School of Education

The School of Education, housed within the College of Professional and Graduate Studies, follows the university’s Wesleyan-Holiness tradition seeking to transform the individual through intellectual, spiritual, and personal development for a life of service to God, the church, the nation, and the world. As the university’s mission is to educate and inspire servant leaders, the School of Education develops servant leaders in the field of education who honor God by demonstrating excellence in reflective and innovative practices, facilitating intellectual, emotional, and character growth of all learners. The School of Education is comprised of the Teacher Education and the Professional and Graduate Studies in Education departments as well as a thriving Continuing Education Program.

The School of Education offers traditional undergraduate majors including:

Biology Education
Elementary Education
English Language Arts Education
Mathematics Education
Middle Level Mathematics
Music Education
Physical Education
Social Studies/History/Government Education
Speech/Theatre Education
Studies in Education

Teacher candidates in these programs learn through a pre-service program utilizing apprentice relationships and data-driven pedagogy. This develops reflective practitioners able to compassionately and enthusiastically serve all learners, lead in various content areas, contribute to the professional community, and through resourceful and innovative thinking, design student-centered instruction that embodies the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge.

The school offers a non- traditional path for degree completion or licensure in Elementary Education Unified. This program prepares completers to teach in an elementary classroom or a special education resource room for grades K-6. The accelerated initial licensure programs include:

Elementary Education Unified+, BS

Elementary Education Unified, MS

The School of Education offers graduate level professional degree programs for elementary and secondary teachers. The following online programs provide coherent and integrated coursework.

Educational Technology, MS

Transition to Teaching, Restricted Licensure Certificate Program

The School of Education also supports the School counseling program that is housed in the School of Counselor Education.

Counseling, School Counseling Specialty, MA

In-service teachers in graduate programs are guided to examine current instructional practices through data analysis, research, and academic writing to resourcefully infuse enhanced teaching methods to meet the needs of all learners. Graduates become servant leaders and mentors in their professional communities and the field of education.

The School of Education has an integrated approach to its professional education programs based on a set of unifying goals designed to develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for teaching. The unifying goals are the building blocks upon which candidates develop skills that will enable them to provide appropriate instruction for all students. The School of Education has identified the following goals for teacher candidates, in-service candidates, and other school professionals:

Unit Program Outcomes/Conceptual Framework

Pioneering educational leaders committed to:

Goal 1: Learner Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness: To ensure each student learns new knowledge and skills, leaders must understand that learning and developmental patterns vary among individuals, that learners bring unique individual differences to the learning process, and that learners need supportive and safe learning environments to thrive.
Goal 2: Conceptual Knowledge: Leaders must have a deep understanding of their content area and be able to draw upon knowledge as they access information, apply knowledge in real world settings, and address meaningful issues to assure learner achievement.
Goal 3: Innovative Professional Practices: Developing an innovative professional practice requires leaders to research, integrate assessment, analyze data, and incorporate innovative strategies in intentional, coordinated, and engaging ways.
Goal 4: Professional Integrity, Personal Responsibility, and Leadership: A leader’s primary responsibility is to create supportive, safe, and productive learning environments that result in learners achieving at the highest levels. To accomplish this well, leaders must engage in meaningful and intensive professional learning, self-reflection, and collaboration with learners, families, colleagues, school professionals, and community members.
Goal 5: Faith, Service and Calling: Being grounded in Christian faith and recognizing God’s call on their lives, leaders pursue the ministry of teaching while serving the least, the last, and the lost.

Statement of Purpose:

The Education programs at MNU seek to help students develop spiritually and apply their knowledge of human growth and development, learning theories, research, technology, communication, and the world to develop, implement, and assess learning experiences for all students.

To this end, the School of Education at MidAmerica Nazarene University offers initial, advanced, professional and graduate degree programs for elementary and secondary teachers. These programs offer coherent, integrated coursework based on national teaching standards.

Focus

Educational studies offer an opportunity for the individual to pursue an area of study that will facilitate their professional and personal development. The curriculum and culture encourages each student to develop a dynamic social conscience that will enable (them), through personal contributions, to express God’s love for humankind. Graduates will be professional teachers of integrity who recognize the inherent value and learning potential of all children and youth. Based on the educational theories and principles of learning, pedagogical methods, and their own educational research, our graduates will be teachers whose instruction reflects education’s best practices. As professionals, they will meet national standards for accomplished teachers, offer technology-enhanced instruction, and positively influence student achievement. Fully realized, the department will develop teachers who are teacher leaders serving in the diverse and challenging schools and global communities of the twenty-first century.

Initial programs have earned CAEP accreditation and advanced programs are approved/accredited by KSDE.

Faculty

JILL E. GONZALEZ-BRAVO, Ed.D., Tenured Professor of Education; Associate Dean and Unit Head for the School of Education
BRENDA HARRIS, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Educatoin
KIMBERLY D. HUMERICKHOUSE, Ph.D., Tenured Professor of Education
RUTH WAGGONER, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education

Department of Initial Studies in Education

Course Offerings: Elementary Education Unified, Elementary Education, Biology Education, English Language Arts Education, Social Studies/History/Government Education, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Physical Education, Speech/ Theatre Education

Course Majors: Elementary Education, Biology Education, English Language Arts Education, Social Studies/History/Government Education, Mathematics Education, Middle Level Mathematics, Music Education, Physical Education, Speech/ Theatre Education

SENIOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

Successful completion of student teaching serves as the senior comprehensive examination and proof of content and pedagogy mastery. For state licensure recommendation, candidates must pass a comprehensive content examination (ETS Praxis II). This exam is taken by all senior majors. The examination is administered through Education Testing Services (ETS). Further details regarding the licensure exams are available from the MNU Licensure and Assessment Coordinator of the Teacher Education Department.

Department of Advanced Studies in Education

Course Majors: Masters in School Counseling, Masters in Technology Education

All of our Master’s Degrees’ emphases are relevant, technology-enhanced education degrees that prepare you to improve classroom practice while raising the achievement level of your students. Students use a mobile, web-accessible curriculum and learn from highly qualified, experienced instructors while participating in cohesive learning groups. All programs are approved by the Kansas Department of Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Higher Learning Commission.

The three components in these programs are:

A CORE that addresses the university’s mission.
An AREA OF EMPHASIS that consists of 18-21 hours of degree or endorsement- specific coursework.
RESEARCH that includes two, three-hour courses in action research, taken sequentially.

Graduation Requirements:

Complete all course work with a 3.0 or higher GPA
Must earn a B- or higher in all technology course work

Programs

Undergraduate Majors

Graduate Certificates

Graduate Majors

Other Programs

HEERF/Cares Act Reporting