Elementary Education K-8
The Department of Education offers a teacher education program for students seeking teaching careers in grades kindergarten through eight (K-8). The Elementary Education major is designed to provide a broad educational foundation with a focus on how science, technology, engineering, and math interconnect within the language arts, social studies, arts, and health enhancement curricula. This program content is essential in the preparation of successful K-8 pre-service teachers.
Prospective elementary school teachers follow a program of study the first two years which is essentially the same for all students. There is sufficient flexibility, however, for specialization in the various teaching options available.
One of the major attributes of the Elementary Education program at Montana State University is its extensive field experience component. This includes service learning experiences in the freshman year, micro-teaching experiences in the After School Partnership in the sophomore year, and two practicum teaching semesters prior to student teaching. During these semesters, students spend the equivalent of four half-days for a minimum of eight weeks in supervised settings working directly with children while concurrently completing methods courses on campus. The final clinical experience is student teaching where students spend fourteen weeks in a supervised classroom setting.
Students in the Elementary Education K-8 program can choose to add the following options: Early Childhood, Mathematics, Science, and/or Special Education. These options permit students to focus in these specific areas in addition to completing the K-8 degree requirements. The options, while not providing additional endorsements in the specialties addressed, do allow for added study in each area. Students can also pursue teaching minors which would provide additional endorsements in the State of Montana.
Alternately, students interested in working exclusively with younger students may choose to pursue a major in Early Childhood Education & Child Services: P-3 Option, which is administered by the Department of Health and Human Development.
Students in 5-12 and K-12 teaching majors are required to take courses in certain areas of professional education. A grade of "C" or better is required in all professional education courses; a "C-" is not acceptable. See the Teacher Education Program website for entrance requirements.
Graduate degree programs are offered for students who wish to pursue advanced programs in curriculum and instruction (See The Department of Education's Graduate Program's website).
Elementary Education K-8
Note: Students must be admitted into the Teacher Education Program prior to taking their upper-division methods and practicum coursework.
Recommended Program Sequence For Required Elementary Education K-8
| Freshman Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | |
| EDU 101US - Teaching and Learning | 3 | |
| EDU 222IS - Educ Psych & Child Development or EDU 223IS - Educ Psych and Adolescent Dev | 3 | |
| M 132 - Numbers & Operations for K-8 Teachers | 3 | |
| BIOB 100IN - Organism Function or BIOM 103IN - Unseen Universe: Microbes | 3 | |
| W Core | 3 | |
| EDU 204IA - Arts & Lifelong Learning | 3 | |
| M 133Q - Geometry & Measure K-8 Teachers | 3 | |
| NASX 105D - Introduction to Native American Studies or NASX 205D - Native Americans in Contemporary Society or NASX 232D - MT Indians: Cultures, Histories, Current Issues | 3 | |
| GPHY 121D - Human Geography or GPHY 141D - Geography of World Regions or ANTY 101D - Anthropology and the Human Experience or SOCI 101IS - Introduction to Sociology or AMST 101D - Introduction to American Studies or AMST 201IH - American Identity, American Dreams | 3 | |
| Approved STEM Elective | 3-4 | |
| Year Total: | 15 | 15-16 |
| Sophomore Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| EDU 211D - Multicultural Education | 3 | |
| EDU 331 - Lit and Literacy for Children | 3 | |
| PHSX 201IN - Physics by Inquiry or PHSX 103IN - The Physics of How Things Work or CHMY 102CS - Applying Chemistry to Society | 3 | |
