Elementary Education (BA) | Office | Website

Teacher Education
Teacher Education with State of Michigan certification is available in three areas: Elementary Education, Secondary Education and Special Education.

The Teacher Education programs of the College of Liberal Arts & Education prepare effective and responsible professional teachers who have a commitment to the implementation of the Education Department's Code of Professional Ethics. This professional teacher will have an impact on school reform, the community and society in the 21st century. Education faculty help students become ethical, caring, value-directed persons who possess a commitment to urban society and social justice. Students also gain competency in the art and science of teaching from a research knowledge base and continue to be inquiring-reflective educators. The cosmopolitan nature of our metropolitan area (multi-cultural, multi-talented, handicapped as well as gifted) provides a perfect laboratory for the education of the professional teacher.

Teacher Education Program Requirements
Teacher certification requirements listed are subject to changes mandated by the Michigan State Board of Education. For the most up to date information, please visit our web site at the program web address above.

The process for pursuing teacher certification has several steps. An application and a departmental action are required at each of the steps listed below. Additionally, all education students are required to pass the three sections (reading, writing, and mathematics) of the State-required Michigan Basic Skills Test (MBST) within the first two semesters of enrollment. Students will not be permitted to register for further coursework until all sections of the MBST are passed.

1. Entry into Teacher Education. Students who wish to begin taking teacher education courses must schedule an appointment with their assigned advisor in the College of Liberal Arts & Education, who will assist the student with a plan of work toward the desired level of certification.

Students can begin taking education courses after successful completion of the MBST. These include EDU 400, EDU 420, EDU 432, EDU 440, EDU 459, SED 460. EDU 400 and EDU 432 must be taken in the first two semesters of enrollment. (See following pages for course prerequisites.) Education methods courses cannot be taken until students have applied and are accepted into the Teacher Education Program.

Students must present passing scores for the reading, writing, and mathematics sections of the Michigan Basic Skills Test (MBST) prior to teacher education coursework beyond EDU 400.

2. Entry into the Teacher Education Program. Upon completion of the MBST requirement and at least 9 credit hours in the major and 6 credit hours in the minor, students are eligible for entry into the Teacher Education Program. Application must be made to enter the Teacher Education Program. The application package can be obtained from the College of Liberal Arts and Education Office, 122 Briggs, or the Director of Student Teaching, Accreditation and Certification's office, and must be completed and returned to Reno Hall, room 241. Requirements for entry into a teacher education program are listed in the current Teacher Education Handbook.

Upon acceptance into the Teacher Education Program, students must complete all remaining education courses, including the methods courses. For elementary certification these include EDU 441, 442, 443, 448, and 449. For Secondary certification these courses include: EDU 469, 478, and one 470s (content area methods course in certification major).

3. Once all prerequisites are completed, students must complete a full 15 week Student Teaching assignment. Student Teaching applications are available on-line or at 211 Reno Hall. Direct any questions pertaining to the application or placement for student teaching to the Coordinator of Student Teacher Placements (dooleymm@udmercy.edu).

4. Recommendation for Certification. Students apply for certification upon completion of all required course work and successful completion of student teaching. Students cannot be recommended for certification to the State of Michigan until all degree requirements and certification requirements have been completed, including the passing of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) content area tests in the candidate's major and minor. Any certification questions should be directed to the Director of Student Teaching, Accreditation and Certification (gibsonda@udmercy.edu).

Programs
The College of Liberal Arts & Education offers programs which lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree with elementary certification. The College also offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with secondary education certification for selected majors. The Bachelor of Science in Education is offered in the teacher certification program in Special Education (Learning Disabilities and Emotional Impairment).

Students who wish to complete the requirements for a Secondary Education Teaching Certificate do so in conjunction with a liberal arts degree program in the College of Liberal Arts & Education or a science degree program in the College of Engineering & Science.

They pursue the degree program in their respective colleges and are recommended for a teaching certificate by the Department of Education when the certification requirements are completed.

The College of Liberal Arts & Education also offers a teacher certification program for individuals who possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. The post-degree program may be pursued on a part-time, late afternoon or evening basis with the exception of the student teaching requirement which is a 15-week semester of full-day attendance. Students in the post-degree program must satisfy all teacher certification program requirements.

Elementary Education
Students preparing to teach in the elementary school pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree with a teaching major and a teaching minor in an academic subject area in addition to the University Core Curriculum requirements and the professional education sequence of courses. The department reserves the right to require specific courses in the major or minor

Teaching Majors and Minors
A teaching major consists of not less than 30 semester hours in a single discipline or 36 semester hours in a group of disciplines. A teaching minor consists of not less than 20 semester hours in a single discipline and 24 semester hours in a group of disciplines. Teaching majors and teaching minors must be appropriate to the elementary school. Students should consult their Education advisor regarding courses for the teaching major and the teaching minor as well as other program requirements. The department reserves the right to require specific courses in the major and minor.

The following teaching majors and minors are approved by the State Board of Education for Elementary Certification: History, Integrated Science, Language Arts, History, Mathematics, Political Science*, Social Studies, Sociology*, Emotionally Impaired/ Behaviorally Disordered (major only), and Learning Disabilities (major only).

* Minor only

Secondary Education
Students preparing to teach in secondary schools may complete the requirements for a teaching certificate in connection with their degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Education or the College of Engineering & Science. The requirements for a secondary school teaching certificate include completion of a teaching major and teaching minor in an academic subject area appropriate to the secondary school and the professional education sequence. In most instances, the degree major constitutes the teaching major.

Students in the secondary teacher education program are assigned an Education advisor in the Education Department upon admission to the teacher Education program to plan the completion of the teaching major, the teaching minor and the education sequence of courses.

Teaching Majors and Minors
A teaching major consists of not less than 30 semester hours in a single discipline or 36 semester hours in a group of disciplines. A teaching minor consists of not less than 20 semester hours in a single discipline or not less than 24 semester hours in a group of disciplines. The department reserves the right to require specific courses in the major and minor.

The following teaching majors and minors are approved by the State Board of Education for Secondary Certification: Biology*, Chemistry*, Computer Science, Economics, English, History, Integrated Science (major only), Political Science, Psychology*, Sociology*, Social Studies (major only),Mathematics, Emotionally Impaired/Behaviorally Disordered (major only), Learning Disabled (major only).

*Minor only

Teacher Certification Required Courses–Secondary
Note: Teacher education students are expected to have passed all of the Michigan Basic Skills tests (reading, mathematics and writing) within the first two semesters of enrollment in teacher education. Students planning to become certified to teach in secondary schools must complete 35 semester credit hours in the following sequence of Education courses.

Post Degree Certification
Post-degree students may prepare for an elementary or secondary teaching certificate in the College of Liberal Arts & Education. In addition, students pursuing elementary education are required to fulfill general studies requirements:

• English Writing 3 cr.
• Speech 3 cr.
• Literature 3 cr.
• Computer Science 3 cr.
• Math for Elementary Teachers 6 cr.
• General Science 6 cr.
• Developmental Psychology 3 cr.
• Multicultural Understanding 3 cr.
• Humanities 9 cr.
• Social Studies 6 cr.
• Social Responsibility 6cr.

Students pursuing secondary education are required to have fulfilled the following general studies requirements:

• English Writing 3 cr.
• Speech 3 cr.
• Computer Science 3 cr.
• Intermediate Algebra 3 cr.
• Science 3 cr.
• Developmental Psychology 3 cr.
• Multicultural Understanding 3 cr.
• Humanities 9 cr.
• Social Science 9 cr.
• Social Responsibility 6 cr.