A degree in Elementary Education prepares a student to receive a Professional License from the Utah State Board of Education to teach in grades K-6. Utah State's program in elementary education is unique in that students have the opportunity to be in the classroom starting their first year in the program rather than waiting until their junior year, which is typical at other universities. By the time students graduate, they will have spent more than 400 hours in the classroom or working with children through a variety of field experiences.
The Elementary Education program for teacher preparation is called the Bridge to Professional Practice (BPP). Based on the metaphor of a suspension bridge, BPP is secured at each end with anchors that provide a solid starting point and destination, bridging the student into the world of the professional educator. For example, as part of their undergraduate program, students will have the opportunity to begin endorsement programs typically reserved for graduate students.
The major in elementary education is particularly well suited to students transferring with an associate's degree because the curriculum is designed so students can easily transition into the program and finish in a timely manner.
Given the shortage of teachers in the nation, as well as demands for high quality teachers, and reflecting the multiple routes to licensure approved by the Utah State Board of Education, the School of Teacher Education and Leadership provides two different lanes by which a student may procure teacher licensure; the Licensure Lane and the General Studies Lane. Students receive their lane designation through an application filed upon completion of an 12 credit Preparation Anchor.
Students receive a BS by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages.