Education Degrees Available from Liberty University
Liberty University is also featured in our rankingĀ Top 10 Online Master’s in Education Degrees.
Liberty University offers students the chance to study education while also remaining truthful to their faith and religious beliefs. A number of organizations are available for residential students to join, including the Urban Education Club that looks at some of the issues facing teachers in urban schools. Kappa Delta Pi is an honors society that accepts students who maintain high grades in an education program and commit to working as teachers. The university is also home to a branch of the Professional Association of Christian Educators.
The programs available include an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education and an Associate of Arts in Education, both of which are available through Liberty University’s online campus. These programs will not help students get their teaching licenses but will provide them with strong backgrounds in education. The university’s bachelor’s programs will help students obtain their licenses. There are two residential programs available in elementary education and special education. In the elementary education program, students pick from concentrations based on what they want to teach such as mathematics, English and social sciences. Liberty also offers online bachelor’s programs in elementary education, early childhood education and special education.
To meet the needs of busy teachers who work full-time, Liberty offers graduate programs in education that require no campus visits or offline work. The Master of Arts in Teaching program includes concentrations in elementary, middle, secondary and special education, while the Master of Education program includes concentrations in administration and supervision, math specialist and reading specialist. Students in the higher education program can pick a concentration in either education leadership or instructional design and technology. There is also a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction available with concentrations such as English, early childhood education, middle grades, and student services.
Many states require that teachers continue their education beyond the bachelor’s level, which is why Liberty University offers a number of doctoral and post-graduate options for teachers. The university offers a specialist program online in education leadership or curriculum instruction and a higher education administration program with an emphasis on education leadership. Doctor of Education programs let students focus on education leadership or curriculum and instruction, while those in the Doctor of Philosophy in Education program can focus on special education, organizational leadership, instructional design, and technology or curriculum and instruction. The university now has a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration too.
About Liberty University
Liberty University is a private university affiliated with the Evangelical Church. The connection between the university and that Church dates back to its founding in 1971. Jerry Falwell, who worked for that Church as its top leader, worked with parishioners in Lynchburg, Virginia to raise money for what he called the Lynchburg Baptist College. Falwell worked with the university to establish its programs and to create the Honors Code that students still follow today. That code prevents students from engaging in behaviors that can damage the reputation of the university. As the college shifted its focus from undergrad programs only, it became Liberty Baptist College and later Liberty University. Though the university offers many residential programs, its commitment to online programs helped it reach a total enrollment of more than 110,000 students.
Liberty University Accreditation Details
The most important accreditation that Liberty University holds for education majors comes from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). NCATE applies to both the undergrad education programs offered by the university and all its graduate and post-graduate programs. Liberty also has accreditation from a religious council and the same regional accreditation that other southern schools have, which comes from the SACS Commission on Colleges.
Liberty University Application Requirements
Liberty has separate admissions steps for students based on their levels. The process for undergrads includes the university’s application, which asks for an admission essay. Students can write up to 150 words to answer two different questions. The first asks how their religious beliefs impacted them when searching for colleges, while the second asks how they will meet the mission of the university. Students also need to provide an ACT/SAT score and their transcripts. Liberty does not require high school transcripts from students who have at least 12 credits of college work already done, though those students will need to supply their college transcripts.
Before starting classes at Liberty University, graduate students must complete an application and submit their transcripts. Those who already have a teaching license need to submit a copy of that license. Some education programs may ask for references or letters of recommendation and a resume too. Students will also respond to an essay question to describe how Liberty will help them and how they will carry the beliefs of the university in their personal and professional lives. The university asks that they read and agree to follow the Honors Code and that they submit their final college transcripts before starting a graduate program. Liberty has the same requirements for doctoral students as it does graduate students.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Part-time undergrads pay $815 per credit hour to attend Liberty University. This price rises to $23,800 a year for full-time undergrads. Students can choose from four different room types, which will cost between $4,600 and $7,500 a year. They also pay at least $3,780 each year for a meal plan. Online students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program pay $415 per credit hour, but those in one of the education specialist or doctoral programs online will pay $595 per credit hour. The cost for graduate and doctoral students enrolled part-time in a program increases to $615 to $650 per credit hour.
Though Liberty University is a private university with a religious affiliation, it can use federal funds in the financial aid packages available for students. Students can get grants and loans when they use the FAFSA and qualify for university employment. Liberty also offers several scholarships and discounts. It has a military discount for veterans and students on active duty that reduces their tuition to only $250 per credit hour. Another grant matches the donations and scholarships that students get from their churches. All students applying to the Liberty University education programs can qualify for one or more of its scholarships and get government aid too.