Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Education
The elementary teacher education program at the University of Michigan has a strong emphasis on developing teachers’ instructional practices for the purpose of disrupting inequities in schools. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and are recommended to the State of Michigan for elementary teacher certification. Prospective teachers (teaching interns) learn teaching practices that adopt a "subject-matter serious" perspective and are rooted in social justice. Students typically begin the four-term program during their junior year.
First-year students interested in elementary teacher education should consider applying for the Teacher Education Preferred Admissions (TEPA) Program.
The undergraduate elementary teacher education program prepares you to teach in:
- Grades PK–3 all subjects (PK–3 all subjects, self-contained classroom)
- Grades 3–6 all subjects (3–6 all subjects, self-contained classroom)
- High Leverage Practices
- Ethical Obligations and Justice Priorities
- Content Knowledge for Teaching
Post-baccalaureate Certification Only
Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree (and do not seek a second bachelor’s degree) may apply as a non-degree applicant to the Marsal Family School of Education to complete the teacher certification requirements. This Post-Baccalaureate/Non-Candidate for Degree Status program is for the undergraduate level only.
Want to learn more about the program?
See our upcoming information sessions
Additional certificate and endorsement opportunities
Requirements
Students are generally admitted to the Elementary Teacher Education program in their junior year, having completed at least 54 credits. To graduate, students must meet the following requirements while completing a minimum of 120 credits.
CURRICULUM
Credits to complete before entering the professional sequence: minimum 54
Pre-professional credits
- First-Year Writing (3 credits)
- A course designated by U-M as meeting the FYWR, such as CLCIV 101, COMPLIT 122, ENGLISH 124 or 125, GTBOOKS 191, HISTORY 195, OR RCCORE 100
- Natural Science (6 credits)
- Two courses (6 credits) in different natural science disciplines from this list*:
- Astronomy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth Science
- Physics
- Environmental Science (selected)
- Two courses (6 credits) in different natural science disciplines from this list*:
- Race & Ethnicity (3 credits)
- A course designated by U-M as meeting the Race & Ethnicity requirement. Preferred U-M courses include EDUC 118, EDUC 119 and EDUC 218
- Social Science (6 credits)**
- Two courses (6 credits) in different social studies disciplines from this list*:
- Civics/Political Science
- Economics
- History
- Geography: cultural, human or world regional with a social science focus (ex. GEOG 145 Introduction to International Studies; not physical or natural science)
- Advanced or in-depth courses that focus on specific issues and provide substantive learning opportunities are highly preferred to introductory, survey courses.
- Two courses (6 credits) in different social studies disciplines from this list*:
- Highly Recommended, but not required, coursework that will strengthen your application
- EDUC 118, EDUC 119, or EDUC 218
- IGR (Intergroup Relations) - choose one:
- ALA 122 Intergroup Dialogues
- ALA 170 Social Identity, Social Inequality & Social Media: An Introduction to Intergroup Relations
- ALA 220 Foundations of Intergroup Relations
- Ethnic Studies—courses that centers the experience, histories, and/or knowledge of a historically marginalized racial or ethnic group
- AAS 248 Crime, Race, and the Law
- AAS 290 Topic: Black Atlantic Cultural Histories
- AAS 290 Topic: Global Blackness Experiences in Latin Am
- AMCULT 213/LATINOAM 213 Introduction to Latina/o Studies
- AMCULT 217/NATIVEAM 217 Introduction to Native American Studies
- AMCULT 263/HISTORY 262 The American South: A History of Race & Culture Since Reconstruction
- AMCULT /AMAS 384 Islamaphopia
- AMCULT 395/LATINOAM 365/RCSTP 362 Migrants: Understanding the Inequities in the US Agricultural Workforce
- LATINOAM 232/HISTART 232 Visualizing Power and Resistance in Colonial Latin America
- MIDEAST 295 First Year Seminar in Middle East Studies, Topic Connecting Life Stories, Connective Lives: The Middle East and Beyond
- EARTH/ASTRO 255 – Earth and Space Sciences for Elementary School Educators
* AP/IB credit not allowed
** No double counting with Race & Ethnicity
General Elective Credits
In addition to the required pre-professional credits, students must take additional general elective credits to meet the minimum 54 credits to enter the elementary education program.
