Western Carolina University offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to licensure by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. All of Western's teacher education programs are fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by the North Carolina Department of Instruction. The school and clinical mental health counseling graduate programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the Communication Disorders Program is accredited by the American Speech-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Undergraduate Programs

• Art Education (K-12) 
• Biology Education (9-12) 
• Birth-Kindergarten
• Elementary Education (K-6)
• English Education (9-12)  
• Mathematics Education (9-12)
• Middle Grades Education (6-9) [with concentrations in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies]
• Music Education (K-12)
• Physical Education (K-12)
• Science Education (9-12) [with concentrations in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics]
• Social Sciences Education (9-12) [double major in social sciences and political science or history] 
• Spanish Education (K-12)
• Special Education (K-12)

Graduate Programs

• Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.)
• Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
• Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S.)
• Doctor of Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)