Bachelor of Art in Elementary Education

The Roger and Ruth Fredrikson School of Education equips educators with the knowledge, skills and dispositions requisite to achieve lifelong learning for all students. With an emphasis on servant-leadership and a collaborative environment, the Fredrikson School of Education prepares students for initial certification, P-12 educators in advanced programs and leaders in adult and higher education.

In addition, with its nationally-accredited educator preparation programs, the Fredrikson School of Education aligns itself with the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium's core standards for teacher preparation, which include The Learner and Learning, Content Knowledge, Instructional Practice and Professional Responsibility.

Elementary Education

A degree in Elementary Education from U.S.F.'s Fredrikson School of Education will prepare you for meaningful service in the classroom. Through this program, you will learn a variety of skills and methodologies that will enable you to teach in public and private school systems in grades K-8.

In addition to the liberal arts core, Elementary Education majors must earn a minimum of 65 semester hours in education courses and the required hours of student teaching.

Secondary Education

The Fredrikson School of Education offers a full major in secondary education. To teach at the secondary level, students pursuing this major will also need to pursue a content-area major in biology, chemistry, communication studies and theatre, English, history or mathematics. Students may also choose to pursue a K-12 art education major, a K-12 music education or K-12 Spanish education major.

Special Education

If you are passionate about making a difference and have a desire to serve others through teaching, a degree in Special Education from U.S.F.'s Fredrikson School of Education will prepare you for meaningful service in the classroom.

The special education program is not designed as a stand-alone plan of study. Students can pair it with an Elementary Education major or the Secondary/K-12 major (including a content area).

Educational Studies

The requirements for the B.A. in Educational Studies are similar to the B.A. in Elementary Education. However, students choosing this path will not be eligible for teacher certification/licensure. Acceptance into the Teacher Education Program is a requirement, but students need not show passing scores on the Praxis II exams. An individualized plan of study will be created, based on interest and career goals, and approved by the Chair of the School of Education.

A.A. in Child Development

With an A.A. in Child Development, students will be educated in foundations of early childhood education preparing them for (1) careers in family home daycare, group day care, preschool teaching and administration and (2) advanced professional study.

In meeting the University requirements for the Associate of Arts degree, students should select their required 32 semester hours from the liberal arts core requirements. This will enable students to continue studies in Elementary Education at the bachelor's degree level if desired.

Minors/Teaching Endorsements

In addition to an education major, students may choose to add minors and/or endorsements to their degree plan. The Fredrikson School of Education offers the following minors and endorsements:

• English Language Learners (ELL) minor, which leads to the English as a New Language (ENL) endorsement
• Reading minor
• Birth-Preschool endorsement
• Kindergarten endorsement
• Middle School endorsements in the areas of language arts, social studies, science and/or mathematics

Founded in 1883, the University of Sioux Falls, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a Christian, Liberal Arts University affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A. USF is an independent, not-for-profit institution. Dedicated faculty intentionally integrate faith and learning, helping students to discover their career calling and preparing them to serve God and humankind. With a 99% placement rate, our alumni live out USF’s Culture for Service motto in their professions, families, and communities.

Our talented professors teach, advise and mentor students. With a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, intimate classroom settings facilitate the introduction of concepts, the interchange of ideas, and the encouragement to apply them through experiential learning. For adult learners driven to fulfill their dreams, USF offers online and on-campus adult and graduate programs to help individuals finish their degrees or earn advanced degrees.