University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
Capital College (ELEM)
PROFESSOR COLLEEN WILLARD-HOLT, Elementary Education Coordinator, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education
The Elementary Education program at Penn State Harrisburg embodies the four tenets of our conceptual framework: constructivism, authenticity, reflectivity, and standards-based curriculum. constructivism entails a student-centered approach in which teachers help learners build their own understandings. Authenticity refers to developing professional and pedagogical skills in authentic classroom settings; for example, in the junior and senior years prior to student teaching, the program offers extensive field experiences in a variety of settings enrolling students with diverse backgrounds and needs. Reflectivity relates to consciously analyzing course content and one's own learning for the purpose of deeper understanding and self-improvement. Standards-based curriculum means that our candidates are steeped in Pennsylvania Academic Standards as well as the standards of relevant professional organizations. Taken together, these tenets enable our candidates to become lifelong reflective professionals committed to the learning of all students.
Prior to the full-time student teaching experience in the senior year, candidates are expected to complete all other courses required for certification, including two field placements. On-campus courses are scheduled three or four days a week, while field experiences in nearby schools are scheduled part-time, three or four days per week.
For a B. ELED. degree in Elementary Education, a minimum of 124 credits is required.
For a B. ELED. degree in Elementary Education with Early Childhood Education Certification, a minimum of 133 credits is required.
Admission Requirements:
Applicants should have completed most of their first two years of college as
well as the Entry to Major Requirements listed below with at least a 3.0 cumulative
GPA (4.0 scale). The evaluation of prior college work is done on an individual
basis by the Office of Enrollment Services at Penn State Harrisburg.
Entry to Major Requirements:
Entry to the Elementary Education major or the Elementary Education major with
Early Childhood Certification requires the completion of 57 or more credits
in required courses and the state's minimum cumulative GPA criteria of 3.0.
Candidates must complete, with a grade of "C" or better, six (6) credits
of college-level mathematics (MATH or STAT prefix), three (3) credits of college-level
English literature and three (3) credits of college-level English composition.
Candidates thinking seriously about education should plan their freshman and sophomore
years carefully. Semesters 5 through 8 are very structured.
Selective Retention:
Monitoring candidate progress in the elementary education program will occur each semester while the candidate is participating in the elementary education program. Candidates will be required to submit their scores for the Praxis I examinations in reading, writing, and mathematics prior to the end of their fifth semester. Candidates will be evaluated for retention in the program based on (1) maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; (2) performance on the Praxis I tests; (3) satisfactory completion of required courses, including the field experience component; (4) adequate writing and speaking skills as demonstrated in various classroom assignments; and (5) a positive rating on the Penn State Harrisburg Professional Dispositions for Teacher Education Programs monitoring form.
Scheduling Recommendation by Semester Standing given like (Sem: 1-2)
GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits
(27 of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
(See description of General Education Course Requirements in front of Bulletin.)
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR:
(Included in ELECTIVES)
UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES:
(Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM:
(Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
ELECTIVES: 1 credit
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 105-114 credits[1]
(This includes 27 credits of General Education courses: 9 credits of GN courses;
6 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GH courses; 6 credits of GS courses)
PRESCRIBED COURSES (75 credits)
MATH 200 GQ(3) (Sem: 1-4)
EDPSY 014(3), EDTHP 115 US(3), C I 295(2) (Sem: 3-4)
EDUC 302(3), EDUC 305(3), EDUC 421(3), EDUC 462(3), EDUC 470W(3) (Sem: 5-6)
EDMTH 301(3), EDSCI 454(3), EDUC 304(3), EDUC 320(3), EDUC 352(3), EDUC 495A(1)
(Sem: 5-6)
EDMTH 302(3), EDUC 303(3), EDUC 321(3), EDUC 353(3), EDUC 371(3), EDUC 385(3),
EDUC 490(12), EDUC 495B(1), HLTH 306(2) (Sem: 7-8)
ADDITIONAL COURSES (27-36 credits)
Select 3 credits of GN physical science from: ASTRO, CHEM, EARTH, EM SC, GEOSC,
MATSC, MATSE, METEO, PHYS (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits of GN biological science from: B M B, BIOL, BI SC (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits of GN environmental science from: BI SC 003 GN(3), BIOL 120A
GN;US;IL(3), BIOL 120B GN;US(3), BIOL 120C GN;IL(3), BIOL 127 GN(3), or HORT 101 GN(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits from: ECON 002 GS(3), ECON 004 GS(3), or ECON 014 GS(3) (Sem:
1-4)
Select 3 credits from: HIST 003 GH(3), HIST 012 GH;US(3), HIST 020 GH;US(3), or HIST
021 GH;US(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3-5 credits from: MATH 017 GQ(3), MATH 018 GQ(3), MATH 021 GQ(3), MATH
022 GQ(3), MATH 026 GQ(3), MATH 040 GQ(5), MATH 110 GQ(4), MATH 220 GQ(2-3), STAT
100 GQ(3), STAT 200 GQ(4), STAT 250 GQ(3), or STAT 301 GQ(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits from: PSYCH 212 GS(3) or HD FS 229 GS(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits of literature from: CMLIT 001 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 001H GH;IL(3), CMLIT
002 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 003 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 004 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 004H GH;IL(3), CMLIT
005 GH;US;IL(3), CMLIT 006 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 010 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 011 GH;IL(3), CMLIT
100 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 101 GH;US;IL(3), CMLIT 105 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 106 GH;IL(3), CMLIT
107 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 108 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 110 GH;US;IL(3), CMLIT 111 GH;IL(3), CMLIT
141 GH;US;IL(3), CMLIT 184 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 185 GH;IL(3), CMLIT 189 GH;IL(3), ENGL 001 GH(3),
ENGL 001W GH(3), ENGL 002 GH(3), ENGL 003 GH(3), ENGL 104 GH(3), ENGL 129 GH(3),
ENGL 129H GH(3), ENGL 133 GH(3), ENGL 134 GH(3), ENGL 135 GH;US(3), ENGL 135S
GH;US(3), ENGL 139 GH;US(3), ENGL 140 GH(3), ENGL 180 GH(3), ENGL 182A GH;US;IL(3), ENGL 182B GH;US(3), ENGL 182C GH;IL(3),
ENGL 184 GH;IL(3), ENGL 184S GH(3), ENGL 185 GH;IL(3), ENGL 189 GH;IL(3), ENGL 191 GH(3),
ENGL 194 GH;US;IL(3), ENGL 194H GH;US;IL(3), ENGL 262 GH(3), ENGL 263 GH(3), ENGL
265 GH(3), ENGL 268 GH(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3-12 credits from one of the following:
a) for the degree in Elementary Education take EDUC 315 US(3) (Sem: 5-6)
b) for the degree in Elementary Education with Early Childhood Education Certification
take EDUC 401(3), EDUC 403(3), EDUC 404(3), EDUC 410(3) (Sem: 5-8)
SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (3 credits)
Select 3 credits of geography (Sem: 1-6)
[1] A student enrolled in this major
must receive a grade of C or better, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.
Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2008
Blue Sheet Item #: 36-03-002
Review Date: 11/27/07
UCA Revision #1: 8/3/06
CL