A degree in elementary education at Iowa State prepares you either to teach all subjects or to specialize in mathematics, science, language arts, or social studies. The curriculum in elementary education is planned for students preparing to teach in grades kindergarten through six. Teaching endorsements in areas closely related to elementary education, including a special education endorsement in multi-categorical resource teaching, are available for elementary education majors.
Curriculum in Elementary Education
Educator Preparation Program Admission Requirements
Teacher Candidates must have:
- A minimum of 9 credits hours at Iowa State University with a 2.5 cumulative grade-point-average (GPA). (Student must maintain 2.5 cumulative GPA throughout the program in order to continue through the program)
- Praxis CORE scores with a minimum of 156 in Reading, 162 in Writing, and 150 in Mathematics.
- Documented completion of an Iowa State University-approved 10 hours of pre-student teaching field experience.
- A minimum of a "C" in all Education (EDUC)/Curriculum and Instruction (C I), Human Development and Family Studies (HD FS), and Special Education (SP ED) courses and all content-specific pedagogy/methods courses required for program completion and endorsement completion.
- A minimum of a "C-" in all major department courses/content courses required for teacher program completion and endorsement completion (content coursework). (This is for courses taken from fall 2007 forward).
- A valid criminal background check report processed by ISU's recommending official.
More information about admission requirements can be found at: https://www.education.iastate.edu/educator-prep-program/admission/
Degree Requirements
119 total credits minimum required
Communications and Library: 10 credits
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication ** | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition ** | 3 |
| LIB 160 | Information Literacy | 1 |
| Communication course from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
*Must receive a "C-" or above
**Must receive a "C" or above
Mathematics: 9 credits
| MATH 195 | Mathematics for Elementary Education I * | 3 |
| MATH 196 | Mathematics for Elementary Education II * | 3 |
| Math Option from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
*Must receive a "C-" or above
Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth/Space Sciences: 9 credits
| Biological Sciences course from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Physical Sciences course from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Earth/Space Science from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
*Must receive a "C-" or above
Social Sciences: 9 credits
| PSYCH or SOC Option from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Social Sciences course from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Social Sciences course from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
*Must receive a "C-" or above
Humanities: 6 credits
| HIST 221 | Survey of United States History I * | 3 |
| or HIST 222 | Survey of United States History II | |
| Humanities courses from approved Elementary Education list * | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
*Must receive a "C-" or above
Orientation and Initial Field Experience: 2 credits
| EDUC 216 | Learning Community Orientation to Teacher Education | 1 |
| or EDUC 315 | Transfer Orientation | |
| EDUC 280N | Pre-Student Teaching Experience I: Learning Community | 1 |
| or EDUC 280T | Pre-Student Teaching Experience I: Tutoring | |
| Total Credits | 2 | |
Professional Education core: 21 credits
| EDUC 201 | Educational Technologies in the PK-6 Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC 205 | Social Foundations of Education in the United States: Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 3 |
| SP ED 250 | Education of the Exceptional Learner in a Diverse Society ** | 3 |
| EDUC 245 | Landscape of Teaching | 3 |
| HD FS 102 | Individual and Family Development, Health, and Well-being ** | 3 |
| or PSYCH 230 | Developmental Psychology | |
| EDUC 332 | Educational Psychology of Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 3 |
| HD FS 240 | Literature for Children ** | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
**Must receive a "C" or above
Block I: Reading, Writing, & Math Methods: 9 credits
| EDUC 377 | The Teaching of Reading and Language Arts in the Primary Grades (K-3) | 4 |
| EDUC 448 | Teaching Children Mathematics | 3 |
| EDUC 468A | Pre-Student Teaching Experience II: Primary Grades, Reading and Language Arts | 1 |
| EDUC 468C | Pre-Student Teaching Experience II: Primary Grades, Mathematics | 1 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
**Must receive a "C" or above
Multicultural Foundations: 3 credits
| EDUC 405 | Social Justice Education and Teaching: Early Childhood and Elementary | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
**Must receive a "C" or above
Block II: Reading, Writing, & Science Methods: 9 credits
| EDUC 378 | The Teaching of Reading and Language Arts in the Intermediate Grades (4-6) | 4 |
| EDUC 449 | The Teaching of Science | 3 |
| EDUC 468B | Pre-Student Teaching Experience II: Intermediate Grades, Reading and Language Arts | 1 |
| EDUC 468D | Pre-Student Teaching Experience II: Intermediate Grades, Science | 1 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
**Must receive a "C" or above
Social Studies Methods: 3 credits
| EDUC 443 | The Teaching of Social Studies | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
**Must receive a "C" or above
Related Methods: 7 credits
| KIN 284 | Elementary and Pre-school Movement Education * | 3 |
| or H S 275 | Health Education in the Elementary School | |
| MUSIC 265 | Music in Elementary Education * | 2 |
| ARTED 209 | Methods of Teaching in and Through Art * | 2 |
*Must receive a "C" or above
Primary Endorsement Area: Credits Vary
Minimum grade of a “C” required for all EDUC/C I, HD FS, and SP ED courses and all content-specific pedagogy/methods courses. Minimum grade of "C-" required for all other courses in endorsement areas.
