Juneau, On-site and e-Learning

Contact: Dr. Jeffrey Lofthus
(907) 796-6404
jllofthus@alaska.edu

The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education prepares students for recommendation in the state of Alaska for initial teaching certification in grades K-8. This program is for students in Alaska who desire the flexibility of an e-Learning program. Students in this program must be self-directed learners, have access to high speed internet connections, and prepare for a 9-month intensive student teaching experience in their senior year. Students are assessed relative to national and state standards, including Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standards, the Alaska Teacher Standards, the Alaska Student Content Standards, and the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools.

The degree requirements are interdisciplinary and provide breadth in the content areas necessary for successful teaching at an elementary level and depth in the opportunities to connect theory and practice in a variety of real classroom, school, and community contexts.

The main components of this program include:

1. subject area coursework in UAS General Education Requirements (GERs);
2. additional subject area coursework in those areas important for successful teaching at an K-8 level;
3. foundation courses in education with practical experiences in the schools; and
4. a capstone year-long experience where the professional education courses are integrated with field experiences and student teaching.

Program assessment plans and student learning outcomes are posted at the Program Assessment website.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be considered for initial admission into the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program after completing all UAS general admission requirements.

Admission to Senior Year Student Teaching

In addition to the above admission requirements, all students entering the senior year are required to have successfully completed the following:

1. Minimum GPA of 3.00
2. Successful completion of all pre-senior year courses with grades of C 2.00 (not C-) or better
3. Praxis Core/CASE or CBEST exam scores meeting Alaska DEED cut scores and Praxis Subject Assessment Elementary Education 5017 or 5018 

4. Application for student teacher candidacy including education philosophy/theory essay, current resume, letter of introduction to future host teacher and principal, and two letters of recommendation from someone other than an education professor speaking to the student's potential as a certified teacher

Exit Criteria

3.00 GPA, successful completion of all program courses with grades of C 2.00 (not C-) or better.

Students must complete the GERs, the Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement, as well as the specific program requirements as listed for a minimum of 120 credit hours. Courses in a degree program may be counted only once. Courses used to fulfill the major requirements cannot be used to fulfill the GERs. Specific recommendations for the GERs in Elementary Education are listed below. Degree must include 42 credit hours of upper-division (300 or above) courses, 24 of which must be completed at UAS.