Degree Guidance Sheet for Double Major - EDA/MGP

B.S.Ed. Special Education (PK-12) and
B.S.Ed. Middle Grades Preparation (4 -8)
(140+ Credits)

I. Academic Foundations (19 credits) (6 credit overlap with IV. Content Areas)

  • English Composition I WRT 120 (3) or WRT 123 (4)
  • First Year Experience Course FYE 100(4)
  • English Composition II WRT 200 (3)
  • Diverse Communities Course LAN 382 (3) (J) Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) PK-12
  • Mathematics MAT 101 (3) or MAT 100 (4) Utilized for 4-8 certification math requirement.
  • Interdisciplinary Course ESS 102 (3) Utilized for 4-8certification science requirement.

II. General Education Distributive Requirements (21 credits) (15 credit overlap with IV. Content Areas)

Sciences
(6 credits)		 Behavioral and Social Sciences
(6 credits)		 Humanities
(6 credits)		 Arts
(3 credits)
SCI 101
SCI 102
Please see below for options that can be utilized for 4-8 certification science requirements.		 GEO 101
PSC 100
GEO 101 and PSC 100 are utilized for 4-8 certification social studies requirements.		 LIT 220 Children’s Literature HIS 150 (or HIS 151 if social studies concentration)
See below for HIS options for 4-8 certification social- studies requirements.		 MDA 240

III. General Education Electives (9 credits)

Nine credits of general-education electives are required for graduation. Students wishing to be eligible for grades 4-8 certification and special education Pk-12 certification must utilize their electives to complete their chosen area(s) of concentration. See below

IV. Writing Emphasis Courses

The following program requirements will meet the writing emphasis requirement: EDA 203 MGP220, MGP 335, EDR 306. (For transfer students: Three writing emphasis courses are required for students with 0-39 transfer credits; two for students with 40-70 transfer credits; one for students with more than 70 transfer credits. One must be at the 300 level.

Professional Preparation for Grades 4-8 and Special Education Pk-12 Teacher Certification

I. Candidacy and Testing Requirements

Candidacy Requirements:
48 earned college level credits; 6 earned credits in college-level English composition and literature taught in English; and 6 earned credits in college-level mathematics. Submit Declaration of Concentration via Ram Portal. Apply for Candidacy before 60 credits; additional requirements including required cumulative GPA can be found on the Teacher Candidacy website.

Testing Requirements:
Praxis for all EDA Students: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications (5355);
Praxis II for all MGP students: PA Grades 4-8 Core Assessment (5152)
Praxis II tests for concentrations: PA G 4-8 SC: English Language Arts (5156); PA G 4-8 SC: Mathematics (5158); PA G 4-8 SC: Science (5159); PA G 4-8 SC: Social Studies (5157)

II. Middle Level Core--required of all students wishing to obtain grades 4-8 certification (20 credits)

  • ^EDP 250 Educational Psychology (3)
  • EDP 201 Young Adolescent/Adolescent Development and Learning Theories (3)
  • ^ MGP 220 Field Experiences and the Middle-Level Environment (3) (EDP 201) W SE
  • +ERM 354 Assessment for Learning—Middle Grades (3) (MGP 220) E
  • ^+SCE 330 Science Methods for Middle Level (4-8) Education (3)
  • ^+MGP 335 Teaching Social Studies in Middle Grades (3) (MGP 220) W
  • +MGP 400 Classroom Management & Engagement in the Middle Grades (2) (Spring only)
Special Education Core – required of all students wishing to obtain special education certification (35 credits)
  • EDA 103 Foundations of Special Education (3)
  • ^EDA 203 Special Ed. Seminar and Field (3) (EDA 103) W
  • EDA 314 Curriculum and Instruction I (3) (EDA 103, EDA 203) W
  • ^EDA 321 Behavior Management and Field (6) (EDA 103, EDA 203)
  • EDA 324 - Trauma Informed Education (3) (EDA 103)
  • EDA 325 - Culturally Responsive Practices for Diverse Exceptional Learners (3) (103) J
  • +EDA 327 Educating Students with Significant and Complex Support Needs (2) (EDA 103, 203, 321)
  • +EDA 361 Assessment and Special Education (3) (EDA 103, EDA 203) E
  • +EDA 413 PreK-12 Transitions for Individuals with Disabilities (3) (EDA 103, EDA 203, EDA 361)
  • ^+EDA 421 Curriculum and Instruction II (6) (EDA 314, EDA 361) S

Key:
^ course with field component, clearances needed: PA Criminal Background, PA Child Abuse, FBI Fingerprinting,and tuberculosis test results; Review class notes for required field times, and consult Department materials regarding placements and special conditions for field course sections; Follow procedures for scanning field clearances to remain enrolled in field classes; Review course pacing guide for field sequences
Review Ram Portal Class Notes for field requirements including dates and times.
+ course requires Candidacy;
 J =Diversity; E = Ethics; S = Speaking Emphasis; I =Interdisciplinary; W=Writing Emphasis;
( ) courses listed in parentheses are prerequisites

III. Academic Content Area Concentrations (54 credits)

Students wishing to obtain certification to teach in grades 4-8 must complete a minimum of 54 credits from the academic content areas.

