Elementary Teaching Major
Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.
Distribution requirements (10 units)
- 2 natural sciences courses 1
- 2 formal studies courses2
- 2 historical studies courses
- 2 ethics and values courses
- 2 literature and fine arts courses
Selected courses from Weinberg College and professional schools across the University fulfill distribution requirements. A meeting with the student’s academic advisor is required prior to registering for distribution requirement courses.
- 1
Please speak to academic advisor before choosing Natural Sciences courses distribution requirement courses to make sure elementary teaching licensure requirement is met. Please visit the Elementary Teaching Extension Courses guide for more information.
- 2
Please speak to your academic advisor before choosing Formal Studies distribution requirement courses to make sure elementary teaching licensure requirement is met. Please visit the Elementary Teaching Extension Courses guide for more information.
SESP Core (8 units)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Understanding Knowledge | |
| Human Development: Childhood and Adolescence 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics and Research Methodology | |
| Field Research Methods | |
| Student Teaching: Elementary | |
| Content Area Reading and Writing (Elementary) |
- 3
SESP 201 has a few alternatives. SESP 351-0 Special Topics (Child and Adolescent Development) and PSYCH 244-0 Developmental Psychology are both substitutions, however please note that PSYCH 110-0 Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite for PSYCH 244-0.
Foundations Courses (6 units)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Social Contexts of Education | |
| Foundations of Learning in a New Language | |
| Educating Exceptional Children | |
| Schooling in America | |
| Theory and Practice of Teaching: Elementary Teaching |
Concentration Cluster Courses
Please visit the Elementary Teaching Extension Courses guide for more information. Students will be notified by their advisor if there are any changes to this list.
All Elementary Teaching students take the following as a part of their cluster requirements:
Sciences (3 units)
One from the Physical Science cluster, one from the Life Science cluster, and one from the Earth and Space Science cluster.
Some courses will fulfill more than one cluster, but credit will only be applied once to one cluster. Students still need to complete 3 units, one in each cluster.
Please note that up to two science classes can be fulfilled by the Natural Science distribution requirements if they fall into the following categories:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Physical Science | |
| General Chemistry 1 | |
| General Chemistry 2 | |
| Chemistry of Nature and Culture | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere & Our Climate | |
| Fantasy Worlds – How to Build Your Own Planet | |
| Earth Systems Revealed | |
| Earth System History | |
| Ideas of Physics | |
Any level Physics course; please speak with your advisor. | |
| Life Science | |
| Diversity of Life | |
| The Nature of Plants | |
| Human Genetics | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere & Our Climate | |
| Earth System History | |
| Earth: A Habitable Planet | |
| The Health of the Biosphere | |
| Science Content for Teachers | |
Any level Biological Sciences course; please speak with your advisor. | |
| Earth and Planetary Science | |
| Modern Cosmology | |
| Milky Way Galaxy | |
| Solar System | |
| Highlights of Astronomy | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere & Our Climate | |
| Fantasy Worlds – How to Build Your Own Planet | |
| Earth Systems Revealed | |
| Earth System History | |
| Science Content for Teachers | |
Math and Statistics (1 unit)
Please note that this unit can be fulfilled by one of the Formal Studies distribution requirements if the formal studies class is included in the following list:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| MATH 100-0 | Quantitative Reasoning |
| MATH 202-0 | Finite Mathematics |
| Any level Math course; please speak with your advisor. | |
| STAT 210-0 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics |
| TEACH_ED 314-0 | Math for Elementary Teachers |
| TEACH_ED 318-0 | Teaching Math: Geometry |
| TEACH_ED 319-0 | Teaching Math: Statistics and Probability |
| TEACH_ED 373-0 | Topics in High School Math |
Social Sciences (2 units)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| TEACH_ED 334-0 | Social Science Content for Teachers |
The other unit can be fulfilled with any of the following:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| POLI_SCI 220-CN | American Government and Politics |
| POLI_SCI 230-CN | Law in the Political Arena |
| ECON 201-0 | Introduction to Macroeconomics |
| ECON 202-0 | Introduction to Microeconomics |
Methods (4 units)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Elementary Science Methods | |
| Elementary Social Studies Methods | |
| Elementary Literacy Methods & Content | |
| Elementary Math: Methods and Content |
Equity and Education (3 Units)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Speech & Communication in the School Environment | |
| Culture and Cognition | |
or LOC 214-BR | Culture and Cognition: SESP Leadership Institute |
| Special Topics (Community Research Methods: Educational Justice) | |
| Critical Issues in Literacy | |
| Dynamics of Middle School Curriculum | |
| Race and Education | |
| Race, Adolescence, and School Discipline | |
| Cognition and Culture in Teaching and Learning (CHANGE NAME) | |
| Design of Learning Environments | |
| Identity and Motivation | |
| Pedagogies for History and Injustice: Holocaust Education Design |
Electives (8 units)
Additional units of elective coursework must be taken to complete the 42-unit degree requirement. Students are encouraged to discuss their elective plans with the teacher certification manager.
Additional Licensure Requirements (included in the degree's 42 units)
- History courses
- Literature and fine arts courses
- Physical Science, life science and earth/space science courses
- Please note that up to two science classes can be fulfilled by the Natural Science distribution requirements if they fall into the following categories:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Physical Science | |
| General Chemistry 1 | |
| General Chemistry 2 | |
| Chemistry of Nature and Culture | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere & Our Climate | |
| Fantasy Worlds – How to Build Your Own Planet | |
| Earth Systems Revealed | |
| Earth System History | |
| Ideas of Physics | |
Any level Physics course; please speak with your advisor. | |
| Life Science | |
| Diversity of Life | |
| The Nature of Plants | |
| Human Genetics | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere, and our Climate | |
| Earth System History | |
| Earth: A Habitable Planet | |
| The Health of the Biosphere | |
| Science Content for Teachers | |
| Earth and Planetary Science | |
| Modern Cosmology | |
| Milky Way Galaxy | |
| Solar System | |
| Earth Science for the 21st Century | |
| The Ocean, the Atmosphere & Our Climate | |
| Fantasy Worlds – How to Build Your Own Planet | |
| Earth Systems Revealed | |
| Earth System History | |
| Science Content for Teachers | |
- Math and statistics courses
- Please note that one of these classes can fulfilled by the Formal Studies distribution requirements if they fall into the following categories:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| MATH 100-0 | Quantitative Reasoning |
| MATH 202-0 | Finite Mathematics |
| Any level Math course; please speak with your advisor. | |
| STAT 210-0 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics |
| TEACH_ED 314-0 | Math for Elementary Teachers |
| TEACH_ED 318-0 | Teaching Math: Geometry |
| TEACH_ED 319-0 | Teaching Math: Statistics and Probability |
| TEACH_ED 373-0 | Topics in High School Math |
Middle Grade Endorsement (optional)
- 7 courses in competency areas:
- Science
- English
- Spanish
- Math
- Social Science
- 1 Middle Grades Methods and Techniques course:
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| TEACH_ED 366-0 | Middle Grades Methods & Techniques of Teaching: English |
| TEACH_ED 367-0 | Middle Grades Methods & Techniques of Teaching: Mathematics |
| TEACH_ED 368-0 | Middle Grades Methods & Techniques of Teaching: Science |
| TEACH_ED 369-0 | Middle Grades Methods & Techniques of Teaching: Social Sciences |