SWAU Online | Education
Teaching is a profession that is both personally and professionally rewarding. Imagine the sheer joy of opening up the vast world of knowledge to your students. Join SWAU students who have maintained a 100% pass rate for Texas State Licensure.
A degree in Education helps prepare you for jobs as a:
- Administrator*
- K-12 Teacher*
- ESL Teacher
- Bilingual Educator
- Curriculum Specialist**
- Diagnostician**
- Interventionist**
- Literacy Leader**
- School Counselor**
- School Librarian**
*Texas Public Schools and/or Seventh-day Adventist Schools | **Requires a Masters Degree
Take advantage of our affordable tuition - click here for more information.
The baccalaureate degree program in education at Southwestern Adventist University is accredited by Adventist Education and the State of Texas Education Agency.



Professional Development | ||
Required for Elementary Education Majors and for Secondary Education Certification | ||
Item # | Title | Credits |
EDUC 254 | Introduction to the Teaching Profession | 3 |
EDUC 312 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
EDUC 326 | Exceptional Children | 3 |
EDUC 385 | Philosophy of Education | 3 |
EDUC 418 | Legal Foundations of Education | 3 |
EDUC 434 | Classroom Assessment | 3 |
EDUC 436 | Classroom Management | 3 |
EDUC 475 or EDUC 485 | 3 | |
EDUC 496 | TExES Prep #2 | 0 |
PSYC 220 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
Sub-Total Credits | 33 |
Secondary Education Certification also requires: | ||
Item # | Title | Credits |
EDUC 322 | Adolescent Psychology | 3 |
EDUC 450 | Teaching in the Secondary School | 3 |
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 by means of online/campus and field-based delivery systems that would allow you to successfully complete the required certification in 12-18 months.
The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) establishes the teacher certification standards and grants the certification once students have passed the necessary certification tests as stipulated by said body, ACP prepares and recommends students for certification when they have completed all requirements as stipulated by the Teacher Education Department at SWAU. Instruction will be given by full time professors in the Department of Education & Psychology who have terminal degrees and work experience in their field of expertise.
SWAU is the only university located in Johnson County, and our Alternative Certification Program (ACP) seeks to assist the needs of individuals in the North Texas area and further way wishing to prepare for a career in teaching. By equipping individuals with the appropriate knowledge and skills to be competent classroom teachers, SWAU can assist in filling a need for state certified educators in this State.
Ongoing Support:
Once students have been approved to begin their clinical teaching or have received a teaching position, they will be assigned a field supervisor from the Education Department who will work with them for the entire clinical teaching or first teaching year pending on the candidate circumstances. A discussion board will be operational on Canvas the online delivery program where students can talk with professors who will be part of this program, and get perspectives from others and experts in the field of education. The mentoring teacher will also provide the intern with feedback on a daily basis, and the field supervisor will meet with the mentoring teacher and student intern to conduct a midpoint evaluation, and a summative evaluation at the conclusion of the internship.
Teachers will also have access to preparation materials and test questions on Canvas and receive immediate feedback once they have completed the summative assessment for the area of certification. They can also attend the review session that are offered once a week on campus for 2 hours for the entire semester, where competencies are studied and students get to interact and support each other under the guidance of a professor.
Certification Areas:
- Core Subject EC-6
- All Level Areas Music Education (EC-12)
- Physical Education (EC-12)
- ALL CERT courses (2-3)
- CERT 475 (4-6)
- Secondary Areas
- Option 1 English Language Art and Reading 7–12 (2-3) credits
- Option 2 Mathematics 7–12 (2-3) credits
- Option 3 Social Studies 7–12 (2-3) credits
- Option 4 Life Science 7–12 (2-3) credits