Degree Requirements
Graduation with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education requires completion of 120 credit hours, 60 of which must be earned from a four-year institution, with at least 30 taken at SIUE. Transfer students may be required to complete additional hours in general education to meet licensure and/or graduation requirements. Students seeking licensure in elementary education must meet SIUE general education requirements.
The senior assignment, a university requirement for graduation, is an integral part of the elementary education program. The elementary program has elected to use the CPAST to fulfill this requirement. Additional details are provided by program faculty.
Students entering the program are required to read the University catalog about this program. As soon as they identify an interest, they should talk to or schedule an appointment with a School of Education, Health and Human Behavior advisor (Founders Hall 1110, 618-650-3940).
If students are interested in earning a Professional Educator License for grades PreK-12 in Art, Foreign Language, Music, or Theater and Dance, they should consult the program pages for details. Art and Music program courses are specific to the major department content department in the College of Arts and Sciences, while Foreign Language and Theater and Dance are available through the Secondary Education program.
Retention
To remain in the elementary education program, the student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and earn a grade of C or better in all curriculum and instruction in education (CIED) courses, and professional education courses (MATH 112A, MATH 112B, SPE 400, SCI 241A, SCI 241B, IT 300, PSYC 201 and KIN 330/CIED 428-or equivalent course), and courses required by the Illinois State Board of Education for teacher licensure at SIUE. Professional dispositions are also monitored. Failure to demonstrate appropriate dispositions can lead to dismissal from the program. Normally, a student also must receive a satisfactory recommendation from the cooperating teacher and university instructor in field placement courses. In order to advance to student teaching (CIED 451), Illinois law requires teacher candidates to have obtained a passing score on the required ILTS Elementary Content Area Test. Information about the test is available online. Students should consult the program director or School of Education, Human and Health Behavior Student Services for the deadline in which this score needs to be on file. If, during their second year in the program, students decide that they do not wish to pursue initial teacher licensure in Illinois, they may have the option to pursue a non-licensure degree. Students interested in this route should work with the program director and Student Services Office to determine graduation requirements. Students who elect this non-licensure degree may have the option to have an extended practicum experience in the place of student teaching. This option still requires completion of a senior assignment. Prior to any field placements, candidates must pass a criminal background check and be free of any offenses which would prohibit one from receiving licensure from the Illinois State Board of Education.
