General Undergraduate Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the general admission requirements for Concordia University Chicago undergraduate programs as published in the Concordia University Chicago academic catalog.
New students are accepted into undergraduate degree-seeking programs for online (ADP) and on-campus (Traditional) study in the fall and spring semesters. If you have any questions please work with your admissions advisors.
Major Requirements
The 120 credit-hour minimum is achievable by using specific courses that meet both general education requirements and the Elementary Education major curriculum requirements. A course in the major must have the grade C or higher to apply to the major. Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail if the course is mandated by their licensure program through ISBE, excluding the student teaching internship course and the edTPA course.
General Education Content Courses Required for the Elementary Education Licensure Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Speech Communication | ||
| Human and Cognitive Development | ||
| World Geography: Culture Patterns | ||
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
or HIS-1250 | History of the American People since 1877 | |
| Concepts in Life and Physical Science (With Lab) | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Courses in Education | 15 | |
| Introduction to American Education (LTE candidates should take EDUC-1060) | ||
| Media and Technology in the Classroom | ||
| Human and Cognitive Development (This may satisfy a general education requirement) | ||
| Teaching in Diverse Classrooms | ||
| Characteristics and Instruction of Exceptional Learners | ||
| Elementary Education Courses (These are prerequisites to the Professional Education Courses) | 12 hours | |
| Literature for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults (This may satisfy a general education requirement) | ||
| Foundations of Literacy | ||
| Mathematics for Teachers: Number and Measurement | ||
| Math for Elementary & Middle Grades Teachers: Geometry, Statistics, Function | ||
| Professional Education Courses for Teacher Candidacy | 27 hours | |
| Must be admitted to Teacher candidacy to enroll in the professional methods coursework | ||
| The professional coursework sequence focuses on the professional formation of the teacher. Blocks I and II contain coursework required to be taken together in the same semester | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Literacy | ||
| Elementary Methods Block I (all taken in the same semester) | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Art | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Music | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Social Sciences | ||
| Classroom Management and Professionalism in Elementary and Middle Grades | ||
| Elementary Methods Block II (all taken in the same semester) | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Math | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Physical Education & Health | ||
| Content and Methods for Elementary Science | ||
| Assessment: Elementary and Middle Grades | ||
The College of Education Manual provides details and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License. Successful completion includes:
- Satisfactory completion of the Internship by meeting or exceeding all assessment benchmarks.
- Prepare and present documentation of positive impacts on student learning from your internship teaching (Positive Impact Presentation).
- Complete all state-required assessments at the time of the internship.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Student Teaching Internship Semester | 15 | |
| EDEL-4920 | Student Teaching Internship: Elementary | 15 |
| EDUC-4985 | Student Teaching Seminar | 0 |
The Student Teaching Intern is in an elementary classroom every day for the 16-week semester under the guidance of a classroom cooperating teacher. The intern will be supported and evaluated by the University supervisor. Candidates must meet the requirements for Transition Point Two: Admission to the Student Teaching Internship Semester to begin the internship. Subsequently, candidates must meet the requirements for Transition Point Three: Completion of the Student Teaching Internship Semester. Attendance at scheduled edTPA seminars and Colloquium is required. The College of Education Manual provides details and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License.
The total hours for the program is 120 credits. This includes general education, electives and major requirements above.
Graduation Requirements
Students in the College of Education must meet all University requirements found in the Academic Information section of this catalog. Specific requirements of the College of Education include the following:
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for all college-level coursework completed at CUC.
- Earn a grade of C or higher for courses serving as prerequisites for other courses.
- Earn a grade of D- or higher for general education courses that are not prerequisites for other courses.
- Earn a grade of C or higher in coursework applied to Professional Program requirements.
- Earn a grade of C or higher for Professional Instructional (Methods) course(s).
- A passing score on the Illinois State Licensure Test(s) (taken prior to student teaching for those seeking licensure).
- A passing score on the EdTPA (for those seeking licensure).
- A passing grade for the Student Teaching Internship and a passing grade for both semesters of the DCE internship.
The College of Education Initial Licensure Program has a stipulation indicating that students in the COE may not take any course as Pass/Fail without permission of the Division Chair or College Dean. Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail if the course is mandated by their licensure program through ISBE. Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail including courses with the following course codes - EDEC, EDEL, EDMG, EDSC, EDSP, EDKS and EDUC. The student teaching internship course and the edTPA course are excluded from this policy because they are automatically Pass/Fail. General education courses outside of the required licensure programs may be taken as Pass/Fail if they are in alignment with the University policy.
In addition to the overall minimum credits for the degree major, minor, endorsement, and special programs (Honors Program for example) requirements are also necessary if they have been declared. Deficiency in any area of the program will delay awarding of the degree and will require filing of a new intent to graduate. Students may elect to drop minors, additional endorsements, or other special programs if they present an obstacle to graduation.