  • 12 credit hours of “generalist” coursework in two of four academic content areas: Mathematics,Reading/Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
  • 9 credit hours of “generalist” coursework in one of two academic content areas: History or Science
  • 21 credit hours of concentration area coursework in one of the four academic areas
  • Degree requirements can be completed within 141 credits, depending on track of interest.

For degree completion, students must complete one of the following content area concentration options:

  1. Language Arts Concentration
    1. 21 credits Language Arts
    2. 12 credits Science
    3. 9 credits Social Studies
    4. 12 credits Mathematics
  2. Science Concentration
    1. 12 credits Language Arts
    2. 21 credits Science
    3. 9 credits Social Studies
    4. 12 credits Mathematics
  3. Social Studies Concentration
    1. 12 credits Language Arts
    2. 9 credits Science
    3. 21 credits Social Studies
    4. 12 credits Mathematics
  4. Mathematics Concentration
    1. 12 credits Language Arts
    2. 12 credits Science
    3. 9 credits Social Studies
    4. 21 credits Mathematics
Reading/Language Arts

All students must complete the generalist 12 credits. See course catalog for prerequisite courses.

12 credit generalist area 21 credit concentration 30 credit concentration
EDR 306 (3) Teaching Language Arts 4-8 W
(EDP 201)
EDR 308 (3) Foundations in Reading 4-8
(EDP 201)
^+EDR 318 (6) Reading Instruction and Practicum (MGP 220, EDR 306 & 308)		 12 credit generalist area plus:
EDR 420 (3) Content Area Reading
+SED 391 (3) Teaching Writing in the Middle School
LIT 398 (3) Young Adult Literature
(LIT 220)		 21 credit concentration plus:
ENG 201 (3)  and
one of the following: EDR 422 (3) or EDR 200 (J) (3), or LIT 360 (3)   and
one of the following: EDR 321 (3) or
LIN/ENG 230 (3)
Sciences

All students must complete a minimum of 12 generalist credits*, nine of which are general education and “I”. Students choosing a science concentration must plan generalist credits that serve as prerequisites to upper-level science classes. *Students taking the Social Studies concentration will complete a minimum of nine generalist science courses.

12 credit generalist area 21 credit concentration 30 credit concentration
All students must complete:
ESS 102 (3)
Select one course below: SCIENCE CONCENTRATORS SEE NOTE IN 21 CREDIT LIST [BIO & ESS Recommended]
 
  1. ESS 101 (3) (gives access to courses in 21 cr)
  2. BIO 110 (4) or BIO 100 (3)-see note in 21 cr.
  3. CHE 107 & CRL 107 (5) or
    CHE 103 (3) & CRL 103 (1)
  4. PHY 130 (4)

12 credits from generalist area plus:

9 advanced credits chosen from courses below.

PREREQUISITES MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANCED COURSES

  1. ESS 201, 204, 301, 307, 330, 331, 370
  2. BIO 204, 214, 215, 217 (BIO 110 or BIO 100 with an A or A-)
  3. CHE 230 or CHE 104 & CRL 104
  4. PHY 140

12 credits from generalist area plus:
 
PREREQUISITES MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANCED COURSES

ESS 111 or PHY 105
and
15 advanced credits chosen from advanced courses listed under 21 credit option.
Social Studies

All students must complete a minimum of 9 credits, all of which are general education. Students completing the 21-credit social studies concentration coursework will take 9-credits in the Science generalist area.

9 credit generalist area 21 credit concentration 30 credit concentration
HIS 150 (3) (soc. st concentrators -HIS
151)
GEO 101 (3)
PSC 100 (3)		 GEO 101, PSC 100, from 9 credit
generalist plus:
HIS 151
HIS 152 (HIS 151)
HIS 101 (GEO 101)
ECO 111 (HIS 151)
HIS 344

21 credit concentration plus:

HIS 102 (HIS 101)
ANT 102
PSC 255 or 370 (PSC 100)
Mathematics

All students must complete the generalist 12 credits, three of which are general education.

12 credit generalist area 21 credit concentration 30 credit concentration
MAT 101 (3) Math for Teachers of
Children I
MAT 102 (3) Math for Teachers of
Children II (MAT 101)
MAT 351 (3) plus
^+MAT 352 (3)  OR
^+MAT 353 (3) (for Math Concentration)		 12 credit generalist area plus:
MAT 121 Statistics I
MAT 312 Algebra for Teachers, Grade 4-8
MAT 313 Geometry for Teachers, Grade 4-8

21 credit concentration plus:
MAT 115 (3) Algebra/Trig and MAT 145 Calculus for Life Sciences (3)
or
MAT 131 (3) Pre-Calculus and MAT 161 (4) Calculus I
plus
MAT 390 Seminar in Mathematics Ed.

IV. Student Teaching (12 credits) Students attend pre-registration meetings scheduled one year before student teaching.

^+MGP 410/411 and EDA 416/417 Student Teaching (12) (S)

Prereqs: Students must have completed all the Middle Level Core requirements listed in II above; all Special Education Core requirements in III above; all generalist coursework and all requirements for one, 21-credit concentrations listed in IV above; attempted all required PA Certification tests.