Division of Education

Mission Statement

The Division of Education is a learning community preparing teachers and administrators to be caring, effective practitioners in today’s schools.

Accreditation

The teacher education program is approved by the State Board of Education of the State of Missouri on an annual basis. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) grants this approval. When state department requirements change for teacher certification, the new requirements take precedence over this catalog. SBU reserves the right to amend the curriculum and require teaching certificate candidates to graduate under a program that reflects these changes. Southwest Baptist University is authorized to conduct a professional education program and recommend candidates for initial certification as listed in the table below. Total hours must meet SBU’s graduation requirements. The Teacher Education Program is also recognized by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

Undergraduate Degrees

• Associate of Science (A.S.)
  • Education   
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
  • Elementary Education , 1-6
  • Middle School Education , 5-9
  • Global Education  (Elementary/Middle School)
  • Physical Education , K-12
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
  • Elementary Education , 1-6
  • Middle School Education , 5-9
  • Global Education  (Elementary/Middle School)
  • Physical Education , K-12
• Content Areas:
  • Art , K-12
  • Biology , 9-12
  • Chemistry , 9-12
  • English , 9-12
  • Mathematics , 9-12
  • Music (Instrumental, Vocal) , K-12
  • Social Science , 9-12

Program Admission Requirements

Before being admitted into the teacher education program, candidates must pass all sections of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA) or have an ACT composite score of 20 or greater, achieve a grade point average of 3.0 in professional education coursework, a grade of point average of 3.0 in the candidates’ chosen area, and the approval of the Division of Education faculty and faculty in the candidates’ chosen area. Additional requirements and procedures are found in the Teacher Education Handbook.

Under Title II reporting during the 2017-2018 academic year, 131 undergraduate students had been accepted into the teacher education program and were pursuing elementary, middle, or secondary certification. A total of 57 students completed supervised student teaching in either the fall or spring semester. At Southwest Baptist University, student teaching consists of a minimum of 35 hours per week for a full semester. Placement for student teaching is made in schools that are within a 50 mile radius of Bolivar. The teacher candidate-faculty ratio in supervised student teaching during the 2017- 2018 report year was 2.4 in the fall and 3.1 in the spring.