Education is a calling — and teaching is a vital ministry of service to children, their families, and our communities.
Teachers and Educators as Servant Leaders
Schools across Mississippi and around the country need caring teachers and administrators who value competence and character.
Answer that call at Belhaven University. Your degree in education will open doors. Our programs emphasize academic rigor, professional knowledge, character development, and leadership opportunities.
You’ll transform lives as you apply the integration of faith and learning based on biblical principles.
High Demand
The need for competent, inspiring teachers has never been greater. Let Belhaven professors guide and encourage your growth as an educator.
Leadership Growth
Belhaven classes give you the space and the challenge to grow as a leader. Expand your expertise and advance your career with a graduate degree.
Unmatched Expertise
Our highly qualified faculty members all hold doctorates in education and have many years of experience in K-12 classrooms. Learn from those who know, believe, and do.
Christian Worldview
You are challenged to think critically and analytically about who God is — and who you are — as we equip you to fulfill your calling to glorify God and be a blessing to the world.
Making an Impact on Education in MS and Beyond
Undergraduate Programs: Learning to Teach, Teaching to Serve
Graduate Programs: Learning to Lead, Leading to Serve
“This is an exciting time in the academic life of Belhaven University.”
8
Degrees Offered
1600+
Students Enrolled
140
Years of Education Expertise
“Administrators throughout the state routinely call our department requesting that we post their job announcements.”
Top Honors
Colleges of Distinction (COD) has awarded top honors to Belhaven University’s School of Education for its quality programs and focus on student success.
Following a comprehensive vetting process, schools are selected based on accreditation, quality of programs, multidisciplinary exposure, practical experience, high-impact practices, networking, and a track record for success.
School of Education Information
The goal of the School of Education is to prepare competent teachers, administrators, and other educational leaders who can demonstrate academic excellence, professional dispositions, and in-depth knowledge and skills based on best practices while providing distinctive Christian leadership and service to those they will serve in the learning community.
Our six core values are grounded in our Christian worldview:
- Knowledge of Content
- Professional Growth
- Assessment
- Instructional Methods
- Learning Environments
- Professional Disposition
Belhaven University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.
The School of Education is approved by the Mississippi Board of Education to offer teacher education programs. The programs are reviewed annually by the State Department of Education (MDE) to ensure state standards are met in accordance with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and MDE State Partnership protocol for continuing accreditation.
The School of Education is nationally recognized the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), having received full accreditation in Fall 2023 for all initial teacher educator licensure and advanced administrator licensure programs.
The Belhaven School of Education, serving as the Educator Preparation Provider (EPP), is grounded in a conceptual framework integrated throughout our undergraduate and graduate educator preparation programs.
This framework is the result of collaborative efforts between the faculty, administration, partner schools, and professional education community to reflect the knowledge base, current research, best practices, and state and national standards.
The Belhaven University Educator Licensure Preparation Programs are in compliance with Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v) and 34 CFR 668.43 (c), requiring disclosures by institutions regarding educational requirements for programs leading to professional licensure or certification regardless of modality.
The Belhaven University School of Education has made no determination as to whether Belhaven’s Educator Preparation Programs and curriculum meet other state educational requirements for educator licensure other than those educator licensure programs approved by the state of Mississippi. All of the Belhaven University School of Education educator preparation degree programs leading to educator licensure have been approved by the Mississippi Department of Education.
The Belhaven University School of Education’s Educator Preparation Licensure Programs do not automatically qualify candidates for an educator licensure, certification upgrade, endorsement, or pay increase within their state of residence or state of their employment. Out-of-state candidates are responsible for ascertaining the requirements for licensure, endorsement, or pay increase by the state where they seek employment or licensure.
Applicants and candidates may contact the state of their interest for educator employment and licensure through the Professional Licensure Directory.
Quote from the Dean
"At its core, the Christian Worldview infused into all coursework is what sets our department’s future teachers and educators apart from other universities.”
Education News
Meet Our Faculty
Associate Professor of Education and Chair of Undergraduate Program
Tammie Brown
Associate Professor of Education and Chair of Undergraduate Program
Assistant Professor of Education
Stacey Donaldson
Assistant Professor of Education
Associate Professor of Graduate Education and Director of ED Doctoral Studies
Tracey Gregory
Associate Professor of Graduate Education and Director of ED Doctoral Studies
Dean of the School of Education
David Hand
Dean of the School of Education
Professor of Education; Director of Clinical Internship
Lydia McCardle
Professor of Education; Director of Clinical Internship
Professor of Education; Director of the Master of Arts in Education Program
Rebekah Mincey
Professor of Education; Director of the Master of Arts in Education Program
Professor of Education; Coordinator Graduate Reading Program
Claudia Nisbett
Professor of Education; Coordinator Graduate Reading Program
Associate Professor of Education/ Chair of Graduate Education
Mariella Simons
Associate Professor of Education/ Chair of Graduate Education
Professor of Education
Catherine Wasson
Professor of Education
Dean of Online Studies and Professor of Education
Cynthia Wilkins
Dean of Online Studies and Professor of Education
Assistant Professor; Dean of Doctoral Studies
James Young
Assistant Professor; Dean of Doctoral Studies
Verse of the Year
God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 2:13