105	Integrated Curriculum Implementation	3
WFED 323	Vocational Student Organizations	3
WFED 445	Vocational Guidance	3
WFED 106	Program and Facilities Management	3
WFED 207W	Assessment Techniques	3
WFED 413	Vocational Education for Special-Needs Learners	3
WFED 441	Conceptual and Legal Bases for Cooperative Vocational Education	2
WFED 442	Operating Cooperative Vocational Education Programs	2
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better for teacher certification
Select one of the following:		3
LDT 100	World Technologies and Learning
STS 245Z	Globalization, Technology, and Ethics
WFED 450	Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Requirements for the Option
Requirements for the Option: Require a grade of C or better for teacher certification
Select an option		43-44

Requirements for the Option

Health Occupations Education Option (43 credits)

A grade of C or better per course is required for teacher certification.

Industrial Education Option (43 credits)

A grade of C or better per course is required for teacher certification.

Industrial Training Option (44 credits)

A grade of C or better per course is required for teacher certification.

Occupational Home Economics Education Option (43 credits)

A grade of C or better per course is required for teacher certification.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

College of Education
Advising and Certification Center
228 Chambers Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0488
ed@admissions.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Workforce Education and Development, B.S. at University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

¹

 Literature Selection list of acceptable courses available here.

Career Paths

WFED graduates are teachers and administrators in career-oriented educational programs, including CTE courses, Apprenticeships, Cooperative Education, Tech-Prep, High Schools That Work, and technical postsecondary colleges. In industry, WFED graduates keep employees up-to-date with rapid changes in technology, equipment, and work processes.

Careers

Our graduates have careers as teachers, trainers, safety administrators, and managers. And You Can Too!

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Penn State's Workforce Education and Development program offers certificate programs as well as graduate degree programs leading to master's of education (M.Ed.) and master's of science (M.S.) degrees. Students interested in these programs leading to the master's degree in Workforce Education and Development should be employed, or wish to be employed, as faculty members, trainers, administrators, or researchers in settings emphasizing education for work in private sector firms, schools, occupational home economics, cooperative education, youth apprenticeship, or employment and training. The Pennsylvania State University Workforce Education and Development program offers a graduate degree program leading to degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Students interested in this program should be employed in or aspire to be employed as faculty, trainers, administrators, or researchers in education-for-work settings such as business, industry, health fields, and occupational home economics.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)
• Association for Career and Technical Education Research

Accreditation

The College of Education educator preparation programs are fully accredited at the Initial and Advanced levels by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The next CAEP program review will be Fall 2026. CAEP advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Professional Licensure/Certification

Many U.S. states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS
411 Keller Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-5361
mdt177@psu.edu

https://ed.psu.edu/academics/departments/department-learning-and-performance-systems