Spanish Education

OBU’s Spanish education program blends the rich tapestry of the Spanish language with the discipline of teaching. As a student, you will be empowered with strategies to teach and communicate in Spanish. Your studies include a rich exploration of the multiple cultures and subcultures that make up the largest minority group in the United States and abroad.

From foundational concepts to more advance linguistic study, you will develop a profound understanding of Spanish that will serve as the cornerstone of your teaching practice.

Benefits of an OBU Spanish Education Degree

Faculty Mentors

In our Spanish education program, you will engage with professors who are experienced educators and who have taught both domestically and internationally. Our small class sizes foster a collaborative learning environment where you can enjoy ongoing and direct interaction with faculty members. This setting allows your instructors to know you individually and invest in your academic and personal success. You will benefit from their guidance as they prepare you to teach students the beauty and depths of a new language.

Broad Learning Experiences

As a student in Spanish education, you will gain a solid foundation of academic excellence through OBU’s liberal arts core classes. In addition to these academic courses, you will receive valuable instruction and training through the McCabe Family School of Education and through our Division of Language and Literature.

Curriculum and areas of study in the Spanish realm will expose you to the foundations of language teaching, linguistics, knowledge of grammatical structures, techniques in speaking, reading and writing Spanish, the Latin American culture and related subject areas. Classroom discussions and interactive experiences enhance your comprehension and depth of learning. Students who are heritage Spanish speakers as well as native Spanish speakers will be given the opportunity to gain deeper understanding of their own culture and the role they play in impacting others.

As you continue with your courses in the education field, you will be exposed to a variety of instructional techniques and fundamental principles. Courses focus on learning the content, knowledge, and dispositions of an effective educator. Our modern classrooms, hands-on experiences and enriching field experiences prepare you to enter the classroom equipped and ready to make a meaningful impact on the students you teach in Spanish education.

Integration of Faith

OBU’s Spanish education courses are taught from a Christian worldview with professors who serve as personal mentors, supporting both your intellectual and spiritual development. Our faculty instill a solid foundation of faith and biblical perspective through their instruction and their personal lives. Our mission is to invest in you as a future educator who will exemplify Christian principles, and practices with the students, families and communities you serve.

Incredible Education, Affordable Cost.

OBU provides a minimum $10,000 per year scholarship to every incoming first-time freshman and $8,000 to every incoming transfer student. And you could qualify for even more financial aid! Many of our students also receive money through federal Pell grants and OBU Bison Grants.

To get an estimate of what your cost to attend OBU might be, please check out our Net Price Calculator. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how affordable an OBU education really is. Especially considering the incredible academic quality, personal mentor relationships with faculty and staff, and strong Christian commitment you will experience at OBU. You won’t find an experience like this anywhere else!

Program Information

Nationally Accredited

The School of Education is nationally accredited through CAEP, the Council for Accreditation of Education Preparation. In addition, each licensure area is accredited through the state of Oklahoma. Graduates from our program are eligible to teach locally, nationally, and internationally.

Field Experiences

One of the many noted strengths of the OBU education program is the amount of field experience/practicum time that is provided across the four years of the degree program. You will be asked to complete between 85–120 hours of observation and practicum experiences in local schools prior to student teaching. Through field experiences you will tutor children, teach small groups and whole classes, practicing differentiation and classroom management.

Our Spanish education degree will equip you to make a lasting impact in the lives of your students as they learn a second language.

Labs and Equipment

OBU teacher education supports preservice teachers in understanding and utilizing latest educational technology such as Smartboards, iPads, learning management systems, and assistive technology.
Spanish education students may engage in active learning experiences that allow them to interact with the language in real-life contexts. This can include any settings that reinforce the practice of conversational Spanish and enhance the interpretation, understanding and use of the language.

Research

Through coursework, you will be exposed to the latest research-based practices in education. Additionally, all education majors have the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive investigation of a research topic of their own interest. You will present about your topic to your peers and may even have the opportunity to present your research to practicing teachers at educational conferences.

Student Networking Opportunities

As a student, you will be invited to participate in professional teacher education organizations, such as the Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) and Student Professional Oklahoma Educators (SPOE), which enables you to network with other preservice and in-service educators across the state and nation. You also will be invited to travel to state and national conferences which offer professional development related to innovative, researched-based practices within the field of education.

Through your instruction in Spanish-related courses, you can also engage with the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teacher Association of World Languages (OFLTA), the Southwest Conference of Language Teaching (SWCOLT) and the nationally recognized language organization known as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). These organizations as well as others, will further expose you to the customs, cultures, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking people and will afford you opportunities to network with other pre-service and in-service educators.

Our university is committed to bringing forth Latino guest speakers and to provide you with the opportunities to learn from field trip experiences to local Hispanic communities in cities such as Tulsa and Oklahoma City, national excursions to places such as Puerto Rico, and international visits to countries such as Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru or Chile. Any of these experiences will offer you an authentic cultural context of the Spanish language, its people, and its culture.

As a student, you can also extend some of these international excursions, and further explore study abroad opportunities in Spain, Chile, or Ecuador.

Job Opportunities

OBU has graduates teaching within the region and in almost all 50 states and around the globe. Some graduates use their degree as the stepping-stone to graduate school, seminary or mission work.

With experience, many become nationally board-certified teachers, school administrators, and a few have even become education professors.

With your OBU Spanish education degree, you will have the flexibility to pursue professional teaching certification for public schools or teach in charter, classical, or Christian schools both domestically or internationally.

Program Options

Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE)

Spanish Education, P-12

World-Class Faculty

OBU faculty are experts in their fields and will be with you every step of the way.