2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Educational Studies Major - Elementary Teacher Certification: PK-3 and 3-6 Emphases (General Education)
Requirements for Educational Studies Major - Elementary Teacher Certification: PK-3 and 3-6 Emphases (General Education)
Students in the educational studies program at Grand Valley State University must follow all general education requirements as defined in the Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog. Students seeking a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in either PK-3 or 3-6 must complete the following courses to satisfy program requirements:
BA Course Requirements
Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts in the educational studies major will have additional requirements. B.A. students must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language by successfully completing a 201-level language course, passing a proficiency exam in the language chosen, or through AP credit.
Educational Studies Major Requirements for PK-3 Emphasis (55 credits)
A Michigan PK-3 standard teaching certification allows the holder to teach any subject Prekindergarten through third grade. Required coursework for the PK-3 emphasis includes all of the following:
- EDF 115 - Introduction to Education: An Exploration of Schooling in America (3 credits)
- EDF 215 - Introduction to Philosophies of Early Childhood (3 credits)
- EDF 260 - Educational Research and Assessment: Foundations of Practice (3 credits)
- EDF 315 - Diverse Perspectives on Education (3 credits)
- EDI 312 - Child Guidance (3 credits)
- EDI 317 - Collaborating with Families and Professionals (3 credits)
- EDR 320 - Language and Literacy: Development, Assessment, and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDS 318 - Teaching Students with Learning and Behavior Difficulties (3 credits)
- EDS 323/EDR 323 - Teaching Students with Language and Literacy Learning Difficulties (3 credits)
- PSY 301 - Child Development (3 credits)
Clinical Apprenticeship Semester
- EDI 310 - Building and Sustaining Positive Learning Environments (3 credits)
- EDI 330 - Elementary Apprenticeship PK-6 (6 credits) (application required)
- EDT 476 - Teaching with Technology (3 credits)
Clinical Internship Semester
- EDI 430 - Student Teaching, Elementary (10 credits)
- EDF 495 - Capstone: Reflective Inquiry and Practice (3 credits) (may be taken after EDI 430 but before certification) (application required)
Teacher candidates will be placed in academically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse settings.
Educational Studies Major Requirements for 3-6 Emphasis (49 credits)
A Michigan 3-6 standard teaching certification allows the holder to teach any subject third through sixth grade. Required coursework for the 3-6 emphasis includes all of the following:
- EDF 115 - Introduction to Education: An Exploration of Schooling in America (3 credits)
- EDF 260 - Educational Research and Assessment: Foundations of Practice (3 credits)
- EDF 315 - Diverse Perspectives on Education (3 credits)
- EDI 317 - Collaborating with Families and Professionals (3 credits)
- EDR 320 - Language and Literacy: Development, Assessment, and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDS 318 - Teaching Students with Learning and Behavior Difficulties (3 credits)
- EDS 323/EDR 323 - Teaching Students with Language and Literacy Learning Difficulties (3 credits)
- PSY 301 - Child Development (3 credits)
Clinical Apprenticeship Semester
- EDI 310 - Building and Sustaining Positive Learning Environments (3 credits)
- EDI 330 - Elementary Apprenticeship PK-6 (6 credits) (application required)
- EDT 476 - Teaching with Technology (3 credits)
Clinical Internship Semester
- EDI 430 - Student Teaching, Elementary (10 credits)
- EDF 495 - Capstone: Reflective Inquiry and Practice (3 credits) (may be taken after EDI 430 but before certification) (application required)
Teacher candidates will be placed in academically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse settings.
Educational Studies Major Requirements for Combined PK-3 and 3-6 Certification
Students with a PK-3 emphasis who would like to also obtain the 3-6 emphasis are not required to take any additional educational studies major courses to obtain a 3-6 emphasis. There is a minimum of an additional 50 hours of clinical fieldwork required in the second area of licensure. There are additional courses in the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major required to combine the PK-3 and 3-6 emphases. See the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major for additional information on combining emphases.
Students with a 3-6 emphasis who would like to also obtain the PK-3 emphasis are required to take six additional educational studies major credits. The courses are as follows:
- EDF 215 - Introduction to Philosophies of Early Childhood (3 credits)
- EDI 312 - Child Guidance (3 credits)
There is a minimum of an additional 50 hours of clinical fieldwork required in the second area of licensure.
There are additional courses in the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major required to combine the PK-3 and 3-6 emphases. See the pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers major for additional information on combining emphases.