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 of intensive study. 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 | 18 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-6 | |
| Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements | 60 | |
| Free Electives | 3-0 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
Requirements for the graduate portion of this combined program can be found here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| RELG 100 | Religions of the World | 3 |
| RELG 101 | Understanding Religion | 3 |
| RELG 275 | Inter-religious Encounters | 3 |
| Texts | ||
| Complete two courses from the list below. | 6 | |
| Issues | ||
| Complete two courses from the list below. | 6 | |
| Approaches | ||
| Complete two courses from the list below. | 6 | |
| Global Traditions | ||
| Complete two courses from the list below. | 6 | |
| Seminar | ||
| Complete one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Seminar | ||
| Engaged Learning Project | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Texts
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Texts | ||
| Complete two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures | ||
| New Testament/Christian Scriptures | ||
| American Religious Texts | ||
| The Qur'an | ||
| Asian Texts | ||
| Study in Religious Texts | ||
| Special Topics in Religious Texts | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Issues
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Issues | ||
| Complete two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Religious Ethics | ||
| Death, Dying and Afterlife | ||
| Religion and Ethical Issues | ||
| Religion and Social Activism | ||
| Body and Soul | ||
| Women and Religion | ||
| The Holocaust: Religious Perspectives | ||
| Spirituality and Mysticism | ||
| Feminist Views of Religion | ||
| Religion and Peacemaking | ||
| Atheism | ||
| Jihad, Just War and the Prospect of Peace | ||
| Special Topics in Religious Issues | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Approaches
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Approaches | ||
| Complete two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Religion and Culture | ||
| Religion and Society | ||
| Feminist Views of Religion | ||
| Religious Experience | ||
| Myth, Meaning and Self | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Psychology of Religion | ||
| Religion, Culture and Society | ||
| Religion and Society | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Global Traditions
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course from the following: | 3 | |
| The Arab World and Religion | ||
| Asian Religions | ||
| Islamic Religious Traditions | ||
| African Religions | ||
| Africana Religions in the Americas | ||
| Native American Religion | ||
| Religion in Latin America | ||
| Complete one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Taoism | ||
| Religion in the United States | ||
| Asian Religions | ||
| Islamic Religious Traditions | ||
| African Religions | ||
| Africana Religions in the Americas | ||
| Native American Religion | ||
| Religion in Latin America | ||
| Spirituality and Mysticism | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Teacher Education Program Requirements for Combined Degree Programs with Grades K-6 and Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Professional Sequence | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| FSHD 214 | Child Development I | 3 |
| ECEL 200 | Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy | 3 |
| EDFD 221 | Historical Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| MTHM 201 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools I | 3 |
| Professional Sequence | ||
| First Semester Junior Year | ||
| FSHD 314 | Child Development II: Adolescence | 3 |
| 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 |
| 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 408 | Social Studies and the Arts in Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| First Semester Senior Year | ||
| ECSE 339 | Pedagogy in the Inclusive Elementary Classroom | 3 |
| READ 408 | Literacy in the Elementary Grades | 3 |
| Undergraduate elective (Advisor approval required). | 3 | |
| Second Semester Senior Year | ||
| ECSE 523 | Communication, Collaboration and Consultation in Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Contexts 1 | 3 |
| ECSE 536 | Observation and Assessment of Elementary Age Children with Disabilities 1 | 3 |
| READ 515 | Literacy Strategies for the Inclusive Elementary Classroom 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
| 1 | Course will also count toward the MAT portion of this program. |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| 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 | ||
| Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
or RELG 204 | New Testament/Christian Scriptures | |
or RELG 207 | American Religious Texts | |
or RELG 208 | The Qur'an | |
or RELG 214 | Asian Texts | |
or RELG 282 | Study in Religious Texts | |
or RELG 382 | Study in Religious Texts | |
| 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 a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course that also fulfills the Teacher Education Health/Hygiene requirement. | 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 | ||
| Fulfilled in the major. | ||
| RELG 185 | The Arab World and Religion | 3 |
| or RELG 240 | Asian Religions | |
| or RELG 246 | Islamic Religious Traditions | |
| or RELG 250 | African Religions | |
| or RELG 254 | Native American Religion | |
| or RELG 256 | Religion in Latin America | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy | ||
| Total Credits | 22 | |
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 | ||
| Fulfilled in the major. | ||
| The Arab World and Religion | ||
or RELG 240 | Asian Religions | |
or RELG 246 | Islamic Religious Traditions | |
or RELG 250 | African Religions | |
or RELG 254 | Native American Religion | |
or RELG 256 | Religion in Latin America | |
| 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 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Spring | ||
| EDFD 220 | Philosophical Orientation to Education | 3 |
| MTHM 201 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools I | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECEL 279 | Foundation and Philosophy of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| FSHD 314 | Child Development II: Adolescence | 3 |
| MTHM 302 | Mathematics in Elementary Schools II | 3 |
| READ 399 | Early Literacy Development and Instruction | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| 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 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECSE 339 | Pedagogy in the Inclusive Elementary Classroom | 3 |
| READ 408 | Literacy in the Elementary Grades | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| 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 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 52 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | |
| ECSE 508 | Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| ECSE 580 | Conceptual Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Bio-Psych-Social Perspectives | 3 |
| ECEL 691 | Issues, Policies and Trends in Inclusive Education | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECEL 502 | Seminar I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 1 |
| ECEL 510 | Clinical Practice I: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary | 2 |
| 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 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECEL 504 | Seminar II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 3 |
| ECEL 511 | Clinical Practice II: Inclusive Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms | 6 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |