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.
The Combined Degree with Dual Certification program is a 5-year program that leads to teacher certification in Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6, teacher certification in Teacher of Students with Disabilities, a baccalaureate degree and a master’s degree. Interested students must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program as an undergraduate. Students must successfully complete the undergraduate portion of the program in order to be admitted to the Graduate School and complete the one-year master’s portion of the program.
Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required undergraduate professional sequence of courses, overall course outline, and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students also are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.
120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 24 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3 | |
| Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements (including Graduate swing courses) | 60 | |
| Total Credits | 123 | |
Major Requirements
Requirements for the graduate portion of this combined program can be found here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Family and Child Studies Core | ||
| FSHD 101 | Introduction to the Content Areas in Family Science and Human Development | 3 |
| FSHD 248 | Family Life | 3 |
| FSHD 304 | Research Methods for Studying Families and Human Development | 3 |
| FSHD 315 | Community Engagement | 3 |
| or FSHD 316 | Service-Learning Experiences with Families and Children | |
| FSHD 418 | Working with Diverse Families and Children | 3 |
| FSHD 445 | Poverty and Families | 3 |
| Developmental Core | ||
| FSHD 214 | Child Development I | 3 |
| FSHD 314 | Child Development II: Adolescence | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Major Electives | ||
| Complete 9 credits of any available FSHD courses. | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Teacher Education Program Requirements
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 | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| 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 Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Mathematics in Elementary Schools I (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Complete one 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course. | 4 | |
| 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 Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
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 one language. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Poverty and Families (Fulfilled in major.) | ||
| 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 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | 3 |
| 4 | 6 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Spring | Credits | ||
| EDFD 220 | 3 | ||
| MTHM 201 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECEL 279 | 3 | ECEL 375 | 3 |
| FSHD 314 | 3 | ECSE 305 | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | 3 | ECEL 408 | 3 |
| READ 399 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 9 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECSE 339 | 3 | ECSE 523 | 3 |
| READ 408 | 3 | ECSE 536 | 3 |
| READ 515 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 9 | ||
| Total Credits 52 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | ||||
| ECSE 508 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 580 | 3 | ||||
| ECEL 691 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECEL 502 | 1 | ECEL 504 | 3 | ||
| ECEL 510 | 2 | ECEL 511 | 6 | ||
| ECEL 517 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 542 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 9 | ||||
| Total Credits 27 | |||||