Responding to increasing diversity and inequality in public schools, the BA in Elementary Education, with the endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education, is designed to dramatically change schooling for the underserved students of Colorado and the nation. The program aims to prepare reflective, ethical, anti-racist and inclusive elementary (K-6) teachers who are committed to making the world more equitable and just, through their work in public schools.
The program requires that students take a range of education courses, including those focused on the roles of schooling in the broader society and on theories of learning as they relate to historically underserved students and communities. The program also requires numerous “methods” courses, which engage students in the practices and skills needed for teaching all subject areas in self-contained classrooms, and for teaching students with a range of identities and abilities, who represent diverse cultural, linguistic, ethnic, racial, economic and religious communities. In order to be recommended for teacher licensure, students must additionally complete extensive fieldwork in public elementary classrooms serving diverse learners.
The BA in Elementary Education’s guiding principles that students will work on across their courses and field experience include learning how to engage in humanizing pedagogies; becoming critically conscious educators; developing a holistic understanding of bilingualism and a dynamic understanding of culture; designing curriculum and instruction, and enacting teaching practices, grounded in research centered on learning and learners; and viewing themselves as agents of change, who advocate on behalf of minoritized students, including bilingual learners.
To learn more, contact the Education advisors at 303-492-6555 or edadvise@colorado.edu. To apply, visit the CU Boulder Admissions website.
Requirements
A total of 120 credit hours required. Students must complete all EDUC coursework in the final two years with a grade of B- or better. All other requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Please note that course EDUC 3013 fulfills several requirement areas: Elementary Licensure Requirement, Social Science Distribution and U.S. Diversity.
Required Courses and Credits
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Major Requirements | ||
| EDUC 2015 | Elementary Mathematics and Science Teaching for Social Justice | 1 |
| EDUC 2050 | Step Up to Social Justice Teaching | 1 |
| Elementary Licensure Requirements | ||
| EDUC 2311 | Children's Literature and Literacy Engagement in Elementary Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 2411 | Educational Psychology for Elementary Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 3013 | School and Society | 3 |
| EDUC 3320 | Literacy in the Elementary Classroom 1 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 3321 | Literacy in the Elementary Classroom 2 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 3350 | Dis/Ability in Contemporary Classrooms 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4205 | Elementary School Mathematics Theory and Methods 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4215 | Elementary Science Theory and Methods 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4331 | Elementary Social Studies Methods 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4340 | Advanced Issues of Assessment, Teaching, and Learning in Reading, Mathematics, and Science 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4710 | Elementary Student Teaching for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity 1 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4715 | Elementary Student Teaching Seminar Part 1 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4720 | Elementary Student Teaching for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity 2 1 | 9 |
| EDUC 4725 | Elementary Student Teaching Seminar Part 2 1 | 3 |
| Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education Endorsement Requirements | ||
| EDUC 2425 | Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education | 3 |
| EDUC 2615 | Foundations of Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 4035 | Family and Community Engagement 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4435 | Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Bilingual Learners 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4455 | Methods of Biliteracy Instruction 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4535 | Assessment for Bilingual Learners 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4595 | Practicum for Bilingual/Multicultural and ELD Education 1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 71 | |
| 1 | Must be completed with a grade of B- or better. |
Elementary Education Content Area Requirements
Distributions
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities Distribution | ||
| U.S. History | 3 | |
