The Education Department has been working tirelessly to propose and implement the addition of an Education minor in Wofford’s curriculum. The spearhead of this movement is Christie Johnson, the head of Wofford’s Education Department. 

Johnson is a 1995 Wofford Alumni and a graduate of the former teacher education program at Wofford. She graduated with a degree in English with a certification in secondary education. 

Wofford used to offer this tandem opportunity for students interested in a career in teaching that allowed them to pick a concentration, such as history or science, and add a certification in secondary education.

In 2018, Wofford decided to no longer offer certification, instead developing a partnership with nearby Converse University. 

With this partnership, students will be able to graduate from Wofford with a degree of their choice and then go for a fifth year to Converse for a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). This would allow students to get a bachelor’s degree from Wofford and an MAT from Converse.

There is a teacher shortage in South Carolina, so this addition of the minor has come at the perfect time. There is a need for students to pursue a career in education, and this minor provides a great start. 

Johnson also noted there has been an increase of students who are taking education courses here and of students who come to Wofford planning to teach after their undergraduate years. 

“The addition of the education minor has been a long process, so I am elated that it has finally been approved. My students now have something to show for their hard work,” Johnson said. “The minor will offer a tremendous benefit to students who want to become teachers.”

The minor offers students many benefits. It will allow students to complete over one hundred hours of “real” classroom experience, which will set Wofford students apart when applying to graduate schools if they want to obtain a master’s in teaching. 

Additionally, the education minor will allow students to possibly teach in private schools, whether that be elementary, middle or high school, or begin an alternative route to obtaining a certification in teaching.

The minor in education offers students an opportunity to work in the school system. This can also be interesting for students wanting to become school counselors or speech language pathologists wanting to work with school aged children. 

The course work for the education minor consists of eighteen credit hours and one Interim course. Five of the six required courses are transferable to Converse University’s MAT graduate program, an appealing aspect of the minor for students interested in that route. 

Additionally, Johnson says that the minor will set Wofford students apart because it will allow graduate schools to see students’ investment and interest in education.

Johnson has worked tirelessly for months on end to get the addition of the education minor approved and in place for the 2022-2023 school year. This dream of hers is finally a reality, and she is currently signing minor declaration forms for all students interested in declaring, effectively showing on DegreeWorks and in the catalog at the beginning of the fall 2022 semester.

“Our partnership with Converse and the education minor being added have allowed tremendous growth in our class sizes and in students who are interested in education,” Johnson said. “Students who have a desire to teach elementary, middle or high school may take courses in our department and benefit from the minor.”

Abbey Barefoot’ 23 is one of the students who will minor in education starting in the fall. Barefoot hopes to pursue a master’s in teaching after graduating from Wofford and wants to become an elementary school teacher following her graduate program. 

“Ms. Johnson is the whole reason I want to be a teacher,” Barefoot said. “The addition of the education minor is a benefit that will add more opportunities for Wofford students interested in becoming teachers as well, and make way for the addition of a major in the future.” 

““I am so happy that we have added this wonderful opportunity for our students because teaching is an admirable profession, for sure,” said Johnson.