Deparment Hightlights
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the department of Teaching, Learning and Culture (TLAC), thank you for visiting our website. We hope that the overview provided on this page, along with the links to the left, will provide you with useful information. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions about the department, or if you would like additional information about who we are, what we do, or how we might be of service to you.
Who are we and what do we do?
As one of the four academic departments in the College of Education and Human Development, the Teaching, Learning and Culture Department (TLAC) encompasses students, faculty, and staff whose efforts and interests center on the many different aspects of academics, teaching and classroom education. Our departmental mission statement is "to prepare educators and researchers to build inclusive democratic communities in schools and society through critical and reflective research, teaching and service."
TLAC offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies for undergraduate students. Students may choose from three areas of specialization:
- Early Childhood Education
- Middle School Education (Language Arts/Social Studies)
- Middle School Education (Math/Science)
Graduate students may pursue their Master of Education, Master of Science, Doctor of Education, or Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction with the department. TLAC’s graduate programs are composed of four different areas of specialization:
- Culture and Curriculum
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Mathematics Education
- Reading and Language Arts Education
- Science Education
- Online Executive Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
- Online Master of Education
- Secondary Graduate Certification Program
- Urban Education
The department also offers a Post-Baccalaureate Certification program for baccalaureate graduates whom desire initial certification to teach in Texas public schools at the secondary level.
Both undergraduate and graduate students in the department participate in inquiry, research, publication and presentations at state, national and international conferences. Students are also often rewarded numerous scholarships, fellowships and awards:
Mindi Tipps (TLAC student), Class of 2003, received the Texas Directors of Field Experience's "Student Teacher of the Year" award …This is the third consecutive year that a Texas A&M student teacher has received the award… Tipps attributes her success to her experiences at A&M. "One of the outstanding things about the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development is that by my second year, I was in an elementary school gaining practical experiences," Tipps said. (The Battalion, 2004)
In addition to an outstanding student population and excellent educational specialty programs, the department also boasts a vibrant and diverse faculty. During a typical year, the TLAC faculty can be expected to serve as principal investigators for many externally funded grants and contracts associated with research, teaching and service. In addition to honors and distinctions such as Endowed Chair faculty appointments and Distinguished Research Fellows, the department’s faculty members regularly publish articles in professional journals, as well as some of the leading professional texts in areas such as curriculum theory, children's literature and literacy education.
The Teaching, Learning and Culture Department is headed by Dr. Yeping Li, who also serves as an Endowed Chair. Dr. Radhika Viruru serves as Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies, and Dr. Cathleen Loving serves as Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies. For more information on the TLAC department, please visit us here or call (979) 845-8384.
