Elementary Education

Accreditation

The Elementary Education Program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), and accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Qualified Teacher Education

In the Department of Teaching and Learning, we adhere to the high academic standards of our field. We commit to prepare well-qualified elementary education professionals, who are ready to champion student success in diverse and urban environments. Our program equips graduates with capabilities to apply knowledge and theory to practice, using research-based practices to support individual student needs.

We also expose students to real-world classroom environments through our Professional Development School (PDS) sites. These classroom experiences help our students:

• Analyze teaching situations and challenges
• Select organize, and present subject matter
• Use evaluation techniques on teaching and learning results
• Apply theories and principles of learning

What You'll Learn

Learn how to:

• Plan and engage children in exploration, experimentation, and discovery activities
• Reflect appropriate professional attitudes and behaviors Deconstruct curricula, be familiar with curricula organization, objectives, and procedures; as well as the instructional resources of the school and community to effectively implement curricula
• Apply theory to practice in order to effectively analyze teaching practices and experiences while engaging in the selection, planning, presentation, and evaluation of content knowledge
• Apply and reflect on the practical application of theories and principles of learning to support and motivate learners
• Collaborate with the broader community of education professionals and practice continuous professional growth
• Engage with current research to plan and apply tenets of practitioner research that demonstrates an effective assessment of student learning and use those data to support learners and improve practices
• Apply knowledge and skills in the use of technology to support instruction, access and manipulate data, enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate; and conduct research

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours are split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs (45 credits)
• Program requirements (22 credits)
• Core requirements (24 credits)
• Methods and student teaching (27 credits)

Review the course descriptions to learn more about different types of major requirements.

General Education Requirements (GERs)

All elementary education majors must take (or transfer in) 45 credits. Choose from the following courses:

Program Requirements (22 credits)

Core Courses (24 credits)

Methods and Student Teaching (27 credits)