Elementary Education, Associate in Arts

Program Code: 0210

Sample Transfer Pathway

Are you interested in rewarding work that changes the lives of students? Are you organized, patient, and caring? If yes, then the Elementary Education pathway may be right for you. Elementary school teachers work with students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and teach a variety of subjects. Elementary school teachers are also required to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited program and obtain a Professional Educators License with an Elementary Education endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education. The pathway below is ideal for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to become teachers, or for students interested in going right to work as a Teacher Assistant.

This is an example course sequence for students interested in pursuing Elementary Education. This does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If this pathway is followed as outlined, you will earn an Associate in Arts (AA) degree. One course will satisfy the Human Diversity (HD) requirement, and is labeled with an (HD) in the sequence below. Following this pathway will help you get your associate degree, which will increase your chances of transfer to Bachelor’s-level programs of study. Choose Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) courses to fulfill general education requirements whenever possible. Visit www.itransfer.org and speak with your college advisor to learn more about IAI.

For information regarding teaching, licensure and certification requirements for the State of Illinois, please visit www.isbe.net. It is important to note that students must pass Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) test, have 22 composite ACT score and minimum score of 6 on the Writing portion, or have a composite score of 1110 (evidence-based reading and writing + mathematics = 1110 or higher) and a minimum score of 26 on writing and language for entrance into four-year College of Education institutions.

Semester-by-Semester Example Program Plan for Full-Time Students

All plans can be modified to fit the needs of part-time students by adding more semesters.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester 1Hours
ENGLISH 101 Composition 1 3
MATH 121 Math For Elementary Teachers I 1 4
Fine Arts course 1 3
EDUC 101 Introduction To Education 2 3
Select one of the following: 3
General Psychology 1  
 
 Hours16
Semester 2
ENGLISH 102 Composition 1 3
MATH 122 Math For Elementary Teachers II 2 4
LIT 130 Children's Literature 1 3
HISTORY 111
History of American People To 1865 1
or History of American People From 1865
3
EDUC 102 Using Technology in The Class 2 3
 Hours16
Semester 3
SPEECH 101 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 1 3
ANTHRO 202 Cultural Anthropology (HD) 1 3
EDUC 203 Educational Psychology 2 3
POL SCI 201 The National Government 1 3
Physical Sciences course 1 4
 Hours16
Semester 4
EDUC 103
Students With Disabilities in School 2
or Development of Exceptional Child
3
BIOLOGY 114
General Education Biology 1
or Human Biology
4
CHLD DV 101 Human Growth & Development I 2 4
Select one of the following: 3
Intro to Diversity/Ethnic Studies 1  
Humanities course 1
 
 Hours14
 Total Hours62
1

General Education Requirement

2

Pathway Elective

Recommended electives may vary by transfer institution. Choose your courses with your College Advisor.

Institution-specific transfer guides and agreements can be found on CCC's transfer site.