Department of Teacher Education

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Neelie Dobbins, PhD, Chair

The Department of Teacher Education provides resources and services for pre-service and in-service teacher candidates and functions as a learning laboratory. Through the Department of Teacher Education, teacher candidates have numerous opportunities for interaction with practitioners in the field, university faculty, fellow education teacher candidates, and K12 student learners. Classrooms are available for student training in teaching with technology. Curricular, instructional and technological materials are housed in the Department of Teacher Education.

The Department of Teacher Education offers an Associate of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) with majors in Elementary Education K-6, Middle School Education, and minors in education (mathematics, English, social studies, and foreign language). Also, a MAT initial licensure program is offered (see the graduate catalog for more information).

Secondary Education

The BSE leading to certification in Physical Education, and Health K-12 is the program administered entirely through the College of Education and Human Performance. All other secondary areas require students to complete major course work (e.g., agriculture, chemistry, English, math, music, social studies, Spanish) within the respective college that offers the major in the specific teaching field. Additionally, within the College of Education and Human Performance teacher candidates will complete a secondary education minor and the professional semester, which together are the certification track.

Middle-Level Education requires students to complete major course work in two concentration areas selected from language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. The BSE in Elementary Education requires students to take most coursework in the College of Education and Human Performance. All P-8 and 7-12 teaching areas require that teacher candidates formally apply and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program prior to enrolling in certification track courses beyond Introduction to Education. Pre-candidates are required to meet basic skills requirements prior to admission to the CEHP.

All teacher candidates must take the appropriate Praxis II exams prior to enrolling in the professional semester (Student Teaching and Seminar). Note that teacher candidates can complete the required courses for teacher certification without passing appropriate Praxis II exams. However, in order for candidates to be recommended for an initial teacher license, candidates must meet the Arkansas pass score for all required Praxis II exams. Candidates who complete all certification track courses but fail to pass the Praxis II exams may be recommended for a one-year provisional license.

Teacher candidates pursuing certification in fields which require a BA, BS (not including Agricultural Education), may graduate following completion of the respective major with a Secondary Education minor prior to completing the professional semester. However, teacher candidates are strongly encouraged to complete the entire certification track, including the professional semester prior to graduating with a bachelor’s degree. Teacher candidates who choose to graduate prior to completing the professional semester may have complications with financial aid.

Teacher candidates pursuing P-8 and/or 7-12 certifications (with the exception of the BSE in Physical Education) will be assigned an advisor in both the College of Education and Human Performance and the college from which the major course work will be taken.

Eight-semester degree plans are catalogued according to the college in which the major course work is offered. The college and page number where each teaching field is listed are noted within the following list of teaching fields:

Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE)

K-12 Physical Education, and Health - refer to College of Education and Human Performance  section of catalog.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Please refer to College of Liberal and Performing Arts  section of the catalog for the following degrees:

Modern Languages: English Education (7-12) 
History: Social Studies Education Option (7-12) 
Spanish with a minor in Education (7-12) 

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Please refer to the College of Science and Engineering  section of the catalog for the following degrees:

Chemistry: Chemistry Education (7-12)
Mathematics with Education Minor (7-12) 
Agricultural Education (7-12) 

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Please refer to the College of Liberal and Performing Arts  section of the catalog for the following degrees:

Instrumental Music (P-8 and 7-12, combined program) 
Vocal Music (P-8 and 7-12, combined program) .

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Those students who plan to teach art in the public schools may enroll into the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program after earning their BFA degree in art. The two-year program is comprised of 30 hours of graduate coursework, followed by a year of teaching as a fully employed teacher of record in a public school. The combination of online and face-to-face night classes makes this a convenient way to achieve the license for teaching art at any grade (P-12).

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