Education
Degree: BSEd, Elementary Education
College of Education
The College of Education offers several programs to meet requirements for licensure as a teacher. Throughout the programs, students gain experiences and skills in monitoring their own professional growth through research, reflection, and problem solving.
Requirements for the elementary licensure program are described below. Students interested in the undergraduate licensure in special education (general curriculum) or in secondary or PreK-12 licensure options should review program requirements as outlined on the Courses of Study page in the College of Education section of the Undergraduate Catalog.
All students who gain admission to the program are eligible to join the Student Education Association. Juniors and seniors with high academic achievement are invited to become members of the Nu Xi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education. Awards are given each year to students who excel in their internship, academic achievement, and leadership. Students in the Teacher Education Programs have the opportunity to apply for a variety of scholarships.
Undergraduate Elementary Licensure Program
Those students who are pursuing licensure at the elementary (preK-6) level enter the BSEd in Elementary Education degree program. Students major in education and take general education requirements and electives as part of the degree program. Students complete multiple field-based experiences during the program. In the spring of their senior year, students complete a full-time teaching internship.
Any student in the teacher education programs may also opt to enroll in an additional semester to do their teaching internship.
All students seeking to earn teaching licensure must complete all program requirements and the EDUC 499 Internship.
College of Education students have access to all the Academic Resources outlined in that section of this Catalog.
Admission to the Teacher Education Programs is by application directly to the College of Education. Admission is competitive and is based on academic achievement and on other indications of potential in meeting the program goals. Students are strongly advised to attend a Group Information Session on the Initial Licensure Programs. Group Information Sessions are offered throughout the academic year. At these sessions, students are informed of the features and requirements of the program. Students are advised of the required Minimum Performance Standards and are asked to apprise the department of requests for accommodations. Current UMW students and prospective transfer students who are interested in the Initial Licensure Programs should attend one of these Group Information Sessions.
Admission, continuation, and program completion
Admission, continuation, and program completion requirements are defined within a three-stage procedure:
- Admission to UMW,
- Admission to the College of Education, and
- Successful Completion of the Program and Recommendation for Licensure.
Detailed descriptions of the program requirements are explained on the College of Education website.
Undergraduate Admission
For permission to take the first education courses in Phase I of the program, EDUC 206 Foundations of Education and EDUC 207 Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices, students must complete the COE Phase I Questionnaire by March 1 to begin in the fall and by October 1 to begin in the spring.
To continue in the COE, students apply for admission during Phase I of the program. Students must have earned a 3.0 or better in EDUC 206 and EDUC 207 and have an overall 2.5 GPA in at least 12 credits of UMW course work OR an overall 3.0 for transfer students.
By the end of Phase II, all students must submit qualifying scores from the VCLA.
Applications for Phase 2 must be completed by March 1 to begin in the fall and by October 1 to begin in the spring. To be fully admitted into the program, admission testing must be passed by the first day of the semester when Phase 3 courses begin.
Continuation
To continue in the program students must do the following:
- maintain good academic standing with an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better;
- achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better in all education courses;
- demonstrate satisfactory progress on all Professional Competencies; and
- achieve satisfactory evaluations in all field experiences.
A student who receives more than one C (including C+, C, and C-) in an education course will be dismissed from the program.
Completion
Successful completion of the program and recommendation for licensure to the Virginia Department of Education are contingent upon:
- completion of all degree requirements;
- a grade of B (including B+, B, or B-) or better in EDUC 499: Internship; minimum 3.0 (B) or higher overall cumulative GPA in all education coursework; and
- achieving passing scores on all licensure examinations; certification or training in emergency first aid, CPR and use of the automated external defibrillators; and completion of training modules as required by the Virginia Department of Education.
BSEd in Elementary Education Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Phase I | ||
EDUC 206 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
EDUC 207 | Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices | 3 |
Phase II | ||
EDSE 250 | Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues | 3 |
EDUC 290 | Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students | 3 |
EDUC 291 | Practicum in Language and Learning Diversity | 1 |
Phase III | ||
EDUC 351A | Instructional Design and Assessment | 4 |
EDUC 388 | Managing the Elementary Classroom | 3 |
Phase IV | ||
EDUC 311 | Literature and the Arts in the Elementary Classroom | 3 |
EDUC 371 | Language Development and Literacy Instruction: Primary | 3 |
MATH 204 | Mathematical Concepts and Methods I | 4 |
EDUC 303 | Scientific Inquiry and Instructional Technology | 3 |
EDUC 305 | Mathematical Concepts and Methods II | 3 |
EDUC 373 | Language Development and Literacy Instruction: Intermediate | 3 |
EDUC 386 | Elementary Social Studies Methods | 3 |
EDUC 451 | Teaching Lab: Elementary | 1 |
Note: Students completing the B.S.Ed. with special education add-on should take EDSE 450 in place of EDUC 451 | ||
Phase V | ||
EDUC 461 | Internship Seminar: Elementary | 3 |
Total Credits | 46 |
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Science in Education degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn a BSEd degree in Elementary Education or B.A. or B.S. degree with a secondary, PreK-12, or special education licensure area.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Several specific courses, which are eligible to meet specified general education requirements, must be taken by students in the Bachelor of Science in Education degree program. Those courses are: LING 101B Introduction to Linguistics, HIST 131 American History to 1865, STAT 180 Introduction to Statistics, and GEOG 101 World Regional Geography.
Internship
All students seeking to earn an BSEd degree in Elementary Education or B.A. or B.S. degree with a secondary licensure area must complete EDUC 499 Internship.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
If any of these courses were not taken to meet general elective requirements, they should be included among elective courses taken: LING 101B Introduction to Linguistics, HIST 131 American History to 1865, STAT 180 Introduction to Statistics, and GEOG 101 World Regional Geography.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
College of Education Faculty
Peter S. Kelly, Dean
Janine Schank Davis, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Assessment, and Accreditation
Faculty
Professors
Teresa L. Coffman
Peter S. Kelly
Kyle T. Schultz
Associate Professors
Janine Schank Davis
Jane L. Huffman
Christy K. Irish
Jennifer D. Walker
Melissa S. Wells
Assistant Professors
Kevin E. Good
Alexander S. Honold
Melissa C. Jenkins
Alexis A. Rutt