| Colorado: History, Ecology, and Environment | ||
| The American West | ||
| Economic History of the United States | ||
| Industrial Organization and Regulation | ||
| History of American Public Education | ||
| American Frontiers | ||
| Themes in American Culture 1 | ||
| Critical Issues in Native North America | ||
| Themes in American Culture 2 | ||
| African American History | ||
| Survey of Chicana/o History and Culture | ||
| Asian Pacific American Communities | ||
| Ethnic-American Autobiography | ||
| American History to 1865 | ||
| American History since 1865 | ||
| US Revolutionary Origins | ||
| Issues in Modern U.S. Politics and Foreign Relations | ||
| The Vietnam Wars | ||
| America Through Baseball | ||
| African America in the Arts | ||
| From Wops to Dons to Movers and Shakers: The Italian-American Experience | ||
| The American Presidency and the Executive Branch | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| State Government and Politics | ||
RUSS 4301 | ||
| United States Race and Ethnic Relations I | ||
| World History | 3 | |
| Maritime People: Fishers and Seafarers | ||
| Origins of Ancient Civilizations | ||
| The Archaeology of Human History | ||
| Modern Issues, Ancient Times | ||
| Islamic Culture and the Iberian Peninsula | ||
| Trash and Treasure, Temples and Tombs: Art and Archaeology of the Ancient World | ||
| Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius | ||
| The World of the Ancient Greeks | ||
| The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome | ||
| Bread and Circuses: Society and Culture in the Roman World | ||
| Economic History of Europe | ||
| History and Literature of Georgian Britain | ||
| Medieval Worlds | ||
| Inside Nazi Germany: Politics, Culture, and Everyday Life in the Third Reich | ||
| Gen Ed Arts & Humanities Distribution (2 courses) 1 | 6 | |
| Natural Science Distribution | ||
| Biological Science | 3 | |
| Introduction to Biological Anthropology 1 | ||
| Primate Behavior | ||
| The Human Animal | ||
| Biology and Society | ||
| General Biology 1 | ||
| General Biology 2 | ||
| Introduction to Nutrition | ||
| Introduction to Molecular Biology | ||
MCDB 1041 | ||
| Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Biology of the Cancer Cell | ||
| Science of Human Communication | ||
| Physical Science | 3 | |
| The Solar System | ||
| Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System w/Lab | ||
| Accelerated Introductory Astronomy 1 | ||
| Stars and Galaxies | ||
| Ancient Astronomies of the World | ||
| Modern Cosmology-Origin and Structure of the Universe | ||
| Space Astronomy and Exploration | ||
| Black Holes | ||
| The Search for Life in the Universe | ||
| Environmental Chemistry 1 | ||
| Introductory Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry 1 | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry | ||
| Energy and Interactions | ||
| Energy and the Environment | ||
| Our Changing Planet: Climate and Vegetation | ||
| Exploring Earth | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Global Change: The Recent Geological Record | ||
| Evolution of Life: The Geological Record | ||
| Natural Catastrophes and Geologic Hazards | ||
| Physics of Everyday Life 1 | ||
| General Physics 1 | ||
| Light and Color for Nonscientists | ||
| Sound and Music | ||
| General Physics 1 | ||
| Biological Psychology | ||
| Science Lab 2 | 1 | |
| Laboratory in Biological Anthropology 1 | ||
| Weather and the Atmosphere Laboratory | ||
| Biology and Society Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory in General Chemistry 1 | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry Lab | ||
| General Biology Laboratory 1 | ||
| Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1 | ||
| Exploring Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Experimental Physics 1 | ||
| Social Science Distribution | ||
| EDUC 3013 | School and Society | 3 |
| U.S. Government | 3 | |
| Introduction to American Politics | ||
| Cultural Geography | 3 | |
| Geographies of Global Change | ||
| Sustainable Futures, Environment and Society | ||
| Global Geographies: Societies, Places, Connections | ||
| Human Geographies | ||
| Advanced Introduction to Human Geography | ||
| Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics | ||
| Climate and Energy Justice | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Conservation Practice and Resource Management | ||
| Reimagining Cities: Spaces of Power, Privilege, and Possibility | ||
| Cities of the Global South | ||
| Who Runs the World? Sex, Power, and Gender in Geography | ||
| Gen Ed Social Sciences Distribution (1 course) 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 31 | |
| 1 | For a complete explanation of the Gen Ed requirements, please see the College of Arts & Sciences General Education requirements. |
| 2 | Each science lab course has either a prerequisite or corequisite lecture. |
Skills
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity Requirement | ||
| U.S. Diversity | ||
| School and Society | ||
