History

Bowie State University's College of Education began in 1925 as a two-year professional curriculum in teacher education, and was expanded to a three-year program.  In 1935, a four-year program for the training of elementary school teachers began, and the school was renamed Maryland State Teachers College at Bowie. 

In 1951, with the approval of the State Board of Education, its governing body, Maryland State Teachers College expanded its program to train teachers for junior high schools.  Ten years later, permission was granted to institute a teacher-training program for secondary education.  In 1963, a liberal arts program was started, and the institution was renamed Bowie State College.

In 1970, Bowie State College was authorized to grant its first graduate degree, the Master of Education.  On July 1, 1998, Bowie State College officially became Bowie State University, a change reflecting significant growth in the institution's innovative programs, increasing enrollment and commitment to the service in the local area.

Since Bowie State University is among the nation's leaders in teacher education, with 50 years of successive accreditation by the National Council of the the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), one should understand the reason that the first doctoral program at Bowie State would be in the field of education. 

For the first time in the history of the University, Bowie State University conferred an earned doctorate, with 16 persons receiving the Doctorate in Educational Leadership, during the May 2005 commencement.  At the beginning of 2009, the School of Education was renamed the College of Education, beginning a new era in preparing competent and caring educators for a diverse world.