| M 234 - Higher Math for K-8 Teachers | 3 | |
| HSTA 101IH - American History I or HSTA 102IH - American History II or HSTR 101IH - Western Civilization I or HSTR 102IH - Western Civilization II | 4 | |
| EDU 330 - Emergent Literacy | 3 | |
| EDU 370 - Integrating Tech into Educ | 0-3 | |
| PSCI 210IS - Introduction to American Government | 3 | |
| ERTH 101IN - Earth System Sciences or ERTH 212RN - Yellowstone: Scientific Lab or GEO 105IN - Oceanography or GEO 111IN - Dinosaurs or GEO 140IN - Planetary Geoscience or ASTR 110IN - Introduction to Astronomy: Mysteries of the Sky | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| Year Total: | 16 | 12-17 |
| Junior Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| EDU 382 - Assessmt, Curric, Instructn | 3 | |
| EDU 411 - ESL:Teaching Culturally/Linguistically Diverse K-12 Students | 3 | |
| EDSP 306 - Exceptional Learners | 3 | |
| EDM 307 - Methods: K-8 Health Enhancement | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| EDP 301 - Practicum I: K-8 or EDP 303 - Practicum I & II (cohort) | 3 | |
| EDM 301 - Methods: K-8 Language Arts | 3 | |
| EDM 303 - Methods: K-8 Science | 3 | |
| EDU 342 - Managing the Learning Environment | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Year Total: | 15-16 | 15 |
| Senior Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| EDP 302 - Practicum II: K-8 or EDP 303 - Practicum I & II (cohort) | 3 | |
| EDM 304 - Methods: K-8 Math | 3 | |
| EDM 309 - Methods: K-8 Creative Arts | 3 | |
| EDM 302R - Methods: K-8 Social Studies | 3 | |
| EDU 438 - Ltrcy Asmnt, Diagnos and Instr | 4 | |
| EDU 495R - Student Teaching | 12 | |
| Year Total: | 16 | 12 |
| Total Program Credits: | 116-123 | |
Approved Stem Electives
| ASTR 110IN | Introduction to Astronomy: Mysteries of the Sky | 3 |
| BIOB 160 | Principles of Living Systems | 4 |
| BIOB 170IN | Principles of Biological Diversity | 4 |
| BIOE 103CS | Environmental Science and Society | 3 |
| BIOM 103IN | Unseen Universe: Microbes | 3 |
| CHMY 102CS | Applying Chemistry to Society | 3 |
| CHMY 121IN & CHMY 122IN | Introduction to General Chemistry and Introduction to General Chemistry Lab | 3 |
| CHMY 141 & CHMY 142 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| ECHM 205CS | Energy and Sustainability | 3 |
| EELE 101 | Introduction to Electrical Fundamentals | 3 |
| EGEN 105 | Introduction to General Engineering | 2 |
| EGEN 125CS | Tech, Innovation, and Society | 3 |
| ERTH 101IN | Earth System Sciences | 4 |
| ERTH 212RN | Yellowstone: Scientific Lab | 4 |
| M 105Q | Contemporary Mathematics | 3 |
| M 121Q | College Algebra | 3 |
| M 151Q | Precalculus | 4 |
| M 161Q | Survey of Calculus | 4 |
| M 171Q | Calculus I | 4 |
| M 420 | Geometry, Measurement, and Data in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| M 424 | Algebraic Thinking and Number Sense in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| NRSM 101 | Natural Resource Conservation | 3 |
| PHSX 103IN | The Physics of How Things Work | 3 |
| PHSX 201IN | Physics by Inquiry | 3 |
| PHSX 205 | College Physics I | 4 |
| PHSX 207 | College Physics II | 4 |
| STAT 216Q | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| STAT 217 | Intermediate Statistical Concepts | 3 |
| TE 207 | Materials and Processes | 4 |
| TE 250CS | Technology and Society | 3 |
A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 and above.
| 1 | Elementary Education majors must complete M 133Q prior to EDP 301 - Practicum (I). | ||
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Options
The following options may be added to the Elementary Education K-8 major, but students are not required to add an option.
- Early Childhood Education Option (Does not lead to additional licensure)
-
Mathematics Education Option (Does not lead to additional licensure)
-
Science Education Option (Does not lead to additional licensure)
-
Special Education Option (Does not lead to additional licensure--students interested in Special Education licensure should speak to an Education Department advisor)