About the Program

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The school of Education offers the PreK-4 Degree Completion with PreK-4 Certification cohort Program for working early childhood professionals looking to complete their undergraduate Education degree, B.A., with PreK-4 certification to further advance in their careers.

The curriculum provides course-based and hands-on experiences that enhances one’s knowledge base and craft of working with diverse children from birth to grade 4. This program is guided by the School of Education’s core mission of fostering inclusion, equity, and social justice through teaching. Our professors are dedicated to designing meaningful and rich courses grounded in this mission and connected to essential fieldwork which is carefully mentored by classroom teachers, professors, and supervisors. Students learn how to problem solve, innovate, and design culturally sustaining curricula through using inquiry practices.  

Recognizing the importance of work-life balance for each student, the program is offered in a hybrid modality. Courses are offered online in an 8-week accelerated format. Fieldwork is completed in classrooms and involves some face-to-face time for field meetings. Dedicated program coaches work with students to help them plan thier program of study and meet their career goals.

 

Admissions and Eligibility

 

Community college Associate’s degree graduates who have completed credits towards a bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply to this program.

Transfer and credit Evaluation

Arcadia University will accept up to 75 credits from regionally accredited two-year institutions.

Transfer credit is granted for college-level work completed at another accredited institution for course content comparable to that appropriate for the degree program.

Credit will not be granted for courses in which grades below “c-“are earned.

Students may be required to take a placement examination in mathematics and/or Arcadia University Writing Inventory for English composition. Assignment or exemption for English composition is determined by performance on the Arcadia University Writing Inventory or by a transfer credit evaluation.

Community College Transfer: Specifically for this program, Arcadia University and the School of Education has core-to-core agreements and program-to-program transfer agreements with Bucks County Community College, Delaware Community College, and Montgomery Community College. 

 

Requirements 

• Professional Education Requirements 

• Prerequisite for teacher certification preparation program (16 credits; : English composition (EN 101), English Literature (EN 199), Two courses MA 110 or higher: MA117 and MA118. also meet undergraduate curriculum requirements)

• Additional Undergraduate Curriculum requirements and Electives as needed

 

• ED 110  Teaching for Learning (4 credits) (meets Self and Society requirement) 
• ED 110L Teaching for Learning Fieldwork + Lab (0 credits)
• ED 211  Assessment and Intervention in Infancy and Toddlerhood (4 credits)
• ED 212  Child and Youth Development  (4 credits)(meets Self and Society requirements) +Lab (ED212L)
• ED 214  Introduction to Inclusive Education (4 credits)(meets Self and Society requirement)
• ED 216 Teaching Literacy in the 21st Century
• ED 222  Play Based Curriculum Birth-8yrs. (4 credits)
• ED300 Teaching English Learners (4 credits) 

• ED306 Strategies for Emergent and Content Literacy: PreK-4 (4 credits)

• ED306L Fieldwork (1 credit)
• ED307A STEAM 2 (Birth – 5 years) (4 credits)
• ED307AL Fieldwork (1 credit) 
• ED307B STEAM 2 (6-10 years) (meets NPL) 
• ED307BL Fieldwork (1 credit) 
• ED308A Literacies of Social Studies I (Birth - 5 years) (4 credits)
• ED 308AL Fieldwork (1 credit) 
• ED308B Literacies of Social Studies (6-10 years) (4 credits)
• ED308BL Fieldwork (1 credit) 

• ED 315 Differentiated Instruction (4 credits)

• ED 323 Early Intervention (4 credits)

• ED323L Fieldwork (1 credit)

• ED 375 Managing an Inclusive Classroom (4 credits)

• ED375L Fieldwork (1 credit)

• ED 387 Pre-Student Teaching (4 credits)

• ED387AL (Birth – 5 years) Pre-student teaching Fieldwork (2 credits)

• ED387BL (6-10 years) Pre-student teaching Fieldwork (2 credits)

• ED 391 Building Teacher Identity and Professional Practice (12 credit) 

• ED399 Professional Portfolio of Practice (4 credits) 

• ED 416 Student Teaching: Early Elementary (9 credits) (meets Senior Capstone Seminar requirement)

• ED490A Teacher Inquiry (meets GCE and GCR requirement) (4 credits)

• ED490AL Fieldwork (1 credit) 

Undergraduate Teacher Certification Preparation Program Entry Requirements:

• Completed Associate Degree program from a community college 

• Recommended minimum overall GPA of 3.0 at the time of application.

• No grade of “C or below” in a required certification course.

• Completed and earned grades of C or better in 6 credits in Mathematics above the MA 100  level (recommended: MA 117  and MA 118 ).

• Completed and earned grades of C or better in 6 credits in English. One course in Composition (EN 101) and one course in American/English Literature (recommended EN 199).

• Completed 48 credits.

• Meets Basic Skills testing requirements with qualifying scores and/or ACT/SAT qualifying scores.

• Background Checks: Meets background check requirements using the Castle Branch System for

  • Federal Criminal History Record Information (CHRI)

  • Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check

  • Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance

  • Tuberculosis (TB) test result

Exit Requirements for Students in PreK4 Degree Completion with PreK4 Certification Program for Working Early Childhood Professionals

1. Satisfactory completion of all required coursework for the bachelor’s degree and GPA requirement specified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (3.0 GPA).
2. Satisfactory completion of student teaching (“B” or better) in the area of certification and the PDE 430 performance-based assessment rating form. 
3. Completion of a professional electronic portfolio.