Elementary Education (BA)

Description

Please Note:

Programs in the Department of Education are not admitting new students.
Students currently enrolled in the program will be allowed to complete
the program requirements as defined by each student's plan of work.

Teacher Education

The College of Liberal Arts & Education prepares 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 and multi-talented) provides a perfect laboratory for the education of the professional teacher.

Preparing for an Elementary Standard Teaching Certificate
(granted through the Michigan Department of Education)

University of Detroit Mercy's Bachelor of Arts with a major in Elementary Education curriculum prepares teacher candidates for the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification.

Federal law requires all teachers to be “highly-qualified”, meaning they meet a set of criteria to be licensed if they plan to teach in a K-12 setting. Through successful completion of University of Detroit Mercy’s curriculum for Elementary Teacher Education and passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their content area, graduates are eligible to apply for a standard teaching certificate that is granted through the Michigan Department of Education.

Students preparing for an elementary standard teaching certificate include completion of a teaching major and teaching minor in an academic subject area appropriate to the elementary school (see heading below Teaching Major and Minors) and the professional education sequence of the Department of Education/State of Michigan. In most instances, the degree major constitutes the teaching major. University of Detroit Mercy recommends successful teacher candidates for teacher certification to the Michigan Department of Education / State of Michigan.

Students in this program are assigned an advisor from the Education Department after they declare "pre-teacher" status.

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    Admission Requirements

    Upon being accepted to University of Detroit Mercy, students may declare "Pre-Teacher" status. However, this is not admission into the Teacher Education Program. When the prerequisites for admission to the program are met, the student must complete an application packet to request formal acceptance into the Teacher Education Program.

    Prerequisites for application to the Teacher Education Program:

    • Meet or exceed the accepted cut score on the Michigan BASIC SKILLS EXAMINATION (Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)).
    • Possess a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • Complete at least nine graded credits in the teaching major with a least a 2.70 grade point average.
    • Complete at least six graded credits in the teaching minor with at least a 2.70 grade point average (if applicable).

    To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, you must provide the following:

    • Application form;
    • Two recommendations from professional educators, one of whom must be a University of Detroit Mercy professor. The educators must use a Detroit Mercy Department of Education recommendation form. Once completed, he/she must place that form in a sealed envelope which can then be mailed separately or submitted with your packet;
    • A form for the evaluation of work with groups of school-aged children (minimum 15 hours) at desired certification level (K-8 or 6-12); and
    • A felony inquiry form.

    ALL FORMS IN THE APPLICATION PACKET MUST BE SUBMITTED TOGETHER TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

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    Degree Requirements

    To obtain this undergraduate degree, the student must fulfill the requirements of the University Core Curriculum, the requirements for the program major and have completed a minimum of 126 credit hours. To be eligible for a standard teaching certificate and endorsement issued through the Michigan Department of Education, additional credits for the teaching major and/or the teaching minor may be required.

    Course requirements are as follows:

    Professional Education Sequence

    Teacher candidates planning to become a certified elementary school educator must complete 43 credit hours of coursework which include educational foundations, teaching methodology and pedagogy, instructional technology, and classroom clinical experiences.

    • EDU 4000 Introduction to Education (3 credits)
    • EDU 4200 Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
    • EDU 4320 Psychology of Education (3 credits)
    • EDU 4400 School and Society (3 credits)
    • EDU 4410 Elementary Science Methods (2 credits)
    • EDU 4420 Elementary Social Studies Methods (2 credits)
    • EDU 4430 Teaching Reading in Elementary Schools (3 credits)
    • EDU 4450 Methods of Physical and Health Education (2 credits)
    • EDU 4480 Elementary Language Arts (3 credits)
    • EDU 4490 Elementary Mathematics Methods (2 credits)
    • EDU 4500 Integrating the Arts in the Classroom (3 credits)
    • EDU 4590 Instructional Technology (3 credits)
    • EDU 4820* Elementary Clinical Experience (8 credits)
    • SED 4600 Educating and Mainstreaming Exceptional Persons (3 credits)

    See current Michigan Department of Education Teacher Certification Handbook for requirements.

