Elementary Education

Welcome to Elementary Education! We believe the best way to prepare our future teachers to provide them with as much practice as possible. In our program, our teacher candidates receive multiple opportunities for classroom experiences with diverse student populations. Additionally teacher candidates receive individualized attention and instruction from our expert faculty in the university classroom, as well as in the field placements in public schools.

Department Name: Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Foundational Studies

Official Degree Name: Elementary Education

Certificate Type: Bachelor of Arts

Type of Idaho Teaching Certification: All Subjects (K-8)

Note for Students with Out-of-State Home Addresses: If considering an academic program that leads to a professional license or certification in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state BEFORE beginning the academic program located outside your state, or upon changing states. Visit the Professional Licensure Disclosures website for more information.

**Do you already have an undergraduate degree and are looking for a graduate option to earn your teaching certification? Check out our Master In Teaching (MIT) programs. Most programs can be completed within a year and will earn both a master’s degree and teaching certification.

What can I do with this degree?

This four-year program leads to an All Subjects (K-8) teaching certificate in Idaho with an additional middle school endorsement.

Graduates with this type of certification typically teach in an elementary school grades K-6 or in middle schools in their area of endorsement.

Degree Requirements and Advising Resources

Program Requirements

Once admitted to the Teacher Education program, you complete the upper division Teacher Education courses. During the Teacher Education year, you must also complete the required Praxis 2 tests in order to apply to the Professional Year.

Before admission to Professional Year, candidates must have:

Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Minimum 3.0 GPA in all education courses.
Passing score on Praxis II. For information,
Passing score on Praxis II in your content area endorsement is needed. The State of Idaho requires a passing score for any endorsement in which you certify.

Program Admissions

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the first Friday in February if you apply in the spring and the third Friday in September if you apply in the fall.

The admission process includes an interview which is scheduled after the application deadline.

Professional Year

The deadline to apply for Professional Year is also either the first Friday in February if you apply in the fall or the third Friday in September if you apply in the spring.

After admission to Professional Year, you complete two semesters of student teaching. One semester is in an Elementary Education classroom and the other semester is in a Special Education classroom.

Click here for more information about Teacher Education applications.

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education Requirements

To apply to the Teacher Education program, you must have the following three things completed:

All lower division courses, including the 200-level pre-professional Teacher Education courses, must be either complete or in progress
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 3.0 or higher GPA in all Teacher Education courses

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the third Friday in September if you apply for spring semester, or the first Friday in February if you apply for fall semester. Interviews are in mid-March and mid-October.

After Admission to the Program

Before admission to Professional Year, candidates must have:

Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Minimum 3.0 GPA in all education courses.
Passing score on Praxis 2 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching #7811. The following subtests are also required:

Reading & Language Subtest #7812 / Score: 161
Mathematics Subtest #7813 / Score: 150
Social Studies Subtest #7815 / Score: 161
Science Subtest #7814 / Score: 154

Passing score on Praxis II in your content area endorsement is needed. The State of Idaho requires a passing score for any endorsement in which you certify.

For information, please access the Praxis website at: http://www.ets.org/praxis/idaho/requirements

Do not proceed until you successfully complete ALL Praxis exams!

After Admission to Professional Year

During your professional year, you are a full-time student and full-time teacher.

Internship Semester –You will be in the school all day on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.

Student Teaching Semester – You will be in the school all day M-F.

Pathway to Proficiency – Courses

Courses required for entrance into program

Advising Checklist for the Elementary Education Bachelor of Arts (select image to view larger)

All of the following courses are required for graduation and entrance into the teacher program.

FW ENGL 101 – Writing and Rhetoric I (3 credits)
FW ENGL 102 – Writing and Rhetoric II (3 credits)
UF 100 – Foundations of Intellectual Life (3 credits)
UF 200 – Foundations of Ethics and Diversity (3 credits)
FM MATH 157 – Foundations of Number and Operations (4 credits)
MATH 158 (prerequisite: MATH 157) – Geometry and Measurement for Teachers (4 credits)
FN Natural, Physical, & Applied Science Science course with lab (4 credits)
FN Natural, Physical, & Applied Science Science course (must be in a second field) (4 credits)
FA Arts Course (3 credits)
FH Humanities Course (3-4 credits)
ED-LLC 201 (field work included) – Cultural Diversity in the School (3 credits)
FC COMM 101 – Foundations of Oral Communication (3 credits)
FS HIST 111/112 – United States History I or II (3 credits)
FS ED-CIFS 201 – Education, Schooling and Society (3 credits)
EDTECH 202 – Teaching and Learning in a Digital Age (3 credits)
ED-CIFS 203 – Child and Educational Psychology (3 credits)
ED-ESP 250 – Exceptionality in Schools (3 credits)

Courses that may be taken prior to admission to program

ED-LLC 300 – Foundations: Linguistics and Language Acquisition (3 credits)
ED-LLC 340 (field experience included) – Idaho Comprehensive Literacy (4 credits)
ED-LLC 345 (pre or co-requisite: ED-LLC 340) – Writing Process & Assessment for K-8 Classrooms (3 credits)
Content Area Endorsement: Discuss the Content Area Endorsement with your advisor (credits vary)
Electives – may or may not be be required based on endorsement area (0-10 credits)

Courses that require admission to the program

ED-CIFS 331 – Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ED-CIFS 333 – Elementary Science Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ART 321, ED-ESP 345 (spring only), COMM 390 or COUN 301 (spring only) – Art Methods for Elementary Teachers, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, Conflict Management or Guidance and Counseling in Schools (3 credits)
KINES 355 – Elementary School Health and PE Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)

Courses require admission to the Professional Year

Professional Year A – Internship

You will be in the school all day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

ED-CIFS 460 – Professional Year 1, semester 1 (5 credits)
ED-CIFS 430 – Fundamental Frameworks for Supporting Teaching and Learning
(4 credits)
ED-LLC 442 – Integrated Disciplinary Language Arts in the Social Sciences (3 credits)

Professional Year B – Student Teaching

This is your student teaching semester and you will be in the school all day, M-F

FF ED-CIFS 400 – Professional Inquiry, Reflection and Capacity for Change (1 credit)
ED-CIFS 461 – Professional Year II (12 credits)

Costs and Scholarships

Boise State provides an affordable, quality education to improve your future. Scholarship opportunities are available for residents and nonresidents, making it even more affordable to attain a quality education.

The College of Education also offers a range of scholarship opportunities.

The Cost and Value of a Boise State Education

Learn More

Have questions or need more information? Contact us or explore related degrees and careers.