Elementary and/or Special Education Teacher Licensure

(a minimum 120 credit hours) Requirements are subject to change.

The goal of the Education Department is to prepare undergraduate students for teacher licensure in one of the following areas: early childhood (PreK–2); elementary (1–6); moderate disabilities/special education (PreK-8); or secondary (5–8 and/or 8–12) in biology, English, history, or mathematics. Additional teacher licensure programs offered by the College include health/family and consumer sciences (all grades), physical education (PreK–8 and/or 5–12), and visual arts (PreK–8 and/or 5–12). Students seeking teacher licensure should begin their program upon their admission to the College, but in order to be considered teacher candidates and to complete the professional preparation requirements, they must apply for official admission to the teacher preparation program and be accepted. Application to the teacher preparation program typically occurs prior to the junior year. More information about requirements for admittance to the teacher preparation program can be found below. [*Note: Completion of the special education program leads to licensure in Massachusetts as a “Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities”.]

To comply with Massachusetts Department of Education regulations, students seeking elementary and/or special education licensure must earn a bachelor’s degree that includes an arts and sciences major, at least 36 hours of upper and lower-level arts and sciences coursework covering specific content, additional coursework to meet the subject matter knowledge requirements, and coursework to meet the professional standards for all teachers.

In order to facilitate completion of the elementary and/or special education licensure program, it is recommended that students major in one of the following:

American Studies / Education /Elementary and/or Special Education Teacher Licensure
English / Education / Elementary and/or Special Education Teacher Licensure
Mathematics and Computer Technology / Education / Elementary and/or Special Education Teacher Licensure

More information on requirements for those majors can be found in the major specific sections. Professional courses required for licensure are listed below and will ensure successful completion of the Education major. Elementary and/or special education licensure students are advised by a faculty member from their major department and by an advisor from the Education Department.

For more information about education programs or the majors available to choose from, contact the Education department, at (413) 748-3295 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Curricular Requirements

General Education Program (40 - 46 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being.

For specific requirements, see the General Education Program (40 - 46 credits) section.

II. Major Requirements

See the following pages for more information on major requirements.

A. Arts and Sciences Requirements for Elementary and/or Special Education Licensure

Per Massachusetts Department of Education regulations, upper-and lower-level arts and sciences coursework covering the following topics is required for elementary and/or special education licensure: composition; American literature; world literature, including British literature; U.S. history from colonial times to the present; world history, including European history from ancient times to the present; geography; economics; U.S. government, including founding documents; child development; science laboratory work; and mathematics and science coursework appropriate for the elementary school teacher. To meet those regulations, the courses listed below are required for all elementary and/or special education licensure students (some of these courses also satisfy a General Education category and/or a requirement for the major). Additional coursework to meet elementary subject matter knowledge requirements is also included in the list of requirements below.

In addition to the requirements, elementary and/or special education licensure students must fulfill the Computer Science, Physical Education, Second Language/Culture, Philosophy, and Religion General Education categories.

ENGL 113 - College Writing I Credits: 3
ENGL 114 - College Writing II Credits: 3
ENGL 209 - World Literature Credits: 3
ENGL 220 - Grammar and Usage Credits: 3
ENGL 241 - American Literature I Credits: 3
or
ENGL 242 - American Literature II Credits: 3
HIST 103 - World History Credits: 3
HIST 105 - Colonial America to the Civil War Credits: 3
HIST 106 - The Civil War to Modern America Credits: 3
HLTH 100 - Wellness: A Way of Life Credits: 3
MATH 101 - Foundations of Mathematics Credits: 3
MATH 105 - Survey of Algebra and Geometry Credits: 3
MATH 201 - Contemporary Applications of Mathematics Credits: 3
PHSC 105 - Physical Science and the Environment Credits: 4
or
PHSC 110 - Earth Science Credits: 4
EDUC 250 - Childhood and Adolescent Development in Educational Settings Credits: 3
or
PSYC 250 - Childhood and Adolescent Development Credits: 3
SCIE 144 - Best Practices in Learning and Teaching Science Credits: 4

