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 Bachelor's/MAT Dual-Certification Inclusive Education Program provides students with the opportunity to receive both a bachelor's and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with teacher certification in both general education and special education. The program is designed to help teachers develop competencies needed to teach students who have disabilities along with those who do not.
In this program, students complete general education and major requirements and an initial set of coursework in education as undergraduates. As graduate students, they will complete the coursework in education and conduct their fieldwork and student teaching.
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 | 54 | |
| Free Electives | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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 (BA/MAT)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Professional Sequence | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Child Development I (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| ECEL 200 | Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy | 3 |
| EDFD 221 | Historical Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| Second Semester Sophomore Year | ||
| Apply to the Teacher Education Program | ||
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| MTHM 201 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools I | 3 |
| PSYC 235 | Psychology of Exceptional Children and Youth | 3 |
| Professional Sequence | ||
| First Semester Junior Year | ||
| Child Development II: Adolescence (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| MTHM 302 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools II | 3 |
| READ 399 | Early Literacy Development and Instruction | 3 |
| ECEL 279 | Foundation and Philosophy of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| or SPED 279 | Foundation and Philosophy of Inclusive Education | |
| Second Semester Junior Year | ||
| ECEL 375 | Special Topics in Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 3 |
| ECSE 305 | Development and Learning in Children With and Without Disabilities | 3 |
| ECEL 216 | Arts and Creative Expression in Early Childhood | 3 |
| First Semester Senior Year | ||
| ECSE 328 | Curriculum and Pedagogy in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms | 3 |
| ECEL 420 | Building Programs and Community in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms | 3 |
| Second Semester Senior Year | ||
| ECSE 523 | Communication, Collaboration and Consultation in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Contexts 1 | 3 |
| ECSE 506 | Observation and Assessment of Young Children with Disabilities: Birth to Age 8 1 | 3 |
| READ 519 | Language and Early Literacy Development 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
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 | ||
| PSYC 235 | 3 | ||
| 9 | |||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECEL 279 | 3 | ECEL 216 | 3 |
| FSHD 314 | 3 | ECEL 375 | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | 3 | ECSE 305 | 3 |
| READ 399 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 9 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ECEL 420 | 3 | ECSE 506 | 3 |
| ECSE 328 | 3 | ECSE 523 | 3 |
| READ 519 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 9 | ||
| Total Credits 55 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | ||||
| ECEL 691 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 508 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 580 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | |||||
| Fifth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ECEL 502 | 1 | ECEL 504 | 3 | ||
| ECEL 510 | 2 | ECEL 511 | 6 | ||
| ECEL 513 | 3 | ||||
| ECSE 542 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 9 | ||||
| Total Credits 27 | |||||