Credits to complete during the professional sequence
Core credits
Students complete the following courses:
- EDUC 303 – Problems and Principles of Elementary Education (2 credits)
- EDUC 391 – Educational Psychology and Human Development (2 credits)
- EDUC 392 – Educational Foundations in a Multicultural Society (3 credits)
- EDUC 401 – Literacy 1: Development of Foundational Skills (3 credits)
- EDUC 403 – Literacy 2: Development of Comprehension and Motivation PK-6 (3 credits)
- EDUC 405 – Literacy 3: Development of Language and Composition PK-6 (3 credits)
- EDUC 407 – Literacy 4: Teaching Language, Literacy and Academic Content to Diverse Learners (3 credits)
- EDUC 411 – Teaching PK-6 Mathematics (4 credits)
- EDUC 414 – Creating School and Classroom Culture (3 credits)
- EDUC 415 – Children as Sensemakers in PK-6 Mathematics and Science (4 credits)
- EDUC 416 – Teaching with Curriculum Materials in PK-6 Mathematics and Science (4 credits)
- EDUC 417 – Imagination and the Whole Child (1 credit)
- EDUC 421 – Teaching PK-6 Science (3 credits)
- EDUC 430 – "Teaching To Transgress:" Using Dialogic Thinking and History/Social Science Perspectives to Understand Contemporary and Historical Issues (3 credits)
- EDUC 431 – Teaching Social Studies in PK-6 (3 credits)
- EDUC 443 – Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Elementary Classroom (Module 1) (1 credit)
- EDUC 443 – Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Elementary Classroom (Module 2) (2 credits)
- EDUC 444 – Teaching with Digital Technologies (Module 1) (2 credits)
- EDUC 444 – Teaching with Digital Technologies (Module 2) (1 credit)
Teaching experience credits
Students complete the following courses:
- EDUC 301 – Directed Teaching in the Elementary Grades (10 credits)
- EDUC 307 – Practicum (6 credits total: 2 each in Semesters 1, 2, and 3)
MDE ESL endorsement credits (optional)
Interns may elect the MDE English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement by completing a sequence of courses and fieldwork, focused on English Language Development (ELD), during their elementary or secondary certification programs at the undergraduate or master’s levels. Fully approved by the State of Michigan, the ELD Coursework is a 20-credit, six course and practice-based course sequence, which meets Michigan state standards and prepares interns to take the MTTC ESL exam.
Course Sequence
- Semester 1
Fall (Year 1) Course Description Credits EDUC 307 Practicum 2 EDUC 392 Educational Foundations in a Multicultural Society 3 EDUC 401 Literacy 1: Development of Foundational Skills 3 EDUC 415 Children as Sensemakers in PK-6 Mathematics and Science 4 EDUC 430 "Teaching To Transgress:" Using Dialogic Thinking and History/Social Science Perspectives to Understand Contemporary and Historical Issues 3 EDUC 443 Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Elementary Classroom (Module 1) 1 EDUC 444 Teaching with Digital Technologies (Module 1) 2 Total semester credits 18 Students engage in 6–8 hours of fieldwork per week. Additional courses may be taken to satisfy general or endorsement area requirements. - Semester 2
Winter (Year 1) Course Description Credits EDUC 307 Practicum 2 EDUC 403 Literacy 2: Development of Comprehension and Motivation PK-6 3 EDUC 414 Creating School and Classroom Culture 3 EDUC 416 Teaching with Curriculum Materials in PK-6 Mathematics and Science 4 EDUC 443 Teaching Students with Exceptionalities in the General Education Elementary Classroom (Module 2) 2 EDUC 444 Teaching with Digital Technologies (Module 2) 1 Total semester credits 15 Students engage in 6–8 hours of fieldwork per week. Additional courses may be taken to satisfy general or endorsement area requirements. - Semester 3
Fall (Year 2) Course Description Credits EDUC 307 Practicum 2 EDUC 391 Educational Psychology and Human Development 2 EDUC 405 Literacy 3: Development of Language and Composition PK-6 3 EDUC 411 Teaching PK-6 Mathematics 4 EDUC 417 Imagination and the Whole Child 1 EDUC 421 Teaching PK-6 Science 3 EDUC 431 Teaching Social Studies in PK-6 3 Total semester credits 18 Students engage in 10–12 hours of fieldwork per week. Additional courses may be taken to satisfy general or endorsement area requirements. - Semester 4
Winter (Year 2) Course Description Credits EDUC 301 Directed Teaching in the Elementary Grades 10 EDUC 303 Problems and Principles of Elementary Education 2 EDUC 407 Literacy 4: Teaching Language, Literacy and Academic Content to Diverse Learners (required for ELUG and counts towards ESL Endorsement) 3 Total semester credits 15 EDUC 593 Educational Lingustics (ESL endorsement only) 3 Total semester credits with ESL 18 Students engage in fieldwork full time, 5 days per week. - Semester 5
Spring (Year 2) ESL Endorsement - Optional Course Description Credits EDUC 592 Methods for Teaching Language and Literacy to K-12 Culturally and Lingustically Diverse Learners 4 EDUC 594 Education in a Multilingual Society 4 EDUC 595 Leadership and Advocacy Practices for Teachers of Culturally and Lingustically Diverse Learners 3 Total semester credits 11 - Semester 6
Summer (Year 2) ESL Endorsement - Optional Course Description Credits EDUC 590 English as a Second Language Teaching Practicum and Seminar 3 Total semester credits 3
Upcoming Information Sessions
Application Deadlines
Application Process
- Please submit a request for a free coursework evaluation prior to preparing application materials.
