Education Degree Programs at West Virginia University
West Virginia University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Online Master’s in Instructional Design.
West Virginia University offers training for current and future teachers through the degree programs available from its College of Education and Human Services. Undergrads have the chance to work at schools affiliated with the university and in settings located right on its campus such as the Child Development Laboratory. A bachelor’s program in child development and family studies is available on the campus and online. The online program includes a certification option for those who want to work as preschool teachers.
The main undergraduate program for future teachers is the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education program. It helps students obtain a license that lets them teach several subject areas in elementary schools and preschools. Some of the required courses that education majors take include Math for Elementary Teachers, Literature for Children, Special Education in Contemporary Society and Instructional Design and Evaluation. The university requires that students do practicums starting in the second semester of the second year. They’ll spend between two and 12 hours a week in the field. During the final semester, students will do a full-time student teaching experience.
There are also education programs for graduate students who want to teach. The university offers Master of Arts programs with a certification option in elementary education and secondary education. While the elementary education major is a general program, the secondary education major includes emphasis areas such as English, science and world languages, including Spanish and German. Graduate programs in special education and curriculum and instruction are also available. The special education program includes concentrations in applied behavior analysis and early childhood education. Online options include the Master of Arts in Instructional Design and Technology, Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration, Master of Arts in Elementary Education, and more.
About West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public university commonly known as WVU. Founded in 1867, it has a flagship campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. The West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Potamic State College of West Virginia and Charleston Area Medical Center are other campuses within the university’s school system. Called the Agricultural College of West Virginia when it first opened, the campus sits on top of land used by several other small schools in the past. WVU added a number of new facilities to its campus over the years, including a Coliseum that hosts basketball games and tournaments and several libraries with online and traditional resources for students. The campus also boasts several residence halls.
Washington Monthly ranked WVU as the 120th best college in the United States. Both Forbes and U.S. News and World Report rank the university on their national lists too. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognized the university as an R1 institute because of the research opportunities that it offers for professors and enrolled students. It now has an Honors College and 15 schools and colleges that offer more than 100 degree programs. Students can also enroll in programs offered on any of the affiliated campuses. The main campus of WVU has an enrollment of more than 29,000 including online students.
West Virginia University Accreditation Details
With accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), prospective WVU students know that its degree programs prepare them for the experiences they face in the teaching profession. WVU also received regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Any student who earned credits before enrolling can transfer those credits into an education program because of that accreditation. It also allows students who cannot afford college to apply for financial aid.
West Virginia University Application Requirements
WVU has specific admissions requirements that all students seeking a graduate degree must meet. Those students need a score of 850 or higher on the GRE or at least 500 on the MAT. The university will also accept a PRAXIS score, but it requires that all scores be no more than 10 years old. Incoming students should also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a bachelor’s degree. They will need to submit a recommendation form from a teacher or another professional they worked within the past and a form that shows they can do the fieldwork required in an education program. Some programs are only open to teachers and require that prospective students submit copies of their licenses or endorsements.
Incoming freshmen applying to an education program must complete different steps. They’ll follow the same steps and meet the same requirements as any other freshmen. WVU asks that prospective freshmen submit their applications by August first to start in the fall or December first to start in the spring. They should submit transcripts that show they took two years of a language other than English, three years of science and math and four years of English and social studies or fine arts classes. West Virginia residents need either a minimum 2.0 GPA and an ACT score of 19 or higher, while nonresidents need a GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 21 to enroll. The elementary education program only accepts students with a GPA of at least 3.0 and an ACT/SAT score of 26/1240.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergrad education majors pay one rate if they can prove they are West Virginia residents and a different rate if they cannot. The resident rate is $8,856 per year, while the nonresident rate is $24,960 per year. A West Virginia resident who takes classes in a graduate program will pay $482 per credit hour with fees that bring their cost up to $594 per credit hour. Between tuition and fees, nonresident graduate students pay $1,488 per credit hour. The total cost they pay each semester is between $5,346 and $13,392 for residents and nonresidents.
WVU recommends that students look at and apply for scholarships. There are scholarships for both incoming freshmen and those enrolled in the College of Education and Human Services. To apply for scholarships, students should submit an undergraduate application, ACT/SAT score and their transcripts. Students also have the option of using federal and state financial aid, which they will get after using the FAFSA. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans go to students who need help, but there are also grants and work study available. The College of Education and Human Services at West Virginia University provides help for students applying for financial aid in one of its education degree programs.
