Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies

The field of education is vast and ever-evolving. A degree in Educational Studies can help open doors to a wide range of career paths. From traditional teaching roles to roles in international and nonprofit organizations, the possibilities are endless. Aspiring educators study the liberal arts, Bible and theology, educational foundations, learning theory, human psychology, intercultural communications, and instructional design. There are several field experience opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate their skills in settings conducive to their degree and career path (e.g. businesses and non-profit organizations).

Looking to Become a Washington State Certified Teacher?

Future teachers seeking teacher certification should consider the BA to MIT Pathway. The Master in Teaching degree is the only Northwest University program that leads to Washington State Teacher Certification. Northwest undergraduates can apply up to ten credits to their NU Master in Teaching (MIT) degree – a significant financial and time savings. Contact your advisor to learn more about this pathway.

Hear From One of Our Graduates

Listen as Kekoa Cerbana reveals what excites him most about teaching and how NU prepared him for a deeply meaningful career.

My name is Kekoa Cerbana. I graduated from Northwest University in 2022 with my bachelor’s degree and in 2023 with my master’s degree in secondary teaching.

I’m currently teaching at Renton Christian School. It’s a private Christian school over in Renton, Washington.

What excites me most about teaching is honestly—I think it’s going to be the same answer that a lot of people are going to give—and it’s to watch children get curious and get excited about learning about the world and about how to grow.

I teach in middle school, and that already has its own host of problems and its own host of amazing times. A lot of times people will kind of—not look down—but they are fearful of middle school teaching. But I think that’s exactly why we need people to go there. We need people who are passionate about children who are just barely gaining consciousness, just barely starting to understand that the world outside of their classroom is so vast.

That actually reminds me of one of my favorite stories about teaching. There was this one kid, and we were doing a lesson on volcanoes. I was talking about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. It’s a disease that you can get from breathing in volcanic ash.

This kid had been so disinterested for the first two months of school. I couldn’t get him to really pay attention—he was literally laid back. But when I started talking about it, he got this serious look on his face. He was so flabbergasted that I could say such a long word, much less spell it.

I think just watching the physical markers of developing curiosity was an amazing thing to witness.

I have had a couple of students already come to me asking for prayer for some very serious things. It’s no secret that in this day and age being a teacher is filled with a lot more tasks and responsibilities than what’s on the job listing. But what a great opportunity it is to show off the gifts that God gave to us.

You’re called to teaching for a reason. You’re called to education for a reason. You’re designed to help people—help these kids.

To anybody considering joining the College of Education at Northwest University, I do have one small thing to say: do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. It’s amazing.

My time at NU was filled with late nights, fun adventures, and a lot of homework assignments and projects and quizzes and tests—anything that you would expect out of college. But it also included lifelong memories that I’ll always be able to cherish.

The teachers that we have at NU—the faculty, the staff, the professors, the doctors—they’re all just so knowledgeable. They know the answers to questions that you don’t even know you would have.

So if there’s any part of you wondering, “Is this the place to go?” it is.

Come to NU.

Program Concentrations

Elementary Education

This concentration prepares students to become professional teachers for both public and private schools from kindergarten through 8th grade. Aspiring teachers will gain a foundational knowledge in learning theories, instructional design, and subject methods. This is a non-licensure degree; students who wish to become Washington state certified teachers are encouraged to explore the BA to MIT pathway.

Community Programming

This concentration prepares students to work in youth educational setting outside of P-12 settings. Career options include working in youth ministries, community organizations, missions, and community centers.

International Education

Students in this concentration likely are preparing to teach English in various settings (e.g. mission field, international schools, overseas, or in the refugee and immigrant communities). Other careers supported by this degree include advocacy work, community development, and adult education. Completion of this concentration can lead to an Advanced TESOL certificate as well.

Secondary Education

Students who are interested in a career as a high school or middle school teacher are encouraged to major in their chosen discipline (English, science, exercise science, etc.) and include education courses in your undergraduate schedule.

School of Education Outcomes

The School of Education (SOE), directed by broad research and theory, and in accordance with state & industry standards, prepares educators in nine specific proficiencies. These outcomes guide our candidates’ experience throughout all of our SOE programs. In the SOE we aim toward the following outcomes:

Holistic Educators

Candidates identify the influences of cultural background and situation for each learner;
Candidates demonstrate culturally responsive pedagogy aimed at the holistic learning of all;
Candidates equip learners to appropriately engage their unique backgrounds in their own academic, social, and emotional development.

Adaptive Educators

Candidates identify the different ways in which people acquire, demonstrate, and reinforce content knowledge and procedures;
Candidates demonstrate differentiated instruction, adapting where appropriate to meet learner needs while remaining aligned with learning objectives;
Candidates equip learners to adjust their own learning strategies and practices in order to overcome learning obstacles.

Learner-Focused Educators

Candidates identify a variety of assessment tools through which to monitor and promote positive impact on learning;
Candidates demonstrate reflective instruction, analyzing work in order to further develop their own pedagogical practices;
Candidates equip learners to reflect on their own learning by identifying learning targets and their progress toward them.

View Course Descriptions

You can explore program details and course descriptions for this program in our academic catalog.

Go to the Catalog

School of Education Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies