Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education
Program Description
The mission of the Middle Grades Education program is the preparation of highly qualified grades 6-9 classroom teachers who demonstrate leadership, know their content/subject areas, facilitate learning for all students, reflect on their practice, establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students, promote equity among all learners, and address challenges of 21st century teaching and learning with creativity and respect for human differences.
The Middle Grades Education program offers the following specialty areas to prepare candidates for teaching: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. The degree program requires a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 128 credit hours of course work and field/clinical experiences. Beyond general education, candidates in this program are required to meet specific program benchmarks, which include completion of general education courses, formal admission into teacher education, a minimum semester and cumulative grade point average, early field experiences in schools or other approved settings, clinical practice, and other requirements for the content/specialty area. Upon successful program completion, candidates become eligible to apply for a North Carolina teaching license in the selected academic area.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful program completion, candidates will demonstrate
- the ability to lead in the school setting;
- knowledge of content in the specialty area;
- the ability to facilitate learning in students;
- the ability to reflect on their practice;
- the ability to establish respectful environments for diverse learners (or maybe knowledge of);
- the ability to promote equity among learners; and
- knowledge of the challenges of 21st century teaching and learning.
Major Requirements
Students select a major academic concentration from the following options: English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies and also select a secondary content area of 15-18 credit hours in any of the other three remaining areas.
Specialized Admission Requirements for the Major
Students wishing to pursue a degree in this program must be formally admitted to the teacher education program by the end of their sophomore year. Requirements for admission follow:
1. Completion of the new General Education requirements.
2. Completion of English, speech, mathematics and laboratory courses with a grade of “C” or better in each course.
3. Completion of EDU 2334 (Education, Culture, and Society) with a grade of “C” or better as part of the new General Education requirements.
4. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or better for admission into teacher education. Transfer students must bring a 2.5 GPA or earn the required grade-point average during the first 12 credit hours completed at the university.
5. Proof of proficiency in mathematics, reading, and writing as demonstrated on the SAT/ACT or Praxis I exam.
6. Successful completion of a written exam or proof of exemption based on Praxis I essay writing.
7. Application (including professional references) that verifies completion of all of the above requirements. Application for admission is due by the last day of classes of each term. Admission decisions are made at the end and beginning of spring and fall terms.
Progression Requirements
Teacher education candidates must maintain a 2.50 GPA and earn a grade of “C”, or better, in all major courses, including professional and academic concentration courses. All pedagogical core courses numbered above 4000 require admission to the teacher education program and may not be taken until all admission requirements have been met. Some courses have prerequisites that candidates must fulfill before registering for those courses.
