Program Overview

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Elementary Education and Teaching is a degree program designed to prepare undergraduate students for roles as teachers of young children in schools and community preschool settings.

Program Description

The purpose of the B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education and Teaching degree is to provide students with a solid foundation in child development, education psychology, and the role of the family and society in education. Students will be prepared to teach in diverse classroom settings through purposefully integrated fieldwork and internship experiences. The program prepares graduates to be reflective educators who demonstrate an in-depth understanding of science, social studies, and mathematics pedagogy and content, as well as a commitment to balanced literacy approaches.

Career Opportunities

Graduates typically work in public or private school systems, child care centers, and youth service organizations. Teaching in public schools requires licensure. Graduates can also find work with programs such as RTR Teacher Residency, Americorps, America Reads, or The Literacy Lab. Potential career pathways include:

• Childcare Worker
• Elementary School Teacher
• Kindergarten Teacher
• Preschool or Child Care Center Director
• Preschool Teacher
• Recreation Worker
• Special Education Teacher
• Teacher Assistant

Admission Requirements

Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:

• Completion of the associate degree
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• All courses completed with a "C" grade or better Following admission to VCU, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 for subsequent admission to the VCU teacher preparation program and a 3.0 GPA for admission to clinical internship.

Degree Requirements

The degree requirements include:

• Completion of the associate degree
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
• Cumulative GPA of 2.8 for admission to the teacher preparation program
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for admission to clinical internship
• Completion of required courses, including:
  • MATH 303 and MATH 361 and MATH 362
  • STAT 206 or STAT 208 or STAT 210
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
  • Foreign language requirements: No

Course Requirements

The program requires the completion of the following courses:

Year 1

• SDV 101 (or SDV 100) Orientation to Teacher Preparation
• ENG 111 College Composition I
• MTH Select one: MTH 154 (recommended), MTH 161, or MTH 167
• HIS 121 United States History to 1877
• BIO 106 Life Science (or BIO 101)
• CST 100 or CST 110 Principles of Public Speaking or Introduction to Human Communication
• ENG 112 College Composition II
• MTH Select one: MTH 155 (recommended) or MTH 245
• CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry
• EDU 200 Foundations of Education
• EDU 280 Introduction to Instructional Technologies

Year 2

• Select one: ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, MUS 121, MUS 122, CST 151
• HIS 281 History of Virginia
• ENG 250 Children's Literature
• PSY 230 Developmental Psychology (substitutes for VCU requirement EDUS 301)
• EDU 250 Foundations of Exceptional Education
• ECO 150 Economic Essentials (substitutes for VCU ECON 203 requirement)
• EDU 204 Teaching in a Diverse Society
• PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics
• GOL 105 Physical Geology

Year 3

• MATH 361 Numbers and Operations
• TEDU 389 The Teaching of Writing Skills
• TEDU 413 Curriculum Methods and Instructional Models
• TEDU 426 Teaching Reading and Other Language Arts
• TEDU 440 Elementary Education Practicum I
• TEDU 390 Movement Education
• MATH 362 Algebra and Functions
• EDUS 304 Educational Psychology for Teacher Preparation
• SEDP/EDUS 401 Assessment in Diverse Settings
• TEDU 441 Elementary Education Practicum II
• TEDU 466 Literacy Assessment and Intervention in the Early/Elementary Classroom
• Select one: PHYS 101 Foundations of Physics, or INSC 201 Energy!, or INSC 300 Experiencing Science

Year 4

• TEDU/SEDP 410 Building a Community of Learners: Classroom Management
• TEDU 411 Integrating the Arts in Curriculum for Young Children
• TEDU 417 Early/Elementary Science Methods
• TEDU 422 Early/Elementary Math Methods
• TEDU 442 Elementary Education Practicum III
• TEDU 496 Early/Elementary Social Studies Methods
• TEDU 452 Teaching Multilingual Learners
• TEDU 472 Elementary Internship I (PK-2)
• TEDU 474 Elementary Internship II (Grades 3-5)
• TEDU 481 Teaching as a Profession

Minimum Credits Required

The minimum credits required for the bachelor's degree is 120.