A Combined Degree program enables undergraduate students to enroll in graduate courses in their senior year, which can be counted towards the completion of both their Bachelor's and Master's degree requirements. The ability to take these "swing courses" allows students to earn both their Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a shortened period of time, typically within five years. Undergraduate students interested in this option can find more information regarding program requirements on the University's Combined Programs website.
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 14 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-6 | |
| Major Requirements | 76 | |
| Additional Requirements for Teacher Certification | 9 | |
| Graduate Swing Courses | 9 | |
| Free Electives | 9-6 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
The graduate portion of this combined program can be found here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Foundations | ||
| EDFD 180 | Foundations of Education: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts | 3 |
| EDFD 200 | Psychological Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| EDFD 221 | Historical Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| EDFD 300 | Assessment, Learning Sciences and Ethics | 3 |
| EDFD 449 | Current Issues in American Education | 3 |
| Required Courses in Mathematics | ||
| MTHM 201 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools I | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools II | 3 |
| With advisor approval, select one 400-level mathematics class. | 3 | |
| Required Courses in Sciences | ||
| BIOL 100 | Biological Sciences | 4 |
| EAES 170 | World Geography | 3 |
| ECEL 300 | Scientific Inquiry in Elementary Schools I (PreK-6th Grade) | 3 |
| ECEL 301 | Scientific Inquiry in Elementary Schools II (PreK-6th Grade) | 3 |
| Required Courses in Social Sciences | ||
| HIST 117 | Foundations of America | 3 |
| HIST 118 | Emergence of the Modern United States | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| With advisor approval, select one course at the 300- or 400-level in History, Political Science and Law, or Anthropology. | 3 | |
| Required Courses in Literature/Language Arts | ||
| READ 399 | Early Literacy Development and Instruction | 3 |
| READ 408 | Literacy in the Elementary Grades | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Writing II | ||
| Introduction to Literature: The Short Story | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Golden Age of Children's Literature | ||
| Art of Poetry | ||
| Women Poets | ||
| Young Adult Literature | ||
| Shakespeare: Comedies-Histories | ||
| Shakespeare: Tragedies-Romances | ||
| Fairy Tales from Grimm to Disney | ||
or GERM 226 | Fairy Tales from Grimm to Disney | |
| Mythology | ||
| Additional/Collateral Coursework | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| ECEL 200 | Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy | 3 |
| FSHD 214 | Child Development I | 3 |
| FSHD 314 | Child Development II: Adolescence | 3 |
| Total Credits | 76 | |
Additional Courses Required for Teacher Certification
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECEL 279 | Foundation and Philosophy of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| ECEL 375 | Special Topics in Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 1-3 |
| ECSE 305 | Development and Learning in Children With and Without Disabilities | 3 |
| Total Credits | 7-9 | |
Graduate Swing Courses
A combined degree program allows students to complete 6-12 graduate credits ("graduate swing courses") while enrolled as an undergraduate. These courses count for both their bachelor and master’s degrees. Graduate swing courses will count toward undergraduate free electives, unless noted otherwise.
The Graduate Swing Courses for this program:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECSE 523 | Communication, Collaboration and Consultation in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Contexts | 3 |
| ECSE 536 | Observation and Assessment of Elementary Age Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| READ 515 | Literacy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course. | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | ||
| WRIT 105 | College Writing I | 3 |
| 2. Literature | ||
| Fulfilled in the major. | ||
| 3. Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | ||
| Philosophical Orientation to Education (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Mathematics in Elementary Schools I (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Biological Sciences (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | ||
| Historical Foundations of American Education (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 0 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| Total Credits | 14 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in a single language. | 3-6 | |
| Total Credits | 3-6 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree(s)
This recommended five-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within five years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
Fifth year courses are taken at the graduate level, after matriculation into the graduate portion of this combined degree program.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GNED 199 | 1 | ENGL 111 or WRIT 106 | 3 |
| WRIT 105 | 3 | EAES 170 | 3 |
| CMST 101 | 3 | HIST 117 | 3 |
| BIOL 100 (or other BIOL course) | 4 | World Languages I | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 | EDFD 221 | 3 |
| EDFD 180 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECEL 200 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | 3 |
| EDFD 200 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science | 3 |
| EDFD 220 | 3 | ENGL 255, 260, 294, 305, 353, 354, GERM 226, GRIN 226, or HUMN 285 | 3 |
| HIST 118 | 3 | FSHD 214 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | 3 | MTHM 201 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| FSHD 314 | 3 | ECEL 375 | 3 |
| ECEL 279 | 3 | ECSE 305 | 3 |
| READ 399 | 3 | ECEL 408 | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | 3 | ECEL 301 | 3 |
| ECEL 300 | 3 | World Languages II (or Free Elective) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECSE 339 | 3 | ECSE 523 | 3 |
| READ 408 | 3 | ECSE 536 | 3 |
| EDFD 300 | 3 | READ 515 | 3 |
| Elective in MTHM (400 Level) | 3 | EDFD 449 | 3 |
| Elective in Social Science (300-400 Level) | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | ||||
| ECSE 580 | 3 | ||||
| ECEL 691 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 508 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECEL 510 | 2 | ECEL 511 | 6 | ||
| ECEL 502 | 1 | ECEL 504 | 3 | ||
| ECEL 517 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 542 | 3 | ||||
| Comprehensive Exam (GRAD CMP section 72) | |||||
| 9 | 9 | ||||
| Total Credits 27 | |||||