School of Social Sciences & Education

The Certificate of Graduate Study in Counseling Ministry is a 19-hour curriculum that introduces students to basic knowledge about both secular and Christian perspectives on counseling and how these may be applied in a church-based setting. The intent of this program is to prepare students to apply counseling theory and practice to ministry settings. Students are prepared for work in churches, mission agencies and other settings in which informal counseling and support groups are often provided.

The child and youth development major prepares persons who want careers working with children from birth through seventeen years of age. The mission of the program is to prepare caring and reflecting professionals who integrate their Christian faith, social responsibility, and sound scholarship in order to contribute to a responsible and caring community.

Completion of the program prepares an individual for employment in a variety of settings including youth-serving organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and military youth programs and private, governmental, and nonprofit early childhood programs such as Head Start, church preschools, military child development centers, and other settings that do not require public school licensure.

Milligan College offers an adult degree completion program with a major in child and youth development with an early childhood education concentration. Licensure in early childhood education (PreK-3 or K-5) may be obtained by completing additional course work. This program prepares individuals to teach children 0 through 8 years of age in public and private schools and to serve in leadership positions in church-related preschools, military child development centers, and in other early childhood programs. This major is designed for adults who have completed fifty-two or more semester hours of college credit and the equivalent of two or more years of work experience. Degree candidates must also complete the college’s general education core of humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and Bible as well as an appropriate number of elective courses. Inquiries are addressed to the Teacher Education Admissions Coordinator at 423.461.8306 or Area of Education at 423.461.8927.

The coaching minor prepares students to coach in school or community settings or also to pursue graduate studies in coaching.

Certify to become a principal or school administrator with the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program. Or for those who don’t need a doctorate, the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) allows candidates to develop a specialized knowledge.

The undergraduate teacher education program is designed to serve persons who plan to obtain professional licensure for teaching in:

• early childhood (serving children from birth through grade three)
• elementary (serving children kindergarten through fifth grade)
• secondary (serving children from grades six through twelve)
• special education PreK-3
• selected K-12 specialty fields (music, physical education, theatre, and visual arts)

Certify to become a principal or school administrator with the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program. Or for those who don’t need a doctorate, the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) allows candidates to develop a specialized knowledge.

The Ethnic Studies minor provides a broad initial foundation for the study of ethnicities, ethnic groups, dynamics of ethnic processes and encounters, ethnic literature, the history of specific ethnic groups, ethnic music, and legal issues which intersect with ethnicity and specific ethnic groups. Students are offered the opportunity to craft a minor which will complement their major field of study and better position them for the emerging ethnic challenges of an increasingly diverse 21st century world.

The study of geography provides students with an awareness of the physical, economic, and political features of the world, the cultures which are encountered in the world’s regions, as well as the instruments and devices used in the field of study.

The Intercultural Studies minor is designed for those students who major in a discipline other than Bible (Missions) and desire to practice their respective vocations in an international context.

The international studies minor is designed to complement a wide range of majors such as Business Administration, Communications, Nursing, Bible, History, Sociology, and others. It is relevant for any student who wishes to come to a deeper understanding of global events or who desires to work in the international arena. The minor equips persons desiring to work in economic development, missions, humanitarian aid, human rights organizations, diplomacy, or international education.

The Certificate in Leadership is specifically designed for students in any major who want to cultivate their skills in critical thinking and analysis within the field of leadership development, who want to understand how various leadership theories can be applied within groups and organizations, and who want to become effective leaders in their personal and professional lives.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program includes both initial licensure and advanced degree options.

Milligan offers a Master of Counseling degree with concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling.

The political science major is designed for those who wish to understand politics, effectively engage the world around them, and make a difference. It prepares students to study law, work in government service, research, or teach in a school setting. The political science curriculum provides a broad foundation in the study of American political history, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory.

Two concentrations are available:

• General – designed for those students who desire a broad foundation in all areas of politics
• International Politics – prepares students to engage political realities within the context of global studies

The psychology curriculum emphasizes the principles and applications of substantive psychological knowledge both as a natural science and as a social science. The major and minor provide a broad background in psychology and offer students the opportunities, if desired, to pursue specialization in an interest area.

The public leadership and service major prepares students to be Christian leaders for both private and public arenas, but especially in the public service areas such as non-profit organizations and governmental service.

The Social Work major is designed for the student who desires to pursue a ministry of service to the human community in work with social agencies and/or other fields of social work, or who is preparing to pursue graduate education in the field.

There are three concentrations available in the major:

• Law and Justice
• Psychology/Counseling
• Health Care Systems

The sociology curriculum is designed for the student preparing for a variety of careers, including but not limited to academic sociology (research and/or teaching), and social agency and social service work.

The sociology curriculum emphasizes the principles and application of sociological knowledge. The major and minor are designed to ensure that each student receives a broad background in sociology. The sociology curriculum also contributes to the application of sociological principles to daily life.

The undergraduate teacher education program supports the following goals of Milligan College:

• Students will demonstrate sound scholarship through their ability to read and think analytically and critically, to communicate clearly and effectively, to evidence knowledge and competencies in the liberal arts and the natural and social sciences, and to understand a significant body of material in their major fields of study.
• Students will demonstrate social responsibility in numerous ways, such as serving in churches, on the mission field (domestic and foreign), and with social agencies; mentoring, nurturing, and protecting others; and displaying increased understanding of and experience with other cultures.
• Students will gain an enriched quality of life through awareness of health issues, appreciation for the arts and sciences, stewardship of resources, and preparation for graduate studies and a rewarding career or profession.

The undergraduate teacher education program is designed to serve persons who plan to obtain professional licensure for teaching in early childhood (serving children from birth through grade three), elementary (serving children kindergarten through sixth grade), middle grades (serving children from grades four through eight), secondary (serving children from grades seven through twelve), special education PreK-3, and selected K-12 specialty fields (music, physical education, theatre, and visual arts). Students interested in teaching in elementary schools may select early childhood (early elementary grades), elementary (K-6), and/or middle grades (upper elementary) programs of study. Education students may also choose to pursue careers in professional settings other than schools, e.g., child development programs, church settings, and post-secondary institutions.

The Milligan College teacher education faculty is committed to nurture and develop caring and reflective teachers, those who reflect continually on their practice in search of excellence, and who care deeply about the students and families they serve. Knowing that every child deserves a quality teacher, we are committed to developing in our teacher candidates the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to succeed in contemporary schools. Undergraduate and graduate initial licensure programs of study are available.

The women’s and gender studies minor equips students to consider how gender shapes lived experience, collective action, and human relationships in contemporary cultures and throughout history. The minor readies all students to identify the structural and historical constructions of gender that continue to shape individual and collective identity. How does gender impact the ways in which we inhabit our bodies, our environments, and our relationships? These fundamental questions will be interrogated from a variety of interdisciplinary and multicultural perspectives in an intellectually rigorous and critically informed way. Coursework can be tailored to each student’s chosen field of study.