Educational Foundations for Elementary Teachers is a Bachelors of Arts degree that prepares students for a career in education, with the option of pursuing teacher certification in elementary education (Kindergarten-Grade 6). The course of study includes theories of learning, assessment, and human development, as well as key social, historical, and philosophical trends in American schools. It is designed to enhance students’ core content knowledge in essential subject areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. As such, our program provides its graduates with rigorous educational and content knowledge necessary to teach in elementary school classrooms.
Different from other majors, our program is comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, concise, and targeted; with only 120 credit hours to complete the degree. Admission to the Teacher Education program is a separate process and it is not guaranteed by the admission to this major, however, individuals interested in earning a K-6 certification will find that our program provides a seamless transition and alignment with the course of study needed for certification. Alternatively, for those individuals who do not intend to pursue certification, our program includes 27 credits as free electives, to provide students with a range of options to earn another major or minor.
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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 | History of the United States to 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 118 | History of the United States Since 1876 | 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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| These courses will also count toward the graduate portion of this combined program. | ||
| 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 the World Languages category.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on placement exam complete one or two sequential courses in the same 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 | |
| GNED 199 | New Student Seminar | 1 |
| WRIT 105 | College Writing I | 3 |
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| BIOL 100 | Biological Sciences (or other BIOL course) | 4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 | |
| EDFD 180 | Foundations of Education: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 111 or WRIT 106 |
Introduction to Literature: The Short Story or College Writing II |
3 |
| EAES 170 | World Geography | 3 |
| HIST 117 | History of the United States to 1876 | 3 |
| World Languages I | 3 | |
| EDFD 221 | Historical Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECEL 200 | Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy | 3 |
| EDFD 200 | Psychological Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| HIST 118 | History of the United States Since 1876 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science | 3 | |
| ENGL 255 |
The Golden Age of Children's Literature or Art of Poetry or Women Poets or Young Adult Literature or Shakespeare: Comedies-Histories or Shakespeare: Tragedies-Romances or Fairy Tales from Grimm to Disney or Fairy Tales from Grimm to Disney or Mythology |
3 |
| FSHD 214 | Child Development I | 3 |
| MTHM 201 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools I | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| FSHD 314 | Child Development II: Adolescence | 3 |
| ECEL 279 | Foundation and Philosophy of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| READ 399 | Early Literacy Development and Instruction | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools II | 3 |
| ECEL 300 | Scientific Inquiry in Elementary Schools I (PreK-6th Grade) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECEL 375 | Special Topics in Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 3 |
| ECSE 305 | Development and Learning in Children With and Without Disabilities | 3 |
| ECEL 408 | Social Studies and the Arts in Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| ECEL 301 | Scientific Inquiry in Elementary Schools II (PreK-6th Grade) | 3 |
| World Languages II (or Free Elective) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECSE 339 | Pedagogy in the Inclusive Elementary Classroom | 3 |
| READ 408 | Literacy in the Elementary Grades | 3 |
| EDFD 300 | Assessment, Learning Sciences and Ethics | 3 |
| Elective in MTHM (400 Level) | 3 | |
| Elective in Social Science (300-400 Level) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| 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 |
| EDFD 449 | Current Issues in American Education | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | |
| ECSE 580 | Conceptual Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Bio-Psych-Social Perspectives | 3 |
| ECEL 691 | Issues, Policies and Trends in Inclusive Education | 3 |
| ECSE 508 | Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECEL 510 | Clinical Practice I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary | 2 |
| ECEL 502 | Seminar I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 1 |
| ECEL 517 | Integrating Science and Technology in Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| ECSE 542 | Inclusive Pedagogies for Students with Complex Learning and Behavioral Needs | 3 |
| Comprehensive Exam (GRAD CMP section 72) | ||
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECEL 511 | Clinical Practice II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 6 |
| ECEL 504 | Seminar II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |