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Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

Elementary Education B.A. - Elementary Education Endorsement (K-6), Special Education Concentration

Program Overview

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Contact: School of Teacher Education, Main Campus Greeley

Location: McKee 216

Telephone: 970.351.2929

Fax: 970.351.3159

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/teacher-education/undergraduate-programs/elementary-education/

Advising Information:

Students must consult with a major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of four parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits
  3. Concentration Credits
  4. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

The curriculum consists of recommended Liberal Arts curriculum requirements, courses in professional teacher preparation, courses in elementary education theory, practice, and pedagogy, and specific required content to ensure students have the breadth of knowledge needed to be an elementary education teacher. 

Program Admission Requirements:

  • Admission: Must be in academic good standing
  • Program: Must have a 2.75 cumulative GPA prior to Practicum and a 3.0 cumulative GPA prior to Student Teaching.

PTEP Program Requirements:

Teacher candidates who complete an approved content degree and the UNC professional teacher education program, as well as pass the appropriate Colorado Department of Education designated PRAXIS exam (if applicable), will be eligible for recommendation from UNC for a Colorado Department of Education teaching license.

If you are seeking licensure in your program area, the following items are required to complete your program.

  • Completion of Application for Initial Admission to PTEP – referred to as Checkpoint #1 (Enrollment in this checkpoint will result in a one-time program fee, assessed to student accounts to pay for assessment software. This checkpoint will also require an out-of-pocket payment - to the chosen approved vendor - to obtain a fingerprint background check, which is required by the Colorado Department of Education.)
  • Completion of Full Admission to PTEP – referred to as Checkpoint #2
  • Completion of Application for Student Teaching – referred to as Checkpoint #3
  • Completion of content specific PRAXIS test prior to Student Teaching
  • Candidates may not take extra courses with Student Teaching without prior approval from the Program Coordinator and the STE Director.
  • All PTEP Field Experiences and methods courses need to be successfully completed prior to Student Teaching.
  • Student Teaching outside the supervision of UNC Faculty may or may not be approved.
  • Teacher Candidates will not be placed in a school where they were once students or where they have a close relative attending and/or working.
  • Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.

Please work with your content advisor to determine when these requirements will be completed throughout your program.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the required major credits.

Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

These courses are recommended to better prepare students for Elementary teaching and successful Praxis testing, but they are not required by the major.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

MATH 181 (3) and MATH 182 (3) are recommended to satisfy the Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements. 

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

The following course is recommended to satisfy the Arts & Humanities requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.  This course will also fulfill the Multicultural Studies designation.

  • ELIT 290 Survey of Culturally Diverse Literature for Children

 This course is recommended to better prepare students for Elementary teaching and successful Praxis testing but is not required by the major.

  • PVA 220 Creative Thinking and Strategies

Please work with your academic advisor to choose courses in the Social & Behavioral Sciences and History categories that are recommended to better prepare students for Elementary teaching and successful Praxis testing, but not required by the major.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences course

Natural and Physical Sciences — 7 credits

The following courses are recommended to satisfy the Natural and Physical Sciences requirement and better prepare students for Elementary teaching and successful Praxis testing and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

  • SCI 265 Physical Science Concepts

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. General Licensure/PTEP — 87 credits

PTEP Core — 69 credits

Take all the following courses:

