Designed with initial North Carolina teaching licensure in mind, the B.A.Ed. in Elementary Education combines research-grounded coursework with a year-long student teaching internship. Students complete core methods courses across literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies, gain dual licensure in either Special Education – General Curriculum (K-12) or English as a Second Language (K–12)*, and engage in field experiences throughout the program to build practical classroom expertise.
*Note: English as a Second Language (K–12) licensure will not be available for fall 2026 applicants.
Program of Study
The Elementary Education program includes 60 credit hours of coursework structured to integrate content knowledge, training in teaching methods and pedagogy, and hands-on classroom experiences. Students progress through the program as a cohort.
Learn More About the Program
Student Teaching Internship
The program’s capstone is a year-long student teaching internship that takes place during each students’ senior year, providing real-world experience that connects educational theory with classroom practice.
North Carolina Teaching Fellows
Students in the Elementary Education program are eligible for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, which offers up to $5,000 per semester in forgivable loans for students committed to teaching elementary education, special education, or secondary STEM education in North Carolina. Eligibility for funding varies based on program entry point.
Academic Courses
During their first and second years, students will complete required prerequisites and general education courses.
General Education
Below you will find the general education requirements that are satisfied through the BAEd curriculum. Before beginning the program in the fall of junior year, all other general education requirements need to be fulfilled.
General Education Requirements met through program:
Focus Capacities
- FC- KNOWING
- FC- POWER (EDUC 615)
- FC- AESTH (pending), EDUC *** (Arts Integration and Multiliteracies)
- FC- QUANT (pending), EDUC 307
Reflection & Integration
- Hi Service (EDUC 615)
- COMM Beyond (Pending), J2 Practicum
- Research & Discovery (Pending), Data and AI Literacy
Prerequisites
Students will need a grade of C or higher in each of these required courses before the fall semester of their Junior Year:
- Child Development
- EDUC 401: Childhood Development: Prenatal Birth to Age 12 (3 hrs.) or
- PSYC 250: Child Development (3 hrs.) or
- EDUC 532: Human Development and Learning (3 hrs.)
- Multilingual Learners Introduction
- EDUC 628: Teaching English Language Learners (3 hrs.)
- Special Education Introduction
- EDUC 516: Introduction to the Education of Exceptional Learners (3 hrs.) or
- EDUC 689 : Foundations of Special Education (3 hrs.)
- Mathematics Content
- EDUC 307: Mathematics in the Elementary School (3 hrs.)
It is preferred that transfer students take these courses prior to their junior year; however, there are options for them to take these courses, or approved equivalents, in the summer.
Note: See “Optional Courses” below.
Fall Semester
- EDUC ***: Science of Learning for Elementary Teachers (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 687: Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Grades (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 699: Teaching the Science of Literacy I (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 615: Schools & Community Collaboration (3 hrs.)
- EDUC ***: J1 Practicum (one morning per week) (2 hrs.)
- Plus, one of these courses depending on the dual licensure pathway selected:
- SPED class #1 (3 hrs.) or
- MLL class #1 (3 hrs.)
Spring Semester
- EDUC ***: Mathematics in the Elementary School: Geometry and Measurement (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 686: Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 688: Teaching the Science of Literacy II (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 416: Technology Integration Across the Curriculum in Elementary Classrooms (3 hrs.)
- EDUC ***: J2 Practicum (one morning per week) (2 hrs.)
- Plus, one of these courses depending on the dual licensure pathway selected:
- SPED class #2 (3 hrs.) or
- MLL class #2 (3 hrs.)
Fall Semester
- EDUC 685: Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary Grades (3 hrs.)
- EDUC ***: Data and AI Literacy Course (3 hrs.)
- EDUC ***: Arts Integration and Multiliteracies (3 hrs.)
- EDUC 701: S1 Practicum or Internship (2 days per week) (2 hrs.)
Spring Semester
- EDUC 746: Student Teaching Internship (9 hrs.)
- EDUC 747: Student Teaching Seminar (3 hrs.)
Students can further pursue their academic interests and shape their teaching philosophy through optional coursework that complements the Elementary Education curriculum. In their first two years, they may select general education courses that begin building the foundation for advanced topics they’ll explore later in the program, including but not limited to:
- EDUC 181: Intro Human Development & Family Science (FC-KNOWING)
- EDUC 403: Families and Communities
- EDUC 475: Child and Family Health
- EDUC XXX: Building Responsive Learning Communities and Classroom Culture
- MATH 118: Modern Mathematics (FC-QUANT)
- MATH 119: Introduction to Mathematical Modeling (FC-QUANT)
- PHIL 105: How to Reason and Argue: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (FC-KNOWING or FC-QUANT
- EDUC 514: Technology, Culture, and Education, 3 hrs. (Research)
- EDUC 572: Psychology of Creativity, 3 hrs. (FC-CREATE)
- ENGL 120: British Literature, Medieval to 18th Century (FC-AESTH)
- ENGL 122: Introduction to American Literature (FC-AESTH)
- HIST 126: Early American History and the Foundations of American Democracy (FC-PAST)
- HIST 127: American History to 1865 (FC-PAST)
- HIST 128: American History since 1865 (FC-PAST)
- HIST 140: The World since 1945. (FC-PAST)
- EDUC 533: Social Justice in Education (FC-POWER)
- EDUC 529: Education and American Society (FC-KNOWING or FC-PAST)