BA in Elementary Education
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (BAE) is a degree and elementary certification program that is available for students on the Fairbanks campus and by distance delivery to students in rural areas of the state. The degree is designed to prepare graduates who will recognize, respect, and build upon the unique cultural, linguistic and geographic factors specific to the Alaska context. The coursework, fieldwork and year-long internship requirements prepare students to meet the UAF and Alaska Teacher Standards for Preparing Culturally Responsive, Effective Practitioners. All degree requirements are designed to align with the national standards of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The integrated major/minor degree provides breadth in the content areas necessary for successful teaching at an elementary level. Students take courses in content areas that prepare them for successful teaching at an elementary level. The BAE provides numerous opportunities for students to connect theory and practice in a variety of real classroom, school and community contexts.
BAE students benefit from collaborative efforts with academic units at UAF and from School of Education partnerships with a wide range of Alaska’s rural and urban schools and districts. Coursework, fieldwork and a yearlong internship are all designed to support the UAF mission and the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework.
The degree has four central components:
- content area coursework in the designated UAF core requirements;
- additional content area coursework in those areas important for successful teaching at an elementary level:
- an integrated set of education courses and fieldwork in schools and the community to provide the foundation for a successful professional internship year; and
- a capstone yearlong school internship with a mentor teacher, with concurrent enrolment in professional coursework that focuses on the integration and application of theory, research, and practice in real school environments. Student interns follow the calendar of the school or district in which they complete their internship.
BA in Elementary Education Navigation