ECLD 360Second Language Acquisition

3

ECLD 455Approaches to Content Literacy for Diverse Learners

3

EDEC 250Diverse Early Language and Literacy

3

EDEL 101Elementary Teaching as a Profession

1-3

EDEL 220Teaching with Writing

3

EDEL 310Reading Assessment Informs Teaching

3

EDEL 339Assessment Data for Elementary Classrooms: Large Sets

1

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

EDEL 420Elementary School Mathematics Methods

3

EDEL 425Elementary School Social Studies Methods

3

EDF 290Foundations of Education

3

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

EDSE 325Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I

3

ELIT 290Survey of Culturally Diverse Literature for ChildrenLAA2LAMS

3

ET 240Integration of Technology into Content and Pedagogy

3

HIST 224History of Colorado

3

or

HIST 230Class and Culture in America

3

or

HIST 290American Immigration

3

or

GEOG 200Human GeographyLAB2

3

or

GEOG 224Exploring Colorado

3

or

GEOG 250The Making of the American LandscapeLAB2

3

MATH 181Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and OperationsLAX1

3

MATH 182Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data AnalysisLAX1

3

MATH 283Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement

3

PSY 330Child and Adolescent Psychology

3

SCED 475Teaching Science in the Elementary School

3

SCI 265Physical Science ConceptsLAS1LASL

3

SCI 266Earth and Life ScienceLAS1LASL

4

SES 403Physical & Health Education for Elementary Teachers

1

EDEL 101: Students taking the course at UNC need to register for 3 credits

Required Fieldwork — 18 credits

Take all the following courses:

EDEL 457Social Studies/Literacy Practicum

3

EDEL 459Mathematics/Science Practicum

3

EDEL 454Student Teaching

12

3. Concentration Credits — 12 credits

Take all the following courses:

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDSE 320Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 460Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities

3

Take one of the following courses:

EDSE 326Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities II

3

EDSE 431Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education

3

EDSE 442Language and Literacy for Students with Severe Delays

3

EDSE 443Support Systems in Special Education

3

4. University-Wide Credits — 3 credits*

*Note: Students must apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum requirements and the major requirements to complete this degree program in 120 credit hours. Students who apply the recommended courses in LAC and the major will have up 3 credits of university wide electives to apply to this degree.  See your advisor for details.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance. 

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

EDEL 101Elementary Teaching as a Profession

1-3

ENG 122College CompositionLAW1

3

MATH 181Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and OperationsLAX1

3

PVA 220Creative Thinking and StrategiesLAA1

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

Application for Initial Admission to PTEP

Total Credit Hours:15

EDEL 101: Students taking the course at UNC need to register for 3 credits

Spring Semester

EDEC 250Diverse Early Language and Literacy

3

SCI 225Writing on Scientific PracticesLAW2

3

or

ENG 123College Research PaperLAW2

3

or

ENG 225Communications on a ThemeLAW2

3

MATH 182Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data AnalysisLAX1

3

SCI 265Physical Science ConceptsLAS1LASL

3

HIST/GEOG Required Elective Course

3

Total Credit Hours:15
 

Year 2 - 31 credits

Fall Semester

EDF 290Foundations of Education

3

EDEL 220Teaching with Writing

3

EDEL 310Reading Assessment Informs Teaching

3

ELIT 290Survey of Culturally Diverse Literature for ChildrenLAA2LAMS

3

ET 240Integration of Technology into Content and Pedagogy

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

ECLD 360Second Language Acquisition

3

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

MATH 283Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement

3

SCI 266Earth and Life ScienceLAS1LASL

4

Total Credit Hours:16

Year 3 - 31 credits

Fall Semester

EDSE 320Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 325Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I

3

PSY 330Child and Adolescent Psychology

3

SES 403Physical & Health Education for Elementary Teachers

1

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

Application for Full Admission to PTEP

Total Credit Hours:16
 

Spring Semester

ECLD 455Approaches to Content Literacy for Diverse Learners

3

EDEL 425Elementary School Social Studies Methods

3

EDEL 457Social Studies/Literacy Practicum

3

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

EDSE 460Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities

3

Application for Full Admission to PTEP

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 - 28 credits

Fall Semester

EDEL 339Assessment Data for Elementary Classrooms: Large Sets

1

EDEL 420Elementary School Mathematics Methods

3

EDEL 459Mathematics/Science Practicum

3

SCED 475Teaching Science in the Elementary School

3

Concentration Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Application for Student Teaching

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

EDEL 454Student Teaching

12

Total Credit Hours:12

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