Elementary Education, BAEd

Students who wish to pursue a primary major in Arts & Sciences may also pursue Elementary Education as a second major.

Students in the BAEd can only count 60 credits of ELEM and EDUC courses toward the 120 credits required to graduate. At least 60 credits must come from Arts & Sciences.

In order to be eligible for graduation, students must be in good academic standing, have satisfied all general education and proficiency requirements; earned at least 60 semester credits in Arts and Sciences academic subjects; satisfied all program requirements of the School of Education; and earned at least 120 semester hours of academic credits.

Program Requirements for BAEd in Elementary Education

Elementary Endorsement Courses

In addition to other program requirements, candidates seeking an endorsement in elementary education PK-6 must complete six semester hours in each of the following disciplines:

English
Mathematics
Science - Courses should be in the laboratory science areas of Earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. The required six semester hours must come from two different science disciplines.
History and social sciences - Courses should be in the areas of history, geography, civics or government, or economics.

Prospective majors should complete as many of these as possible before entering the education program, although they do not have to be completed at the point of admission:

Course Sequence for Elementary Education

Freshman and Sophomore Years (12 credits)

EDUC 200 - Orientation to Teaching as a Profession (3)

EDUC 301 Educational Psychology (3)

EDUC 310 Social, Philosophical, Cultural & Historical Foundations of American Education (3) +

ELEM 312 Intro to Characteristics & Legal Aspects of Educating Exceptional Students (3) +

Note: If EDUC 200, 301, EDUC 310, and ELEM 312 are not taken during freshman and sophomore years, they must be taken during the junior year.

Junior Year - Fall (10 credits)

ELEM 300 Clinical Experience in Elementary Schools (1)

ELEM 403 Literacy Planning, Instruction, and Assessment Part A (3)

ELEM 404 Literacy Planning, Instruction, and Assessment Part B (3)

ELEM 405 Social Studies Planning, Instruction, and Assessment (3)

Junior Year - Spring (0 credits)

Senior Year - Fall (10 credits)

ELEM 300 Clinical Experience in Elementary Schools (1)

ELEM 406 Science Planning, Instruction, and Assessment (3)

ELEM 407 Math Planning, Instruction, and Assessment (3)

ELEM 408 Literacy Across the Curriculum (3)

Senior Year - Spring (12 credits)

ELEM 410 Classroom Organization, Management, and Discipline (3) +

ELEM 411 Student Teaching Seminar (1)

ELEM 420 Supervised Teaching in Elementary Education (8)

Total Credit Hours: 44

+If exempted from this course for any reason, the student must notify the Office of Teacher Education and complete a state mandated training module that is linked to this course.

Elementary Major Writing Requirement

In order to satisfy the Elementary Education Major Writing Requirement, students must earn overall averages of C- or better in the EDUC 301 and EDUC 310.

Additional Graduation Requirements

Students are required to achieve passing scores on assessments prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education, both for program completion and for licensure. Virginia’s mandated licensure assessments are graduation requirements.

CPR/AED/First Aid Training - Candidates seeking initial license in Virginia are required to complete training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the use of an automated external defibrillator, and first aid. Training courses are available through national emergency care organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. CPR training must include “hands-on” training. Evidence of certification must be presented when applying to the VDOE for licensure.