Primary Endorsement Options:
English/Language Arts
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Health
Math
Science
Special Education
Social Studies
Additional information about endorsements can be found at https://www.education.iastate.edu/find-majors/elementary-education/
Student Teaching: 16 credits
| EDUC 416A | Supervised Student Teaching - Elementary: Primary grades (K-3) | arr † |
| EDUC 416B | Supervised Student Teaching - Elementary: Intermediate grades (4-6) | arr † |
| Total Credits | 0 † | |
| † Arranged with instructor. | ||
**Must receive a "C" or above
Total Credits: 119 minimum credits (credits will vary depending on endorsement option)
U.S. Diversity and International Perspectives Requirement: Students in elementary education fulfill the U.S. Diversity with SP ED 250 or HD FS 240. International Perspectives Requirements are met by choosing three credits of coursework from university-approved Humanities or Social Sciences included on the Elementary Education approved options sheet.
Additional Endorsement
Candidates can pursue additional endorsements in any of the above listed areas and in the following areas:
- K-8 Reading
- K-12 Coaching
Information about these endorsements can be found at: https://iastate.app.box.com/s/m4tr3ogr9ouwmiubz5dhv9catryr2jqf
Contact an Elementary Education academic adviser for additional information.
Educator Preparation Program Completion Requirements:
In order to be recommended for licensure to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners by Iowa State University, you must be a program completer. In order to be a program completer, you must have met the following requirements:
- A minimum of a 2.5 cumulative grade-point-average (GPA).
- A minimum of a "C" in all Education (EDUC) or Curriculum and Instruction (C I), Human Development and Family Studies (HD FS), and Special Education (SP ED) courses and all content-specific pedagogy/methods courses required for program completion and endorsement completion.
- A minimum of a "C-" in all major department courses/content courses required for teacher program completion and endorsement completion (content coursework).
- A passing score on the Praxis Content Assessment text
- A passing score on the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT)
- A conferred degree
- Documentation of completion of VIRT Training
- A final transcript sent to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners
- Departmental approval of program completion
Elementary Education, B.S.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EDUC 205 | 3 | EDUC 280N | 1 |
| EDUC 216 | 1 | SP ED 250 | 3 |
| PSYCH 230 or HD FS 102 | 3 | MATH 195 | 3 |
| ENGL 150 | 3 | HIST 221 or 222 | 3 |
| LIB 160 | 1 | Science Option | 3 |
| Social Science Option | 3 | PSYCH or SOC Option | 3 |
| Summer: Praxis Core | |||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EDUC 201 | 3 | EDUC 245 | 3 |
| HD FS 240 | 3 | EDUC 332 | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | 3 | Biological Science Option | 3 |
| MATH 196 | 3 | Math Option | 3 |
| Science Option | 3 | Endorsement Area | 3 |
| Apply/Accepted to Educator Preparation Program | |||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Block I | Block II | ||
| EDUC 377 | 4 | EDUC 378 | 4 |
| EDUC 405 | 3 | EDUC 443 | 3 |
| EDUC 448 | 3 | EDUC 449 | 3 |
| EDUC 468A | 1 | EDUC 468B | 1 |
| EDUC 468C | 1 | EDUC 468D | 1 |
| Social Science Option | 3 | Endorsement Area | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ARTED 209 | 2 | Student Teaching: | |
| KIN 284 or H S 275 | 3 | EDUC 416A | 8 |
| MUSIC 265 | 2 | EDUC 416B | 8 |
| Communications Option | 3 | ||
| Humanities Option/Endorsement Area | 3 | ||
| Apply to Student Teach Praxis Subject Assessments Apply for Graduation | |||
| 13 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits: 119 | |||
It is our expectation that students know the requirements of their academic program and develop and follow an academic plan based on their academic catalog and degree audit using their individual academic adviser as a resource in this process.