The Educational Studies Department offers courses in TESOL, Educational Foundations (school and society; history, psychology, policy, and philosophy of education), and preparation for elementary and secondary teaching and teacher certification. Knox offers teaching certification programs approved by the State of Illinois for the following:

• Elementary education (K-9),
• Secondary education (6-12): anthropology and sociology, biology, chemistry, English, economics, history, mathematics, physics, political science, psychology, and social studies,
• Special (K-12) certification in French, German, Latin, and Spanish,
• Special (K-12) in art certification and music certification (K-12).

With reciprocal privileges between Illinois and most states, a teaching certificate earned at Knox College allows the graduate to teach in a variety of locations.

Educational Studies students can participate in a variety of campus programs to further hone their craft such as: Teaching on the Navajo Reservation, Working in the Junior Great Books Program, Tutoring students from local and area schools, Participating in the award winning Knox College 4 Kids program as a REACH Fellow, and traveling to China to teach English to students at Anhui Normal University.
Faculty and students frequently collaborate on presentations and publications. During the 2008-2009 academic year, students and faculty collaborated on six publications and eight presentation at state and national conferences.

The Educational Studies Department is housed in George Davis Hall, originally built in 1912 and renovated in 1978. In addition to classrooms and faculty offices, the department has a specialized library of books, periodicals, and textbooks related to elementary and secondary teaching. More extensive library collections are found in Henry M. Seymour Library.