    Required Supportive Courses

    • BIO 1030 Environmental Science (3 credits)
    • CHM 1030 Chemistry in Society or CHM 1050 Introduction to General Chemistry or CHM 1070 General Chemistry I or CHM 1080 General Chemistry II (3 credits)
    • ECN 1000 Introduction to Economics (3 credits)
    • ENL 2350 Study of Fiction (3 credits)
    • ENL 2450 Study of Poetry (3 credits)
    • ENL 3900 Children's Literature or EDU 4070 Children's Literature (3 credits)
    • GEO 2110 World Regional Geography (3 credits)
    • HIS 2500 United States History to 1877 (3 credits)
    • HIS 2640 Comparative Civilizations (3 credits)
    • MED 4770 Concepts of Elementary School Mathematics I (3 credits)
    • MED 4780 Concepts of Elementary School Mathematics II (3 credits)
    • PHY 1080 History of the Universe (3 credits)
    • POL 2100 American Politics (3 credits)
    • PYC 2500 Developmental Psychology (3 credits)

    Teaching Majors and Minors

    A teaching major consists of not less than 30 semester hours in a single discipline or 36 credit hours in a group of disciplines. A teaching minor consists of not less than 21 semester hours in a single discipline and 24 credit 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.

    For this program, you may either select one major and one minor or two minors from the list below that are approved by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for Elementary Certification:

    Majors:

    Minors:

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    Handbooks

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    Post Degree Preparation for Standard Teaching Certification

    Through successful completion of University of Detroit Mercy’s curriculum for Teacher Education and by passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their content area, teacher candidates are eligible to apply for a standard teaching certificate that is granted through the Michigan Department of Education.

    Post-bachelor degree teacher candidates (individuals who already possess a bachelor's degree in the Michigan Department of Education approved list of teaching majors and minors) may prepare for an elementary or secondary standard teaching certificate.

    Individuals seeking an elementary standard teaching certificate are required to have fulfilled the University Core Curriculum requirements and the elementary professional sequence and required supportive courses.

    Individuals seeking a secondary standard teaching certificate are required to have fulfilled the University Core Curriculum requirements and the secondary professional sequence.

    Additional courses may be required. Please speak with a Detroit Mercy Education Department advisor to create a specific course of study.

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    Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC)

    Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC)
    Teacher candidates for Michigan teacher certification must pass tests designed by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to ensure that they possess the skills and knowledge to be effective educators in Michigan K-12 learning environments. Competency for certification is established through the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). Successfully meeting or exceeding the accepted cut score in mathematics and evidence-based reading/writing on the Michigan BASIC SKILLS EXAMINATION (SAT) is necessary for admission to University of Detroit Mercy's Teacher Education Program. An individual must successfully complete all content-specific components of the MTTC before University of Detroit Mercy can recommend him/her for certification/endorsement by the MDE.

    The MTTC consists of:

    BASIC SKILLS EXAMINATION
    Before being admitted to Detroit Mercy's Teacher Education Program, students with "pre-teacher" status must take this test and meet or exceed the accepted cut score in mathematics and evidenced-based reading/writing before being admitted to the Detroit Mercy Teacher Education Program. University of Detroit Mercy students are encouraged to take the BASIC SKILLS EXAMINATION no later than their third semester. A student may retake failed subset(s),

    CONTENT AREA TEST(S)

    Based on a student's teaching major and/or minor, teacher candidates seeking certification/endorsement are required to demonstrate competency in their content area(s) by passing MDE required content area exams.

    CERTIFICATION

    Elementary Certification

    In order to be qualified to teach K-5 students in a Michigan school, teacher candidates must take and pass MTTC test #103 for elementary education.

    If a teacher candidate also wishes to be certified to teach grades 6-8, he/she must have completed the appropriate majors or minors and then take and pass the appropriate tests in content areas. Students in special education must pass tests in their respective area in order to be endorsed and teach in those areas.

    Passing these content area tests, while mandatory for standard teacher certification, is not required for completing the bachelor's degree program from University of Detroit Mercy.

    Secondary Certification

    In order to be qualified to teach grades 9-12 students in a Michigan school, teacher candidates must have completed the appropriate majors and/or minors and then take and pass the appropriate MTTC tests in those content areas.

    Passing these content area tests, while mandatory for standard teacher certification, is not required for completing the bachelor's degree program from University of Detroit Mercy.

Program Contact Information

Department Chair: Alan Grigg, Ed.D.
Reno Hall, Room 243
McNichols Campus

Email: griggae@udmercy.edu
Telephone: 313-993-1475
Fax: 313-578-0507

Department Website