JACKSON — Belhaven University is impacting Mississippi’s teacher shortage by launching a fully online K-6 Elementary Teacher Education Preparation Program that leads to a Mississippi teacher license. This new option gives future educators across the state a flexible, high-quality path to the classroom, without the need to attend on-campus classes.
Created in response to Mississippi’s ongoing teacher shortage and rising demand for online learning, the program mirrors Belhaven’s traditional on-campus offering and includes strong academic support and local field experience opportunities.
“Our goal is to remove barriers for individuals who feel called to teach but need a more accessible path,” said Dr. David Hand, Belhaven University’s dean of the School of Education. Belhaven University created the online program in response to Mississippi’s teacher shortage, a new partnership with the state’s community colleges, and the increasing demand for flexible, remote teacher preparation options among prospective educators across the state.
Beyond traditional teaching roles, this degree also provides a strong foundation for careers such as reading specialists, curriculum coordinators, education consultants, instructional coaches, children’s ministry, nonprofit education programs, and more.
The program is available exclusively to Mississippi residents. Belhaven will partner with local school districts, principals and clinical educators to facilitate the required field and internship experiences in each candidate’s community.
This new offering builds on the university’s success with its online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Alternate Route program. According to Hand, it has already helped hundreds of teachers enter the profession.
