Education & Psychology
The Education and Psychology Department
at Southwestern Adventist University provides a high-quality educational experience. We prepare individuals for careers in multiple educational settings and a wide range of counseling and mental health professions. Our faculty brings expertise through earned degrees and real-world experience to their teaching. Our goal is to provide meaningful learning experiences to promote critical thinking, knowledge acquisition, and problem-solving skills. All teaching and learning are focused on preparation for the classroom, clinical practice, research, and other relevant settings.
Our education program is uniquely positioned to prepare teachers for both public, private, and faith-based private schools. We offer field experience and student teaching in both types of school systems. Our students gain experience in combination, multi-grade and single grade classrooms. They have the opportunity to observe and participate in field experience in departmentalized programs as well as self-contained classrooms. The variety of classroom experiences offered to our students promotes flexibility and an appreciation for multiple types of school settings.
"My name is Anabella Lopez and I graduated from Southwestern Adventist University almost three years ago. My experience was a very enriching and valuable one. Being in the Department of Education and Psychology was the best decision that I could have made. I was exposed to many things that would later help me in my career and even in life. During my time in the program, I was lucky enough to be pushed out of my comfort zone by my professors in every way. They looked out for me academically as well as personally. One of the things they encouraged me to do was to become the social vice president for the department. This experience is something that helped me to later become the (student association) social vice president for SWAU and also get a development internship with Make a Wish Foundation due to my previous experience.
Being a teacher, they say that your first year is your worst due to not being fully equipped and not knowing what to expect. I can honestly say that my first year was the best … because during my experience in the Department of Education and Psychology I was given the best mentors, hands on experience, practical lessons for day to day teaching, lesson planning tools, and classroom management strategies. I am currently getting my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and that means at least seven papers are due each semester. This, to another student, may seem overwhelming, but my time in the department made me feel more prepared for it. Being in the program, we learned how to correctly write in APA form and how to get our thoughts out on paper correctly. I feel blessed to have had time at Southwestern Adventist University and I will always be a Knight at heart!"
-Anabella Lopez, Class of 2017
A strong feature of our education program is the integration of field experience from the freshmen year until graduation. Our students complete: many hours of observations, peer teaching and engagement in the local classrooms in addition to a 14-week student teaching experience in their final semester. Additional experience is available for students interested in working in our on-campus reading lab for children, in the community, or in one of several tutoring positions available in both the public and private schools in the community.
The psychology program emphasizes a robust and rigorous program that prepares students for internships as well as graduate programs. There are multiple internship options available in a variety of mental health and school counseling settings in the community.
Our psychology program is proud to offer a one-of-a-kind B.S. degree in Psychology with an emphasis in School Guidance. This degree combines psychology and education for those interested in becoming a school counselor. Students have the opportunity to build a solid foundation in psychology while they prepare for teaching in the elementary classroom. The State of Texas requires school counselors to teach for two years prior to earning licensure for school counseling. The intent is to prepare individuals to teach so while they obtain the requisite experience in the classroom, they are able to pursue a master’s degree in school counseling (also available at SWAU).
Programs
Alternative Certification Program
The Alternative Certification Program is designed for individuals who are in possession of an undergraduate degree and their degree is not in the field of education, but they want to enter the teaching profession. It is our goal to prepare individuals for State Certification in the State of Texas in just 12-18 months.
News & Events
Your Future
Careers
With a combined degree in education and psychology, you will be prepared to enter the work field to teach and mentor the next generation. Psychologists and educators have a rewarding career helping people achieve their full potential and you will be able to work in a hospital, school, private practice, clinics, or corporate facilities.
Professions
- Teacher
- Principal
- Diagnostician
- Superintendent of Schools
- Speech Pathology
- Special Education Teacher
- Technology Director
- Curriculum Director
- Social Services Case Manager
- Probation Officer
- Psychology Technician
$80,370
Average median pay for a Psychologist in 2019