Urban Elementary Education (PreKindergarten-Grade 6 Licensure) BS
The School of Urban Education (UED) is designed to meet the needs of urban schools for teachers who can improve students' educational achievement. The School prepares prospective teachers who can build on the talents and resiliency of diverse urban learners for success in school and life. Our approach to teacher education focuses on preparing diverse, reflective and resilient teachers who are outstanding in their commitment to teaching urban youth and providing equal educational opportunity. By attracting teachers of color and low-income or "first generation" college students into teaching careers, the School provides urban schools with competent educators who can relate to the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse youth and their communities.
The mission of the School is twofold: 1) to increase the number of well-prepared teachers of color in Minneapolis, St. Paul and inner-ring suburbs so that the teaching workforce reflects the ethnically diverse population of students and their communities; and 2) to empower urban teachers with the content knowledge, pedagogical skills, urban field experiences, and professional dispositions needed to improve the educational achievement of historically and currently underserved urban learners and to advocate for their right to receive a high quality education.
Visit the website or call 651-999-5920 for more information.
Acceptance to the Program
To be eligible for acceptance to the Urban Elementary Education Licensure major (Grades PreK-6), students must submit a School of Urban Education Undergraduate Program Declaration Form when they have completed all of the requirements from the Guide to Admission in the Urban Teacher Program.
Requirements (83 total credits)
Cluster 1: Pre-Professional Education Courses (6 credits)
The following courses are open to all students and are among the requirements for admission to the urban education program. Contact the School for more information about program admission requirements.
Cluster 2: Pre-Requisites for Core and Professional Methods Courses (8 credits)
These courses are open to all Metropolitan State students and can be used to partially fulfill university General Education or MN Transfer Curriculum requirements.
- PSYC 308 Child Psychology
- PSYC 357 Observing and Assessing Young Children: Birth Through Age Five
- PSYC 359 Positive Behavior Guidance
Cluster 3: Pre-Requisites for Core and Professional Methods Courses (6 courses)
The following courses are required before taking Cluster 6 Professional Methods Courses Group II courses. Students can begin taking these classes before being admitted to the School and can use them to partially fulfill university General Education or MN Transfer Curriculum requirements.
Mathematics (2 courses)
And one of the following:
Science (2 courses)
Courses must be from any two sciences such as Astronomy and Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science, Environmental Science and Geology, or Natural History and Physics. Some suggested courses are:
- BIOL 101 Introduction to Life Sciences
- BIOL 111/111L General Biology 1
- CHEM 111/111L General Chemistry 1
- GEOL 110 Introduction to Earth Sciences
- NSCI 201 Nature Study
- NSCI 203 Plants and Human Affairs
- NSCI 204 Environmental Science
- PHYS 110 Introduction to Physics
- PHYS 111 General Physics I - Algebra Based
Social Studies (2 courses)
One course must be from the following areas: Geography, American Government of U.S. History or World History. Some suggested courses are:
- GEOG 201 Introduction to Geography
- POL 101 Introduction to American Government and Politics
- HIST 101 The American Past: To 1865
- HIST 102 The American Past: From 1865
- HIST 103 World History I: Patterns of Civilization to 1500
- HIST 104 World History II: The Modern World, 1500 to the Present
Cluster 4: Core Professional Education Courses (24 credits)
Students must be admitted to the School, or have Department approval, to register for any 300-400 level EDU courses.
- EDU 323 Urban Pre-K and Kindergarten Curriculum and Practicum
- EDU 330 Methods of Teaching Children's Literature for Urban Grades K-6
- EDU 331 Physical Development, Heath, Nutrition and Effects of Drugs in ECE and Elementary Education
- EDU 333 Assessment of Learning in Urban Primary Grades1-3
- EDU 341 The Child and the Family in the Urban Setting
- EDU 361 The Arts in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education
- EDU 383 Informational Technology for K-12 Education
- EDU 430 Historical and Cultural Foundations of Urban Education
Cluster 5: Professional Methods Courses Group I (16 credits)
- EDU 345 Integrated Classroom Management Methods in Urban Grades K-6
- EDU 435 Teaching and Assessing English Language Learners
- EDU 481 Urban Primary Grades 1-3 Curriculum and Practicum
Co-requisite: EDU 311 Urban Teaching Practicum and Seminar - EDU 483 Foundations of Teaching Reading in Urban Grades K-6
- EDU 484 Teaching and Assessing Young Children with Disabilities
Cluster 6: Professional Methods Courses Group II (17 credits)
Completion of courses in clusters 3 and 5 are required to take the following courses.
- EDU 487 Methods of Teaching Reading in Urban Grades K-6
- LAED 440 Methods of Teaching Language Arts in Urban Grades K-6
- MAED 440 Teaching Mathematics to Urban Learners in Grades K-8
- SCED 440 Science Curriculum and Differentiated Instruction in Urban Grades K-6
- SSED 440 Social Studies Curriculum and Differentiated Methods in Urban Grades K-6
Cluster 7: Student Teaching (8 credits total, 12 weeks full-time)
Teacher Candidates must notify the Field Experience Coordinator two semesters before their student teaching semester and must submit student teaching application packets.