| Global Diversity | 0-3 | |
Gen Ed Diversity - Global Perspective (1 course) 1 | ||
| Mathematics Requirement | ||
| The mathematics requirement is fulfilled by either an approved calculus course or two approved mathematics courses. | 4-6 | |
Calculus course option: | ||
| Calculus 1 | ||
or MATH 1310 | Calculus for Life Sciences | |
or APPM 1350 | Calculus 1 for Engineers | |
Approved mathematics courses option: | ||
| Mathematics for Elementary Educators 1 | ||
| Mathematics for Elementary Educators 2 | ||
or MATH 1011 | College Algebra | |
or MATH 1012 | Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills | |
or MATH 1071 | Finite Mathematics for Social Science and Business | |
or MATH 1081 | Calculus for Social Science and Business | |
or MATH 1150 | Precalculus Mathematics | |
or MATH 1212 | Data and Models | |
or APPM 1235 | Pre-Calculus for Engineers | |
or APPM 1340 | Calculus 1 with Algebra, Part A | |
or APPM 1345 | Calculus 1 with Algebra, Part B | |
| Written Communication | ||
| The written communication requirement is fulfilled by taking an approved lower-division course and an approved upper-division course. | ||
| Lower-division | 3 | |
| College Writing and Research | ||
| Writing in Arts and Sciences | ||
| Argument from Evidence: Critical Writing about the Ancient World | ||
| Writing, Reading, Culture | ||
| First-Year Writing in Energy, Environment and Sustainability | ||
| Introduction to Scientific Writing in Integrative Physiology | ||
| Reading, Writing and Reasoning | ||
| Extended First-Year Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| First-Year Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Advanced First-Year Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Upper-division | 3 | |
| Multicultural Perspective and Academic Discourse | ||
| Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization | ||
| Written Communication in the Sciences | ||
| Advanced Writing in Environmental Studies | ||
| Developing Scientific Writing Skills | ||
| Historical Thinking & Writing | ||
| Advanced Honors Writing Workshop | ||
| Scientific Writing in Integrative Physiology | ||
| Advanced Composition 2: Introduction to Literary Writing | ||
| Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization | ||
| Critical Thinking/Writing in Philosophy | ||
| Writing in Physics: Problem-Solving and Rhetoric | ||
| Advanced Writing in Religious Studies | ||
| Advanced Rhetoric and Composition | ||
| Advanced Writing in Feminist Studies | ||
| Writing in the Visual Arts | ||
| Topics in Writing | ||
| Writing on Science and Society | ||
| Technical Communication and Design | ||
| Writing on Business and Society | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 10-15 | |
| 1 | For a complete explanation of the Gen Ed requirements, please see the College of Arts & Sciences General Education requirements. |
Required Tests and Assessments
Students must pass all state-approved licensure exams: Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary (test code 5205) and Praxis Elementary Education: Three Subject Bundle (test code 5901), prior to student teaching. To pass the Elementary Education: Three Subject Bundle test, students must receive a passing score on each subtest.
Elementary Education Content Requirements
Overview
Elementary Education students must take all Elementary Content coursework for a letter grade, and receive a passing grade of C- or higher, or or receive placement credit (as determined, for example, by scores on AP or IB exams) for an approved 3-credit course at CU Boulder.
Elementary Content Area Requirements
Elementary Education students must demonstrate, through coursework or CU Boulder placement credit, the competencies specified below:
- American Government (3 credit hours)
- Cultural Geography (3 credit hours)
- Literature & Arts (3 credit hours)
- Mathematics (4-6 credit hours: 4-5 credit hours of an approved calculus course or 6 credit hours from two approved mathematics courses)
- Natural Science (7 credit hours: 3 credit hours of an approved biological science, 3 credit hours of an approved physical science, and 1 credit hour of an associated lab)
- U.S. History (3 credit hours)
- World History (3 credit hours)
- Written Communication (6 credit hours: 3 lower- and 3 upper-division credit hours)
General Education Requirements
The School of Education General Education (Gen Ed) curriculum consists of 40 credits in three basic categories of requirements: Skills, Distribution and Diversity. Most of the Gen Ed requirements will be fulfilled by Elementary major or content area requirements, with the exception of the Global Perspective Diversity requirement. Courses taken to fulfill Literature & Arts or World History for the Elementary Content Area requirements may also fulfill the Global Perspective Diversity requirement. Courses taken to fulfill the Skills requirements may not also count towards the Distribution requirements. Please contact the School of Education for details.
