Course Requirements (120-121 Cr. Hrs.)

College of Education Mission Statement

The Mission of the College of Education is to prepare men and women to become Christ-centered “educators who are builders of knowledge, values, and community” by nurturing the development of character, servant leadership, and cultural engagement.

Education Curriculum

The College of Education offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with the option of add-on certification in Early Childhood Education. This program is delivered in an Adult Studies format for working adults who wish to become teachers and need the availability of evening classes to meet their educational needs. The education curriculum includes a concentrated course sequence that focuses on teaching methods and techniques used in elementary classrooms (grades 2-6) and early childhood settings (K-grade 3). To facilitate the required field experiences in cooperating public schools, the candidate must begin the program in either Term I or Term III. From there, the education courses in the program are offered in a lock-step sequence so the candidate can complete the education curriculum in approximately 24 months. With the content knowledge gained in the general education curriculum as a basis, the candidate completes pedagogical studies in math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Further, the candidate meets the requirements of professional education courses that include classroom management, educational philosophy, and child development. The candidate must also pass the four Benchmarks that constitute the “College of Education Unit Assessment System” in order to be recommended for initial teacher certification. This process is described further in the Department of Education . Upon the successful completion of all course work and the three Benchmarks, the candidate is recommended to the South Carolina State Department of Education for initial teacher certification.

Field Experiences

Three field-related courses are part of a continuous and hierarchical model that prepares the teacher candidate for the Clinical Experience. These courses are designed to give the teacher candidate ever-increasing time, observation, and experience in the classroom. Field experiences, in addition to field labs, must be completed throughout the program in the context of public school cooperating classrooms. Therefore, the Adult Studies student must make prior arrangements with an employer to schedule these field experiences during the normal operating hours of the public school day. Credit for previous or present employment in a school classroom (public or private) will not be granted or substituted for field placement requirements. No credit will be awarded for field experiences completed as a part of previous course work from other institutions. Candidates will not be placed in cooperating schools where they previously attended or where relatives work or attend. Requests by the candidate for placement at a specific cooperating school will be forwarded to the respective school district by the Coordinator of Field Partnerships; however, the final decision for placement is made by the school district. Under no circumstances is a candidate permitted to discuss field/lab experience placements with school district personnel, including district office personnel, school building administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, or school building staff. A candidate who enters the program as an education paraprofessional may use the place of employment to fulfill the requirements for one field experience, but the request for placement must be made through the respective school district office by the Coordinator of Field Partnerships.

Adult Studies teacher candidates complete the Clinical Experience during the final semester of the program of study in a public school cooperating classroom. Adult Studies teacher candidates attend all required orientation sessions, which are scheduled to accommodate traditional teacher candidates, as well. No teacher candidate may hold employment during the Clinical Experience.