Purposes

Point Loma Nazarene University’s traditional undergraduate (TUG) program within the School of Education offers one academically rigorous Bachelor’s degree in an environment of vital Christianity in the Wesleyan tradition: Liberal Studies: Teacher Education.  Our commitment is to prepare thoughtful, culturally responsive, scholarly professional educators for a variety of teaching/learning environments who utilize the latest research and exemplary teaching methods to ensure learning and achievement. The faculty is committed to equip candidates to become influential moral and ethical leaders in a highly competitive, diverse, and ever-changing society.

Tradition of Excellence

The Liberal Studies: Teacher Education, B.A. degree includes credential courses approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (California CTC) leading to a preliminary  Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential. The School of Education also works with other academic departments across campus to support students interested in earning a preliminary Single-Subject Teaching Credential. The School of Education additionally offers a preliminary teaching credential in Educational Specialist Mild to Moderate and Extensive Support Needs, which may be pursued through post-graduate coursework. The traditional undergraduate programs are offered in-person through the Point Loma campus, while the teacher education credential programs at the accelerated undergraduate or graduate levels are offered in San Diego (Point Loma and Mission Valley), Bakersfield, and fully online. Because traditional undergraduates may take courses toward the teaching credential, the program described in this section refers only to that aspect of the program. Details of the broader education programs are found in the Catalog for graduate studies. Faculty in the School of Education are practitioners and specialists in teaching pedagogy, counseling, and leadership. The School of Education collaborates with all other academic departments and schools in the university regarding subject-matter preparation of Single Subject and Multiple Subject teacher candidates. While the primary focus of the School of Education is to prepare teachers, the Liberal Studies: Teacher Education, B.A. degree is also of value to those who are interested in professions such as workplace instructors, social work, family advocacy, curriculum developers, religious studies, and early childhood education.

Career Opportunities

The Liberal Studies: Teacher Education coursework prepares candidates for success in a K-12 teaching career, specifically focused on teaching at the elementary level. Throughout the program, methodologies based on current practice and research are modeled and reinforced. The practice and application components of the methods courses are easily facilitated because the School of Education is field-based. Candidates are required to spend time in classrooms or other professional teaching venues for approximately 100 hours of documented and evaluated observation and participation prior to Clinical Practice (student teaching).

Completion of the third Education course in the major may be considered Level I admission to the School of Education, requiring passage of prior coursework. However, this neither implies nor guarantees approval for the student to continue the pathway to student teaching (Level 2 admission). Candidates desiring to fulfill the requirements of a credential for public school service must declare their intentions. For both the Multiple Subject and Single Subject Credential candidates, this decision is often made during the candidate's second year of enrollment at the university. Transfer candidates should consult with the appropriate departmental/school advisor immediately upon matriculation. If, in the opinion of the School of Education, a candidate fails to meet acceptable professional and personal standards, the candidate may be disqualified from attempting to complete preparation for a career in education. 

All prospective teachers should plan their major requirements and those set forth by the School of Education to establish the proper sequence of courses and the fulfillment of all professional requirements. The credential analyst acts as a liaison between the candidate and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Faculty

Dean - Rachelle Wong, Ed.D.

Kimberly Athans, Ed.D.
Sam Houston State University

Michael Corke, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Assessment and Accreditation
Claremont Graduate University

Grace Fantaroni, Ed.D.
Program Director, Special Education
Alliant International University

Lori Kall, Ph.D.
Program Director, Educational Administration and Curriculum & Instruction
California Coast University

Kyla Kinzler, M.A.
Program Director, Reading and Early Literacy
Grand Canyon University

Jennifer Kritsch, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Instructional Innovation, Partnerships, and Communication
Capella University

Jennifer Lineback, Ph.D.
Program Director, Liberal Studies: Teacher Education
University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University

Yazmin Pineda Zapata, Ed.D.
San Diego State University

Ray Posey, Ph.D.
Program Director, Single Subject Education
Northern Arizona University

Ricardo Ramos, Ed.D.
Associate Dean, Advanced Programs
Bethel University

Dione Brooks Taylor, Ed.D.
Program Director, School Counseling
Northern Arizona University

Christine Tokunaga, M.Ed.
Program Director of Elementary Education
San Diego State University

Catherine Walter, Ed.D.
Program Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Multilingual Programs
Lewis and Clark College

Sarah Wilhelms, M.S., P.P.S.
University of La Verne

Rachelle Wong, Ed.D.
Dean, School of Education
Concordia University

To view requirements for majors, minors, and certificates, see the Degree Program Information page.