Elementary Education, TESOL

The Elementary Education, TESOL degree prepares candidates to teach English Learners (ELs) as a general education teacher or an EL specialist.

*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 English as a Second Language endorsement (K-12) Graduates typically teach grades K-6 in an elementary school with a high number of Multilingual Learners. They can also be hired as a Multilingual Learner specialist.

A Bilingual Education endorsement can be added for students with Spanish language proficiency. These graduates can teach in a dual language immersion program.

Degree and Certification Information

Department Name: Department of Literacy, Language and Culture

Official Degree Name: Elementary Education, TESOL

Degree Type: Bachelor of Arts

Type of Idaho Teaching Certification: All Subjects (K-8), and English as a Second Language (ESL) (K-12)

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.

Degree Requirements and Advising Resources

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.

The required Praxis 2 tests are:

Praxis 2: Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test #5001
Praxis 2: English to Speakers of Other Languages test #5362

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.

Elementary Education, TESOL BA Advising Roadmap

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 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.

After Admission to the Program

For this major, the required Praxis 2 tests are:

Praxis: Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching #7811. The following subtests are also required:

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

Praxis: English to Speakers of Other Languages #5362 / Score 155

You must complete and pass all Praxis exams before applying for Professional Year!

Applying to 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 setting.

Elementary Education TESOL, BA Advising Checklist

Courses required for entrance into program

All of the following courses are required for graduation and entrance into the teacher education 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)
FC COMM 101 – Foundations of Oral Communication (3 credits)
FH Humanities Course: World Language – recommend a language not previously studied (4 credits)
ED-LLC 201 (field work included) – Cultural Diversity in the School (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
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 205 – Migration Studies in Education (3 credits)
ED-LLC 300 – Foundations of 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
Electives – May or may not be required based on endorsement area (0-12 credits) Bilingual Endorsement may be added (12 credits)

Courses that require admission to the teacher education program

ED-CIFS 331 – Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ED-CIFS 333 – Elementary Science Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ED-LLC 303 – Methods in Teaching Content to Bilingual and English Language Learners (3 credits)
ED-LLC 306 (spring only) – Field Experience in the Bilingual or ENL Classroom (1 credit)
ED-LLC 331 (spring only) – Assessment of Bilingual and English Language Learners (3 credits)
ART 321, ED-ESP 345, COMM 390 or COUN 301 – 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 that 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 430 – Fundamental Frameworks for Supporting Teaching & Learning (4 credits)
ED-LLC 442 – Integrated Disciplinary Language Arts in the Social Sciences (3 credits)
ED-LLC 460 – Professional Year I: Internship (5 credits)

Professional Year B – Student Teaching

You will be in the school all day M-F.

FF ED-CIFS 400 – Professional Inquiry, Reflection and Capacity for Change (1 credit)

ED-LLC 461 – Professional Year II: Student Teaching (12 credits)

Costs and Scholarships

Boise State provides an affordable, quality education to improve your future.

College of Education scholarship opportunities are available for residents and nonresidents, making it even more affordable to attain a quality education.

Learn More

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