School of Education and Human Development

Bachelor of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction

The Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department in the School of Education and Human Development offers an undergraduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction for aspiring educators in two tracks: Elementary Education or Special Education. This degree is organized around reflective inquiry and socially responsible professional practice. Guided by the School of Education and Human Development’s conceptual framework, we are committed to educating scholar-practitioners who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to: enact meaningful connections between theory and practice; promote a developmental model of human growth and learning; exercise ethical professional judgment and leadership; and advocate for quality education for all learners.

As members of an inclusive community of learners, we (i.e., program faculty, experienced classroom teachers and teachers in training, as well as community members and leaders) work together to create and sustain exemplary learning environments that empower pre-K-12 students to become engaged, productive citizens in their communities.

Across all programs, our foci for inquiry and action include: socio-cultural and political contexts of education and schooling; the complexities of teaching and learning; the creation of safe and inclusive learning milieus; culturally sensitive understanding of human development and behavior; socioemotional learning; and responsible uses of technology in schooling and society.

​​Students seeking certification must maintain at least a B (3.00) average in their major or the relevant content area courses. Due to the centrality of the teacher’s responsibility to the learner, to the school and to the greater community, candidates whose academic standing and/or technical skills are marginal or inadequate, who do not embody a socially responsible professional disposition, or who demonstrate unsuitable personal qualities, will not be recommended for continuation in the teacher preparation program, student teaching placement, or state certification. In addition, all prospective and admitted candidates to an undergraduate teacher education program are expected to demonstrate the personal and professional dispositions that are embodied in the Mission Statement of the School of Education and Human Development and outlined in the ethical codes of their chosen profession.