- In order to ensure you have met the academic prerequisite requirements for the educator preparation program, your previous coursework must be evaluated by an academic advisor.
- Unofficial transcripts are accepted for this initial evaluation, but official transcripts will be required upon admission.
- Evaluations may take 3-4 weeks to complete once all materials are submitted.
- Please direct questions to the advising team at [email protected].
- Review Application Writing Prompts
- Essay 1: Please review the Educator Preparation Program Mission and Vision Statements and address the following in your essay:
- How does your experience prepare you to engage in a program with these commitments?
- What goals do you have for your own career in light of these commitments?
- 4000 characters (~500 words) maximum.
- Essay 2: Describe your experiences (work and/or volunteer) engaging with youth.
- 2000 characters (~250 words) maximum.
- Essay 1: Please review the Educator Preparation Program Mission and Vision Statements and address the following in your essay:
- Request Letters of Recommendation
- Academic Letter: one required letter assessing the applicant’s intellectual curiosity, preparedness for university study, receptivity to feedback, and/or perseverance. If you are applying to the secondary program, your letter must be from a professor or instructor from the content area in which you are seeking certification. Recommender must be from a professor or post-secondary instructor.
- Teaching Potential Letter: The teaching potential letter should come from a professional reference familiar with your experiences working with youth. This may include: personal characteristics, work ability, capacity to work with people (specifically youth), etc. If you are applying to the secondary program, your recommender is ideally someone who has seen you recently work with children or someone who can speak to your potential to work with students.
- Your recommenders can submit their letters directly to [email protected]. Be sure that your recommenders include your name and, if possible, UMID or uniqname.
Quick Facts
Financial aid
Part-time status
Field placements
In-school placements every semester, plus additional courses that occur in schools
Careers
86%
92%
100%
Hiring organizations and job titles
In-state
| Organization | Job Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Abbot Elementary School | 1st Grade Teacher | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Carpenter Elementary School | 4th Grade Teacher | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Dearborn School of Music | Piano, Guitar, and Bass Guitar Instructor | Dearborn, MI |
| Kent Lake Elementary School | 5th Grade Teacher | South Lyon, MI |
| Wines Elementary School | Academic Resource Teacher (K-2) | Ann Arbor, MI |
Out-of-state
| Organization | Job Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Baker-Butler Elementary School | 1st Grade Classroom Teacher | Charlottesville, VA |
| Hoover Math and Science Academy | Kindergarten Teacher | Schaumburg, IL |
| Monterey Community School | 2nd Grade Teacher | Denver, CO |
| Sixth Avenue Elementary School | 3rd Grade Teacher | Aurora, CO |
Field Experience
Classroom Experience
Having a real-world experience within the settings of your chosen profession is an essential part of your educational preparation. In the first three terms, you will spend 6–9 hours per week in classrooms as a teaching intern. You will observe the classroom in action and collect data on student learning and teaching practice. You will contribute to the classroom instruction by tutoring, co-teaching, and planning with mentor teachers and your university partners.
The culminating field experience is the student teaching term, when you will follow the calendar and schedule of your placement classroom for a period of 14–15 weeks. During this experience, you will spend 5 days per week for the full school day immersed in the classroom. You will slowly and deliberately take on all aspects of instructional responsibility, building toward lead teaching, when you will be responsible for most or all aspects of the school experience for your K–8 students. Lead teaching generally happens between the 8th and 10th week of the student teaching experience and lasts 2–3 weeks.
School Partnerships
Substantial field experience in a diverse array of classrooms, urban to rural, is a key component of the program. You will have one field placement in a school in Ann Arbor and at least one placement in a neighboring district. You should expect to be assigned to grade levels spanning K–6.