Degrees for Education

The pre-teacher education program is a two-year program designed to
prepare students to transfer to an accredited four-year teaching program.
Students completing the program will develop skills and get the
hands-on experience necessary to be accepted into the professional core
of courses offered at the university level. Course work will satisfy the
General Education requirements for the first two years of a bachelor’s
degree in elementary, early childhood or special education.
Specific requirements leading to a bachelor’s degree in education differ
between the four-year higher education institutions. To tailor a program
specific to student needs, meet with an academic advisor or consult with
a faculty member prior to registering for courses.

Elementary Education
Most elementary education programs now require students to choose an
area of specialization (minor) to complete a four-year degree. Students
planning to major in elementary education can take many content specific
courses at SLCC which fulfill requirements for a specialization. Students
should consult with an academic advisor or with faculty, select an area of
specialization and identify content courses which will transfer and apply
toward requirements.

Special Education
Special education students planning to get a special education endorsement
should prepare for elementary or secondary education degrees
and minor in or select special education as their area of specialization.
SLCC has a paraeducation program which meets all the requirements
for a minor or specialization in special education and elementary education
at selected four-year institutions.

Secondary Education
Secondary education students seeking a secondary teaching license
must pursue a major and minor in specific content areas. AS and AA
degrees in a variety of content areas fill the requirements for secondary
teaching majors and minors. See an academic advisor for detailed
information.
Most four-year teaching programs now require a portfolio and documentation
of a variety of volunteer experiences before being admitted to
the program. The education courses are designed to help students construct
a portfolio and acquire the field experience necessary to qualify
them for admission to a teaching program.

Clark launched its Women’s Studies program in 1979. In spring 2006, the university approved the Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) major, effective fall 2006. The Women’s and Gender Studies major provides students with a solid foundation in women’s studies and gender analysis, introduces them to a range of disciplinary approaches to women and gender, and helps them to develop an area of specialization within the field. Courses stress the importance of social ideas and relationships such as those shaped by gender, ethnicity, race, and class to understand better individual and collective experiences, past and present. The major requires a minor in another field (and encourages a double major) in order to reinforce connections with existing majors.

In today’s preschool and early education institutions, there is a call for educators who can interface with children on a one-on-one basis and draw out the potential of each one of these students. There is a need for a wide diversity of personalities among educators in order to answer to the wide diversity of children. By providing future educators with a practice-based curriculum tailored to each individual, and combining this with the wide knowledge-base on hand at a comprehensive university, the College of Contemporary Education aims to cultivate educators who demonstrate excellence in practical skills. Along with mastering practical skills that will be needed as an educator, students will also aim to develop a specific area of specialization. In doing so, students will not only be able to broaden their field of activity as an educator, but also have a greater influence on the children they interact with.

The minor in education consists of five courses chosen from among the departmental offerings. The student is encouraged to choose courses within a particular area of specialization that is of interest to him or her. Such areas of specialization include, but are not limited to, teaching of reading, early childhood education, research and evaluation in education, educational policy studies, employee training and development, college student personnel, family studies, and counseling. Recommended clusters of courses for particular areas of specialization are available on the departmental web page.