Elementary Education - B.A.

The major in elementary education prepares students for teaching children in regular education classrooms, grades 1 through 6. The major requirements for the elementary program include foundational and professional courses. Foundational courses focus on building understanding in areas such as child growth and development, learning theory, diversity from multiple lenses, and educational philosophy. Professional courses are designed to integrate the subject matter of the elementary classroom that includes reading and writing, language arts and literature, mathematics, science, social studies, health, physical education, and the fine arts. The professional courses provide a solid foundation in learning specific methods of teaching unique to each subject matter and the development of materials and resources needed to implement lessons and units of study.

Dominican University teacher candidates who major in elementary education will have the unique opportunity to experience a comprehensive clinically-based program that includes the liberal arts and sciences core curriculum, foundational courses within the School of Education, and extensive supervised clinically-based courses that focus on the development of practices essential to beginning teachers.

Upon entering the undergraduate BA degree program, students take the university general education core curriculum requirements that develop a broad liberal arts and sciences education, with an introduction to education in EDUC 200 - Foundations of Education and EDUC 310 - History and Philosophy of Education . After completing the first education course, students in good standing who meet requirements for acceptance into the Teacher Education Program can matriculate into the elementary education program with candidacy and begin intensive licensure program coursework and fieldwork.

Major Requirements

Required Courses:

Education coursework including fieldwork and student teaching:

Core Content Coursework:

Complete the following:

EDUC 364 - Children’s Literature
HIST 201 - A History of Globalization including a 1-hour course intensification that covers the history, geography, economics, and political theory of Illinois.
Early or modern American history selective-choose one of the following six courses:
HIST 143 - History of the American People to 1877
HIST 144 - History of the American People From 1877
HIST 221 - American Encounters: The Colonial Age
HIST 222 - Building a Nation: The U.S. From Revolution to Reconstruction
HIST 223 - Changing America: The Gilded Age Through the New Deal
HIST 224 - The American Century, 1940-1990
Complete the following four courses:
MATH 130 - College Algebra
MATH 165 - Foundations of Mathematics for the Elementary Teacher
MATH 211 - Principles of Statistics
POSC 170 - American Government
Complete the following two science courses, one of which must have a lab:
one 3- or 4-credit biological science course
one 3- or 4-credit physical science course

Additional Requirements:

All course for the major, including core content courses, must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

Optional Courses

The following optional courses provide first- and second-year students additional support in meeting academic requirements for the program:

Optional Pathways

Students in the elementary education program have the option to complete a minor or an endorsement program in one of the following three high-need areas:

Special Education

The licensure programs enable candidates to complete one course ( SEDU 322 - Exceptional Students: Characteristics and the Special Education Process ) toward the Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement. In total, five courses are required for the LBS I endorsement. Candidates can choose to complete the subsequent required classes as undergraduate electives or can choose to complete them upon graduation. The following sequence of courses are required for a candidate to earn an LBS I endorsement:

Required Courses for the LBS1 Endorsement (15 hours):

*completed as part of the elementary education program

English Language Learners

The elementary education program enables each candidate to complete three courses toward the bilingual/ESL endorsement (indicated below) as a pathway toward completion of the bilingual and/or ESL endorsement. Candidates can choose to complete the subsequent three required classes as undergraduate electives or can choose to complete them upon graduation.

Bilingual Education Endorsement and English as a Second Language Endorsement

Complete 100 clock hours in bilingual field experiences (embedded in coursework)
Pass the Target Language Proficiency Exam https://www.il.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Tests.html
Complete 6 courses (18 credit hours total):
- EDUC 386 - Diversity, Language, and Culture
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 411 - Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 416 - Foundations of Language Minority Education
  * (no hours)
- EDUC 412 - Methods and Materials for Teaching in Bilingual Classrooms
  (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 413 - Assessment of ELL Students
  (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 415 - Linguistics
  (no hours)

*Courses required in the elementary education program

Bilingual Education Endorsement

Complete 100 clock hours in bilingual field experiences (embedded in coursework)
Pass the Target Language Proficiency Exam https://www.il.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Tests.html
Complete 6 courses (18 credit hours total)
- EDUC 386 - Diversity, Language, and Culture
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 411 - Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 416 - Foundations of Language Minority Education
  * (no hours)
- EDUC 412 - Methods and Materials for Teaching in Bilingual Classrooms
  (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 413 - Assessment of ELL Students
  (25 clock hour field experience)
- Either
  EDUC 415 - Linguistics
  (no hours) or
  EDUC 417 - Literacy Development for ELL Students
  (25 clock hour field experience)

*Courses required in the Elementary Education Program

English as a Second Language Endorsement

Complete 100 clock hours in bilingual field experiences (embedded in coursework)
Complete 6 courses (18 credit hours total)
- EDUC 386 - Diversity, Language, and Culture
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 411 - Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
  * (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 416 - Foundations of Language Minority Education
  * (no hours)
- EDUC 413 - Assessment of ELL Students
  (25 clock hour field experience)
- EDUC 415 - Linguistics
  (no hours)
- Either
  EDUC 412 - Methods and Materials for Teaching in Bilingual Classrooms
  (25 clock hour field experience) or
  EDUC 417 - Literacy Development for ELL Students
  (25 clock hour field experience)