College of Education
PREPARING EXEMPLARY PRACTITIONERS
Dianne L. Hoff, Interim Dean
678-839-6570
Mission Statement
The mission of the College of Education is to provide excellence in the initial and advanced preparation of professionals for a variety of learning settings; to foster an innovative, student-focused learning community; and to empower a faculty committed to teaching, applied research, and the dissemination of knowledge.
Vision Statement
The College of Education at the University of West Georgia will lead the professional preparation of exemplary practitioners who individually and collectively influence the betterment of society within diverse, changing environments. As part of a doctoral comprehensive university, we are committed to teaching excellence, evidence-based practice, exploration and communication of new knowledge through applied research, and multifaceted collaboration.
Description of Programs
There are four areas in the College: Department of Clinical and Professional Studies, Department of Educational Technology and Foundations, Department of Leadership and Instruction and Department of Learning and Teaching. The College offers the Bachelor of Science in Education degree to students in Early Childhood, Physical Education, Special Education, and Speech-Language Pathology. In collaboration with the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Sciences and Mathematics, and the College of Social Sciences, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered in Art, Music, French, and Spanish, as well as Bachelor's degrees with an education option in Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space Science, Economics, English, History, Mathematics, and Physics. Additionally, the College offers Master of Education and Specialist Education degrees, as well as a Doctor of Education in School Improvement degree and a Doctor of Education in Professional Counseling and Supervision degree.
All teacher and other certification programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. All degree programs include a strong liberal arts core, professional education course work with appropriate specializations, and practical field experiences. Students are provided strategies and multiple opportunities to observe, practice, and evaluate instructional theories, including various instructional technologies, in the schools.
Students take most of their classes in the Education Center and in the Coliseum, both of which feature state-of-the-art instructional technology. Located in the Education Annex is the University of West Georgia Pre-Kindergarten, which serves as a laboratory for Early Childhood education students. The College of Education is proud of its rich heritage of exemplary teaching, scholarship, and service.
State authorization to provide a program related to the preparation of teachers or other P-12 school / system personnel does not indicate eligibility for an Alabama certificate. Applicants for an Alabama certificate based on reciprocity must meet Alabama's test requirements and submit a valid, renewable professional educator certificate / license issued by another state at the degree level, grade level, and in the teaching field or area of instructional support for which an Alabama certificate is sought and for which Alabama issues a certificate. Applicants for Alabama certification in an area of administration must also document at least three years of full-time employment as an administrator in a P-12 school system(s). www.alsde.edu
