Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Education in Grades Pre-K-4 Education degree prepares students to teach children at the pre-kindergarten to grade 4 levels. Pennsylvania certification in pre-K to grade 4 education is awarded upon graduation and completion of state certification requirements.
Delivery Mode
Traditional (on campus)
Accreditation
This undergraduate degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Cal U's education programs have also been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954, and we are continuing with the successor organization, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Curriculum
| Course | Credits |
| General Education Courses | 40 or 41 |
| Building a Sense of Community UNI 100 First-Year Seminar |
1 |
| Composition ENG 101 English Composition I |
3 |
| Public Speaking EDU 350 Supporting English Language Learners |
3 |
| Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy MAT 120 Elementary Topics I |
3 |
| Health and Wellness CHD 250 Health and Physical Education for PreK-Grade 4 |
3 |
| Technological Literacy EDU 333 Technology for Teaching and Learning |
3 |
| Humanities ESP 210 Special Education Foundations and Collaboration |
3 |
| Fine Arts Approved Fine Arts Course |
3 |
| Natural Sciences Approved Natural Sciences Course with Lab |
3 or 4 |
| Social Sciences GEO 102 Geographic Systems for Elementary Education (1 credit) AND POS 102 American Government for Elementary Education (1 credit) AND ECO 102 Economics for Elementary Education (1 credit) |
3 |
| Ethics and Multicultural Emphasis CHD 350 Family and Community Collaborations |
3 |
General Education Options
|
9 |
| Required Major Courses | 60 |
| CHD 200 Intro to PreK-Grade 8 Education | 3 |
| ELE 220 Instruction and Assessment in PreK | 3 |
| ELE 221 Instruction and Assessment in K-4 | 3 |
| ELE 300 Emergent Literacy | 3 |
| ELE 301 Literacy Foundations I: Lang Arts* | 3 |
| ELE 302 Literacy Foundations II: Reading* | 3 |
| ELE 310 Teaching PreK STEAM | 3 |
| ELE 311 Teaching Math K-4* | 3 |
| CHD 312 Leadership and Advocacy in Childhood Ed | 3 |
| ELE 321 Teaching Science K-4* | 3 |
| ELE 331 Teaching Social Studies K-4* | 3 |
| EDU 375 Introduction to Integrated STEM Education | 3 |
| ELE 410 PreK-4 Field Experience | 3 |
| ELE 411 K-4 Field Experience* | 3 |
| CHD 413 Content Area Literacy Field Experience* |
3 |
| CHD 450 Assessment and Data Literacy* | 3 |
| ELM 461 Student Teaching and School Law* | 12 |
| Required Related Courses | 12 |
| ESP 311 Assessment and Positive Behavior Interventions | 3 |
| ESP 412 Evidence Based Practices* | 3 |
| PSY 205 Child Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 208 Educational Psychology | 3 |
| Free Electives | 9 |
| Total | 121 |
Additional requirements, not counted toward the General Education requirements, include:
- Special Experience Course (1 course required): ELE 461 Student Teaching PreK-Grade 4
- Writing-Intensive Component Courses (2 courses required): ELE 410 PreK-4 Field Experience AND ELE 411 K-4 Field Experience
- Laboratory Course (1 course required): Approved Natural Sciences Course with Lab
* Pre-requisite for all courses marked with an asterisk is Admission to Teacher Education.
Program Notes:
- All courses required for certification must earn C or better.
- CHD 200 and ELE 220 require current clearances and minimum 2.0 GPA to register for courses.
- ALL other EDU, ELE, ESP and CHD courses require current clearances and minimum 2.5 GPA to register for courses.
- Candidates must follow policies for Admission to Teacher Education as stated in the Teacher Education Handbook.
- Pre-requisites for ELE 221 and all 300 level ELE and CHD courses are ELE 200 and ELE 220.
- State licensure exams must be passed before student teaching.
- Current clearances are required prior to enrolling in program courses.
- Approved American/British Literature Courses are: ENG 107, 125, 127, 148, 150, 155, 160, 203, 301, 302, 337, 338 and HON 250. (HON 250 has a pre-requisite of HON 150; the 300-level ENG courses have pre-requisites of ENG 101 and 102.)
Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Program
Accelerated bachelor's-to-master's programs are also available to undergraduate students who qualify, including:
- B.S.Ed. in Grades Pre-K-4 Education to M.Ed. in Reading Specialist
- B.S.Ed. in Grades Pre-K-4 Education to M.Ed. in Integrative STEM Education K-12
Curriculum requirements are listed under the "Accelerated Programs" section of this catalog.
Additional Requirements
Students accepted into a teacher certification program must be admitted to Teacher Education before they may register for upper-level, restricted courses. Please refer to the Teacher Education Program Student Handbook for details on Admission to Teacher Education requirements.
Program Webpage
https://www.calu.edu/academics/undergraduate/bachelors/grades-prek-4-education/index.aspx