Program Overview

University of Saint Mary Elementary Education Program

The University of Saint Mary offers a Bachelor's in Elementary Education program that is fully accredited and designed to prepare students for a career in teaching. The program is available in an accelerated format, allowing students to complete their degree in 24 months.

Program Highlights

• Finish Faster: The program allows students to complete their degree in 24 months.
• Accredited: The program is accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
• Flexible: The program offers a personalized approach, allowing students to opt for full-time or part-time study.
• Achieve Your Goals: The program leads to initial teacher licensure in Kansas.
• Affordable: The program's tuition is $435 per credit hour.

Elementary Education Unified Program

The University of Saint Mary offers a unique option to prepare students for PK-6 elementary and special education licensure in Kansas. Students can take 15 credits of special education coursework as electives and split the student teaching semester between general education and special education.

Coursework

The program requires the following coursework:

• ED 250 Teaching as a Profession Seminar (2 credits)
• ED 275 Math for the Elementary Teacher (3 credits)
• ED 301 Foundations of Education: Social, Cultural, Philosophical, Historical (3 credits)
• ED 302 Introduction to Educational Technology (3 credits)
• ED 315 Classroom Assessment and Instructional Approaches (3 credits)
• ED 324 Psychological Foundations of Education (3 credits)
• ED 326 Educating Exceptional Children and Youth (3 credits)
• ED 395 Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Supports (3 credits)
• ED 411 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Issues in Diverse Settings (1 credit)
• ED 420 Methods for Teaching Diverse Learners (3 credits)
• ED 455 Classroom and Community Collaboration (3 credits)
• ED 461 Math Methods: Practicum III (1 credit)
• ED 465 Methods for Teaching Elementary Social Studies (3 credits)
• ED 468 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School (3 credits)
• ED 469 Teaching Science and Health in the Elementary School (3 credits)
• ED 471 Reading and Language Arts Methods (3 credits)
• ED 474 The Science and Teaching of Reading (3 credits)
• ED 479 Supervised Reading Instruction (1 credit)
• ED 590 Seminar III: Professional Collaborations (1 credit)
• ED 593 Student Teaching - Elementary (12 credits)

Clinical or Field Experiences

The program includes the following clinical or field experiences:

• ED 301 Foundations of Education: Social, Cultural, Philosophical, Historical (30 hours)
• ED 326 Educating Exceptional Children and Youth (6 hours)
• ED 411 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Issues in Diverse Settings (30 hours)
• ED 461 Math Methods: Practicum III (30 hours)
• ED 479 Supervised Reading Instruction (30 hours)
• ED 593 Student Teaching - Elementary (15 weeks)

SPED Concentration

The SPED concentration requires the following coursework:

• SPED 600 Introduction & Characteristics of Students with Different Learning Needs (3 credits)
• SPED 602 Instructional Strategies and Methods (3 credits)
• SPED 605 Educating Students with Social and Behavioral Needs (3 credits)
• SPED 608 Assessments for Students with Diverse Learning Needs (3 credits)
• SPED 610 Communication/Collaboration and Community Building in the School Setting (3 credits)

General Education

The program requires the following general education coursework:

• COM 120 Public Speaking or COM 125 Interpersonal Communication (3 credits)
• EN 110 Principles of Composition or ED 111 Composition I (3 credits)
• EN 112 Composition II (3 credits)
• TH 112 Introduction to Spirituality (3 credits)
• MA 134 or higher (3-4 credits)
• Arts (3 credits)
• HI 133 U.S. History I or HI 134 US History II (3 credits)
• HI 155 World Civ I, HI 156 World Civ II, or HI 455 Kansas and the West (3 credits)
• Life Science with Lab (prefer BI 109 Biology for Today) (4 credits)
• Physical Science (prefer NS 107 How Things Work: Intro to Physical Science) (4 credits)
• Literature (3 credits)
• PY 290 Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence (3 credits)
• Social Science (3 credits)
• Theology (3 credits)
• Any remaining electives to reach 120 credit hours

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the program, students must:

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on any previous undergraduate coursework
• Submit a completed application and $25 application fee
• Submit official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions

Faculty

The program is led by experienced faculty, including:

• Gwen Landever, Ed.D., Director of Graduate Education Programs
• Cheryl Reding, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Unit Head of Education, Division Chair of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Accreditation

The University of Saint Mary education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through quality assurance and continuous improvement.