Recommended, but not required:

MOSK 140 - Skill Themes and Movement Concepts Credits: .5

B. Elementary and/or Special Education Teacher Professional Preparation Requirements

EDUC 101 - Schools, Society, and Diverse Learners Credits: 3
EDUC 162 - Exceptional Children Credits: 3
EDUC 232 - Teaching Elementary Mathematics through the MA Curriculum Frameworks Credits: 3
EDUC 237 - Foundations of Multicultural Education Credits: 3
EDUC 238 - Pre-Practicum in Special Education (PreK-8) Credits: 1
EDUC 327 - Methods of Teaching Reading and Language Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms Credits: 4.5
EDUC 329 - Sheltered English Instruction across the Curriculum Credits: 3
EDUC 330 - PrePracticum in Literacy Instruction for PreK-8 Credits: 1.5
EDUC 342 - Curriculum and Assessment in Special Education Credits: 3
EDUC 362 - Instructional Strategies to Support Exceptional Learners Credits: 3
EDUC 461 - Moderate Disabilities (Pre K-8) Practicum and Seminar Credits: 4-12
(Note: must be taken for at least 12 credits if pursuing Special Education Licensure only)
EDUC 468 - Elementary (1-6) Practicum and Seminar Credits: 4-12
(Note: must be taken for at least 12 credits if pursuing Elementary Education Licensure only)

For students pursuing dual licensure in Elementary and/or Special Education, EDUC 461 and EDUC 468 must be taken for 8 credits each (total of 16 credits for both).

Electives (to complete a minimum of 120 credits)

Admission to Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Programs

Once admitted to Springfield College, the student must meet the following requirements in order to become an official candidate for licensure and get formally admitted to a specific teacher preparation program. This typically occurs prior to the student’s junior year or the equivalent for transfer students.

Follow the appropriate course of study based on the field the student is interested in teaching. This includes majoring in an acceptable major for that licensure area and taking the required teacher preparation courses. This enables the student to fulfill the prerequisites needed to gain admission to a teacher preparation program. Examples of acceptable majors and licensure areas are psychology for early childhood; American studies, English, or mathematics and computer technology for elementary and/or special education; biology, English, history or mathematics for secondary; movement and sports studies for physical education or dual health & physical education; art or art therapy for art education; and health promotion for health education.
Complete, or be in the process of completing, all prerequisites identified for the specific program.
Earn a minimum 2.750 (3.250 MOST-PHE) cumulative grade point average for all designated licensure courses. This includes all subject matter knowledge coursework as well as teacher preparation professional coursework. See educator preparation homepage on our website for specific lists of ‘Prerequisites and Program Requirements’ for each licensure program. [Note: In all programs except physical education and health, the grade point average for the student’s major is calculated separately from the grade point average for professional preparation courses.]
Earn a minimum 2.500 (3.250 MOST-PHE) cumulative grade point average and minimum grades specified for designated courses
Demonstrate the personal characteristics/professional behaviors needed to become a quality teacher (i.e., responsible, dependable, hard working, professional, committed to the teaching profession, etc.).
Be recommended for admission into a teacher licensure program by the appropriate major department and the Education Department. For students in health and physical education, the only recommendation required is from the Physical Education and Health Education Department.
Receive a passing score on the Communication and Literacy Skills Tests (reading and writing) of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).

Note: Students who have been admitted to a teacher preparation program must maintain all the admissions requirements listed above through the semester preceding the practicum (student teaching) in order to be eligible to begin the practicum experience and must maintain cumulative GPA’s in order to successfully complete the program.

Once all admissions requirements have been met, the student must fill out the application for admission. Applications are available from advisors, departments, or the Educator Preparation Office.

The Director of Educator Preparation & Licensure will review the completed application and notify the candidate of the admission decision. If a student wishes to appeal this decision, a written appeal must be submitted to the Educator Preparation Council.

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