Northwest's Professional Education Unit prepares teachers, counselors, and administrators/leaders for the state's and nation's school system. Northwest has been continuously accredited since 1954. Northwest's programs are accredited through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Supporting the Professional Education Unit are the Horace Mann Laboratory School and a cadre of Professional Development Schools, in both rural urban and suburban settings, as well as many other professional staff in collateral programs and professions.
