College of Education > Academics > Teacher Education, Kinesiology and Educational Studies > Undergraduate > Elementary Education (BS) > Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements

The requirements below are those approved by the Illinois State Board of Education December 2015.

Course Requirements

Introductory Courses: 16 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
SCU 207SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION4
EE 281INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE4
EE 347CHILDREN'S LITERATURE4
KNES 206PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH4
or KNES 273 HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: 8 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
MAT 110FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS I4
MAT 111FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS II4

ISBE Science Requirement: 12 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
Biological Science: Choose a Scientific Inquiry course in Biology4
Physical Science: Choose a Scientific Inquiry course in Chemistry or Physics4
Earth/Space Science: Choose a Scientific Inquiry course in Environmental Science or Geography4

Science requirement fulfills the mandate by the Illinois State Board of Education that all individuals pursuing a license in Early Childhood Education have coursework in 3 science areas that cover biological science, physical science, and earth/space science.  These courses simultaneously meet DePaul requirements for Liberal Studies.

DePaul Minor: 5-8 courses (20-32 credit hours), grade of C or better required

Along with elementary education courses, students in the elementary education major are required to complete a DePaul minor. This may be a minor leading to an additional endorsement on the Professional Educator License (e.g., special education, English as a Second Language, bilingual education) or an additional area to explore or focus your studies. However, all DePaul minors will meet this requirement.

A minor of seven courses (28 credit hours) will lead to the required 192 credit hours. If a student chooses a minor with fewer than 28 credit hours, the additional credit hours will be replaced by electives. If students choose a minor with more than 28 credit hours, they will graduate with more than 192 credit hours.

Students are encouraged to discuss their choice of a minor with their academic advisor in order to determine the impact their choice will have on their overall program plan, graduation date, and tuition.

Advanced Courses: 48 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
SCU 337HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT4
EE 317PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EE 324READING/LANGUAGE ARTS IN THE EARLY YEARS4
EE 326READING/LANGUAGE ARTS IN THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES4
EE 330URBAN EDUCATION RESIDENCY4
EE 333TEACHING AND LEARNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS4
EE 334ELEMENTARY SCIENCE INQUIRY TEACHING STRATEGIES4
EE 344ART AND MUSIC IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
EE 355METHODS: CONTEMPORARY TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES4
EE 356ASSESSMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS4
BBE 300TEACHING ELEMENTARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: THEORY, POLICY AND PRACTICE4
SER 346STRATEGIES FOR MAINSTREAMING AND INCLUSION4

Open Electives: 4 quarter hours required

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. The following cannot be used to fulfill an open elective: WRD 98MAT 94, and MAT 95.​

Student Teaching: 10 quarter hours required, grade of B- or better required

Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures indicated in the college core section. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete. All students also take EE 387 with student teaching (listed in the Liberal Studies section). 

Course Title Quarter Hours
EE 385ELEMENTARY STUDENT TEACHING10
EDU 95CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH (non-tuition, PA grade required)0

Licensure Tests 

All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Elementary majors must complete the following tests:

  • Elementary Content Area Test (test #305) – assesses knowledge of the content of what is taught at the elementary level including language arts and literacy, mathematics, science, social science, the arts, health, and physical education. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
  • EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.

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