Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

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

Content Area Prerequisites

Elementary education teachers need to have an understanding of the subjects taught in elementary school classrooms. Following the requirements set forth by the Illinois State Board of Education, DePaul’s program requires that students in the elementary program have courses in each of the following areas:

• mathematics¹
• physical science
• life science
• earth and space science
• history
• geography
• political science/civics
• economics

These courses may be taken at the undergraduate level and may have been included in the student’s bachelor’s degree program. Elementary education students' transcripts will be evaluated by an academic advisor after admission to determine if additional coursework is needed. Completion of content area requirements is not a prerequisite for admission; however coursework must be completed before student teaching. It is strongly encouraged that applicants meet with an advisor after admission and prior to taking content courses.

¹

DePaul alumni that have taken MAT 120 or IS 120 can receive credit towards the math requirement.

Course Requirements

Introductory Courses: 17 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.

Advanced Courses: 35 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.

Student Teaching: 8 quarter hours required

Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures listed in the college core section. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete.

Master of Arts (MA) Option Degree Requirements: 4 quarter hours required

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 Education Content Test, grades 1-6 (test #305) – assesses knowledge of language arts and literacy, mathematics, science, social sciences, 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.

Field Experiences​

Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate lab settings in conjunction with education courses. Students are required to register for one lab for designated paired course. For example, during the first quarter of the program students must register for T&L 404 and SCG 403 plus one field experience lab. During the quarter when students take SER 446, a public school that services students with special needs is required. The field experiences must include a variety of grade levels, multicultural experiences, and a minimum of 15 hours in special education settings. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Field experience hours should be entered by the student into the FEDS system when completing courses with field experience requirements. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.​

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