College of Education

Education is essential, not just to the success of the individual, but to the success of our community, our state and our country. And the key to education is, without question, in the hands of our teachers. Teaching is more than a job — it’s a calling. And more than ever, we need smart, compassionate and motivated teachers. At the College of Education, that’s our mission, and our graduates have been doing with distinction the work that matters for generations.

“If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are societies’ heroes.” — Guy Kawasaki

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There Is No Greater Calling

Teaching is a challenging, inspiring career. And every day, you have the chance to use your knowledge, your skills and your compassion to affect your students in ways that profoundly shape their future. Explore our full range of majors and certifications.

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Ward-Jackson serves the College of Education at the University of West Alabama as chair of the Department of Instructional Leadership and Support, assistant professor and the graduate program coordinator for the Learning, Design and Technology program. She teaches numerous courses including, technology education, instructional design, technology tools for education and others. Dr. Jackson prepares elementary, secondary and special education majors to integrate technology into the classroom.

Our Departments

Choose the Program That’s Right for You

Choose a degree that meets your needs and your schedule. Choose from a range of Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees — on campus or online — all of which are designed to give you the tools and skills you need to succeed in a variety of education-related fields.

Department Spotlight: Department of Instructional Leadership and Support

Becoming a great teacher goes well beyond the classroom. In the College of Education, we will give you everything you need to reach your full potential as a teacher. This goes well beyond what happens in the classroom. It also means giving your practical, real-world experiences, where you have a chance to do something that matters.

Alumni and Student Experiences

"I chose UWA because of the hometown feel that it has. Your professors know you by name and will help you succeed. The financial support was also a factor. I came with dual enrollment hours with UWA’s College of Education, and had scholarships through them, on top of my admissions scholarships. There is truly something about this place, you just have to find what that something is for you. Ms. Kim Giles made a huge impact on me. I had her for Precalculus Algebra last year. She always answered any questions I had and always was willing to help me. She would take the time to go over every step, multiple times if needed, to ensure we understood the information. My favorite part of my major so far is just learning all the things about teaching. I love that in a couple of years, all the information and experience I have from UWA will end up with me in a classroom of my own. I will start student teaching next year and I can’t wait! Something I would tell someone who is interested in education is, you don’t do it for the money, you do it for the reward of the heart. Education is a work of heart. You must have a passion and a desire for teaching and learning. At UWA, you are set up to succeed and change the lives of every student you teach.”

Trace Crews, Gordo, AL, Elementary Education

About the College of Education

About the Julia Tutwiler College of Education

One thing is certain, after more than 150 years educating teachers in this state—teaching is a calling. It requires smart, motivated, compassionate people who are willing to devote their lives to doing something that matters.

As a teacher, you have a chance to profoundly shape the lives of your students. And the impact you have on their lives may continue to affect them many years into the future.

If we’re lucky, each of us has a teacher or two who changed the way we see the world. It might be an elementary school teacher who instilled in you a love of learning. Or an English teacher in high school who introduced you to To Kill a Mockingbird and inspired you to want to be a writer.

The point is, a great teacher makes a life-changing difference in the lives of so many people. Those are the kinds of teachers that come from UWA. If that’s the kind of teacher you want to be—join us. We’ll help you combine your natural talent, your passion and enthusiasm with the skills and techniques you need to be effective in the classroom today.

Support the College of Education

Center for Rural Education

The the Center for Rural Education, our mission is to promote rural student achievement by ensuring equal access to high-quality instruction, supporting rural educators in their endeavors to improve rural school outcomes and advocating for rural communities.

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UWA-TEACH

UWA-TEACH is a grant awarded by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education as part of the STEM Major Teacher Recruitment Initiative with the purpose of addressing the Alabama teacher shortage in the areas of math and science.

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Campus School

UWA’s Campus School is designed to be a training facility for students enrolled at the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education. It houses eight full-time working classrooms, serving children ages 6 weeks through 4 years old.

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Superintendents’ Consortium

The UWA Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education hosts a Superintendents’ Consortium annually to address the ever-changing needs of higher education and regional school systems. With partnering school system Superintendents, UWA Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education strives to improve vertical articulation between P-12 schools and higher education. Through assessing school system professional development needs, studying global trends in education, and analyzing UWA College of Education program evaluations, the Superintendents’ Consortium provides Superintendents and UWA opportunities to collaborate. If you are a school system Superintendent interested in joining the Superintendents’’ Consortium, please contact the College of Education Dean, Dr. Jan Miller (jmiller@uwa.edu), for more information.

Program Advisory

The UWA Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education hosts a Program Advisory meeting each year to collaborate with our P-12 partners, current and former UWA students, and faculty to analyze student testing data and evaluate the College of Education coursework and program. For more information on Program Advisory, please contact Dr. Reenay Rogers (rrogers@uwa.edu).

Black Belt STEM Institute

The UWA Black Belt STEM Institute is a powerful regional center for STEM education that aims to serve the hiring needs of employers across Alabama, but especially in the Black Belt. The institute offers supplemental curricula focused on providing students with real-world learning experiences in the context of developing STEM career opportunities while reinforcing academic standards and skills learned in the classroom.

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Educator Preparation and Certification Office

Information for those applying for education certification.

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Counseling Programs

Information regarding online, graduate level counseling programs offered by the College of Education.

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Accreditation

One of the culminating factors in the success of the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education is accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). We are proud to boast that our programs in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Collaborative Special Education, Physical Education, Secondary Education, School Counseling, Library Media, Instructional Leadership and Teacher Leader are currently NCATE Approved and Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) eligible.

The BS Elementary Education Major K-6 (includes certification in Early Childhood P-3) degree at The University of West Alabama is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The current accreditation term runs from March 2022 through August 2024.