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2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Educational Studies Major - Elementary Teacher Certification: PK-3 and 3-6 Emphases (General Education)

Requirements for Educational Studies Major - Elementary Teacher Certification: PK-3 and 3-6 Emphases (General Education)

Students in the educational studies program at Grand Valley State University must follow all general education requirements as defined in the Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog. Students seeking a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in either PK-3 or 3-6 must complete the following courses to satisfy program requirements:

BA Course Requirements

Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts in the educational studies major will have additional requirements. B.A. students must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language by successfully completing a 201-level language course, passing a proficiency exam in the language chosen, or through AP credit.

Educational Studies Major Requirements for PK-3 Emphasis (55 credits)

A Michigan PK-3 standard teaching certification allows the holder to teach any subject Prekindergarten through third grade. Required coursework for the PK-3 emphasis includes all of the following:

Clinical Apprenticeship Semester

Clinical Internship Semester

Teacher candidates will be placed in academically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse settings.

Educational Studies Major Requirements for 3-6 Emphasis (49 credits)

A Michigan 3-6 standard teaching certification allows the holder to teach any subject third through sixth grade. Required coursework for the 3-6 emphasis includes all of the following:

Clinical Apprenticeship Semester

Clinical Internship Semester

Teacher candidates will be placed in academically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse settings.

Educational Studies Major Requirements for Combined PK-3 and 3-6 Certification

Students with a PK-3 emphasis who would like to also obtain the 3-6 emphasis are not required to take any additional educational studies major courses to obtain a 3-6 emphasis. There is a minimum of an additional 50 hours of clinical fieldwork required in the second area of licensure. There are additional courses in the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major required to combine the PK-3 and 3-6 emphases. See the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major for additional information on combining emphases.

Students with a 3-6 emphasis who would like to also obtain the PK-3 emphasis are required to take six additional educational studies major credits. The courses are as follows:

There is a minimum of an additional 50 hours of clinical fieldwork required in the second area of licensure.

There are additional courses in the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major required to combine the PK-3 and 3-6 emphases. See the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major for additional information on combining emphases.



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