Panola Pathway to a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies

Panola Pathway with SFA 

Earn a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies without leaving Panola College! 

SFA’s Department of Education Studies within the James I. Perkins College of Education offers the Panola Pathway with SFA — a unique distance education program that allows a student to expand on their Panola College degree to eventually earn a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from SFA.*

Through the program, students who earned an Associate of Arts in teaching from Panola College will enroll in SFA courses taught online or on the Panola campus to eventually earn a BSIS from SFA. This program will also prepare students to sit for the Texas teaching certification exams.

Slated to begin its inaugural courses in summer 2023, this program offers two concentrations – early childhood through grade 6 or 4-8 middle-level education. Students will also have six different areas of content focus to choose from:

• Core subjects EC-6: The core curriculum includes 42 credit hours in communication, mathematics, life and physical sciences, language/philosophy/culture, creative arts, American history, political science, and social and behavioral sciences.
• Core subjects 4-8: This generalist path certifies students to teach all four academic areas in grades 4-8.
• English, language arts and reading 4-8: This content specialist degree qualifies students to teach middle grade English language arts and reading curricula.
• Math 4-8: This content specialist degree qualifies students to teach middle grade mathematics.
• Science 4-8: This content specialist degree qualifies students to teach middle grade science.
• Social studies 4-8: This content specialist degree qualifies students to teach middle grade social studies.

Though primarily online, the program offers at least one course per semester that will be face-to-face on the Panola College campus. Throughout the program, students will be exposed to field-based experiences and complete field hours, which are hours spent in Texas prekindergarten through grade 12 classrooms to provide hands-on, authentic experience with teaching.

Application Process

Students can begin enrolling in the online courses for summer 2023. The first face-to-face courses will be offered in fall 2023.

1. Apply through the Apply to SFA page.
2. Send an email to Dr. Susan Reily, associate professor and program coordinator, at reilys@sfasu.edu indicating the certification path you are interested in pursuing and request additional information about applying for the Panola Pathway to SFA program.

For more information, contact edstudies@sfasu.edu or Dr. Elizabeth Gound, assistant professor and program advisor, at goundeliza@sfasu.edu.

*Availability of this program is pending approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.