- Skills requirement: 9 credits (6 Written Communication, 3 Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills, plus a third-level proficiency in a World/Foreign Language)
- Distribution requirement: 31 credits (12 Arts & Humanities, 12 Social Sciences, 7 Natural Sciences and Natural Sciences lab)
- Diversity requirement: 0–3 credits
The world language graduation requirement for the School of Education’s undergraduate BA programs is third-level proficiency in a single modern or classical language (other than English). Students may fulfill this requirement by:
- Successfully completing three years of high school in a single language, or
- Earing AP or IB credit for an appropriate third-semester college-level course that is part of a three-course sequence, or
- Passing, with a C- or better, an appropriate third-semester college-level course that is part of a three-course sequence, or
- Passing a CU Boulder approved language proficiency examination at third-level proficiency.
The World/Foreign Language area of the Skills requirement aligns with the School of Education's commitment to prepare graduates who are well equipped to serve the needs of all students and advocate for educational equity and justice in our increasingly diverse communities and schools.
For a complete explanation of the Gen Ed requirements, please see the College of Arts and Sciences' General Education requirements in the catalog.
Four-Year Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| EDUC 2050 | Step Up to Social Justice Teaching | 1 |
| EDUC 3013 | School and Society | 3 |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Social Science Distribution Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EDUC 2015 | Elementary Mathematics and Science Teaching for Social Justice | 1 |
| WRTG 1150 | First-Year Writing and Rhetoric | 3 |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Arts & Humanities Distribution Requirement | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EDUC 2311 | Children's Literature and Literacy Engagement in Elementary Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 2425 | Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education | 3 |
| MATH 1110 | Mathematics for Elementary Educators 1 | 3 |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EDUC 2411 | Educational Psychology for Elementary Schools | 4 |
| EDUC 2615 | Foundations of Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| MATH 1120 | Mathematics for Elementary Educators 2 | 3 |
| Elementary Content Requirement | 3 | |
| Arts & Humanities Distribution Requirement | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EDUC 3350 | Dis/Ability in Contemporary Classrooms | 3 |
| EDUC 3320 | Literacy in the Elementary Classroom 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4535 | Assessment for Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 4595 | Practicum for Bilingual/Multicultural and ELD Education | 3 |
| WRTG 3020 | Topics in Writing | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EDUC 3321 | Literacy in the Elementary Classroom 2 | 3 |
| EDUC 4205 | Elementary School Mathematics Theory and Methods | 3 |
| EDUC 4435 | Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 4455 | Methods of Biliteracy Instruction | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EDUC 4035 | Family and Community Engagement | 3 |
| EDUC 4215 | Elementary Science Theory and Methods | 3 |
| EDUC 4331 | Elementary Social Studies Methods | 3 |
| EDUC 4710 | Elementary Student Teaching for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 4715 | Elementary Student Teaching Seminar Part 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EDUC 4340 | Advanced Issues of Assessment, Teaching, and Learning in Reading, Mathematics, and Science | 3 |
| EDUC 4720 | Elementary Student Teaching for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity 2 | 9 |
| EDUC 4725 | Elementary Student Teaching Seminar Part 2 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Due to the intensive nature of student teaching, students may not take other coursework during this semester. |
Learning Outcomes
In their development as critically conscious, CLD-endorsed elementary teachers, who value and center anti-racist, humanizing stances and practices, teacher candidates in the BA in Elementary Education program:
- Demonstrate pedagogical expertise in all subject areas, grounded in a critical understanding of how their content and instructional choices matter.
- Establish a safe and inclusive classroom community that reflects a dynamic understanding of culture.
- Plan and deliver effective, responsive instruction in all subject areas and create an environment that facilitates learning for all, including bilingual learners.
- Demonstrate professional integrity through ethical conduct, critical reflection, leadership and advocacy.