Southern Wesleyan University is a private Christian university committed to liberal arts and professional education. We are proud to be an institution of The Wesleyan Church, a worldwide body of evangelical Protestant believers. Our name has changed over the years, but our mission—to be a Christian community of learners that recognizes God as the source of all truth and wisdom—has remained. Located in upstate South Carolina, Southern Wesleyan has enrolled more than 1,200 students and has a low student-to-faculty ratio. The School of Education offers degrees in Early Childhood, Elementary, Music Education, Physical Education and Special Education.
My experiences with the professors have been amazing. They are caring and go out of their way to ensure that I am successful inside and outside the classroom, and that I am prepared to teach students. My field experiences at Southern Wesleyan have put fuel in that fire to learn and teach.
Southern Wesleyan School of Education prepares dedicated professional educators who demonstrate a Christian Ethic of Care towards Self, Colleagues, Community, and Learners. Experienced and published professors provide Southern Wesleyan students with the professional knowledge they need in the classroom. Two semesters of student teaching opportunities—preclinical and clinical—ensure that graduates are prepared to meet the rigors of teaching and commit their attention to the needs of their students. Successful Southern Wesleyan University graduates are leaders who uphold the highest professional standards. Graduates are often selected as school and district level Teachers of the Year.
Students at Southern Wesleyan University have reduced the cost of their program using these methods. Check with Southern Wesleyan University to see if you can, too!
Amount
Description
$2,500-$5,000
Grants, Stipends, Scholarships
Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative funds are available to young men from diverse backgrounds who major in Elementary Education. Learn More.
$3,000-$4,000
Work Study, Working While Still Enrolled
Full Amount
SC Create
Starting Fall 2022 FULLY ONLINE!
Earn your Bachelor’s degree in Multi-categorical Special Education (BS–Teacher Special Education). Full-time South Carolina public and charter school employees in instructional (teacher assistant) or non-instructional (custodial, bus driver, etc.) who do not have a Bachelor’s degree can apply for CREATE scholarship funds. Learn More.
Early Childhood (PK-Grade 12) Elementary Education (Grades 2-6) Music Education Choral Music (PK-Grade 12) Music Education Instrumental Music (PK-Grade 12) Physical Education (PK-Grade 12) Special Education Emotional Disabilities (PK-Grade 12) Special Education Intellectual Disabilities (PK-Grade 12) Special Education Learning Disabilities (PK-Grade 12) Special Education Special Education (Multi-Categorical) (PK-Grade 12)
Program Semesters/Steps Overview
All students take an entry level methods course that includes a 30-hour field experience, a mini-lesson and an interview ("Why I Want to Be a Teacher").
All students take preparatory methods courses, as well as 12 hours in skills (Introduction to Teaching and Assessing Reading). A required Instructional Technology course provides students with skills in virtual teaching, electronic gradebooks, blogging, movie creation, creating webpages and podcasting.
All students are required to take courses mandated by the certification area:
First Semester
Pre-Clinical (2 credits: 80 hours in two school placements. The second placement will be the same placement for Clinical).
Behavior and Classroom Management
Second Semester
Clinicals (12 credits: The student has a 70-day placement in the grade level and content area where they will be certified.)
Program Hallmarks
During sophomore and junior years, education majors have 100+ hours of field experiences with seasoned classroom teachers in their content area and grade level. Senior year, students have an 80-hour pre-clinical experience, which prepares them for their second semester clinical teaching assignment. Virtual learning is incorporated into all majors, as well as a required instructional course which prepares students with distance learning skills.
All students are required to take Introduction to the Exceptional Child, which explores challenges working with K-12 students from different ethnic, cultural, language, disability, and socio-economic backgrounds. All courses challenge students to determine teaching strategies for diverse populations.
During the pre-clinical experience, each student is assigned a school cooperating teacher and a SWU supervisor who will act as mentors. During Clinicals, each student is assigned a school cooperating teacher, a cooperating school administrator, and University supervisor who will mentor, assess and give feedback, to ensure that future teachers can turn their learned theory into practical use.
Southern Wesleyan's Education program is nationally accredited and has a commitment to research, data-driven decisions and continuous improvement. 96% of Education graduates either find employment in the Education field or continue to graduate school. Seniors often sign "open contracts'' with districts during either Pre-Clinicals or Clinicals. Focus groups composed of program completers and an advisory group of stakeholders inform program decisions.
Stats
Gender
Male
Female
13%
87%
Ethnicity
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic/Latino
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
0%
0%
11%
6%
0%
82%
1%
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