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Getting Started

General Notes

• A minimum of 123 credits are required for graduation.
• Credits earned for COM 100 and MAT 100 do not count toward the 123 credits required for graduation; however, COM 100 students may petition for elective credit.
• Where appropriate, courses required for the major can be used to satisfy General Education requirements. However, the credits earned for these courses are applied to either Gen Ed requirements or the major, not both.
• Paths of Knowledge coursework may count towards major or minor requirements, but may not fulfill a second Mid-Level Liberal Arts Exploration requirement.
• Students are expected to follow the catalog requirements for General Education, the major, and additional requirements.
• A minor or second major within the areas listed under Paths of Knowledge automatically fulfills that area of the Gen Ed requirements.

Application Instructions

Through a rolling admission process, prospective undergraduate students — including first-year, transfer, and international students — may apply via the or . To learn more about how to complete your application, please visit our application page.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about tuition, the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. ����ֱ��’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

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Program Overview

Program Mission

The PK-4 Program is built on a solid foundation of the principles of child development.  It focuses on the whole child as it prepares highly-qualified, highly-effective candidates to meet the many and diverse needs of young children in a global society.

Program Requirements

Academic Performance

• Maintain a cumulative GPA 3.0 or better
• Earn Grade C or better in the required general education and professional education courses|
   

Field Experience

Maintain regulatory compliance for the educators' field experiences including: 

•  
• University Health Requirements
• TB Screening
• Certificate of completion the training 
• Liability waiver
   

Read about the requirements for education field experiences. 
 

Teacher Candidacy

Teacher candidacy signifies a formal admission to the teacher preparation program. Achieving a teacher candidacy status is required for taking the upper division education courses, pre-student teaching, and student teaching. Students must apply by the end of their sophomore year. Mid-degree transfer students must apply by the second semester of their studies at ����ֱ��. The achieve a teacher candidacy status, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

• Earn minimum of 48 credits including 6 credits of math, 3 - English composition, and 3 - American/British literature with earned Grade C or better 
• Maintain a cumulative GPA 3.0 or better
• Maintain regulatory compliance for the educators' field experiences
• Apply for teacher candidacy and receive an approval from their education faculty advisor and the Education Department Chair
   

Student Teaching

Student teaching occurs during the last semester in the program and includes two 14-week placements in PK-4 classrooms. To be admitted to student teaching, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

• Complete the required general core and professional education courses except ED 470 & ED 472 with Grade C or better
• Maintain a cumulative GPA 3.0 or better
• Maintain regulatory compliance for the educators' field experiences
   

Read about:

• Teaching certifications in Pennsylvania

Curriculum: Major Requirements

Curriculum- 81 credits

Year 1 (Fall)

• SRH 101: SEARCH Seminar Enduring Questions (3 cr.)
• ED 110: The Teaching Profession (3 cr.)
• MAT 105: Math for Teachers Principles of Mathematics (3 cr.)
• COM 101: Composition & Research (3 cr.)
• THE 105: Foundations of Theology (3 cr.)
   

Year 1 (Spring)

• SPE 110: Overview of Human Exceptionalities (3 cr.)
• MAT 106: Math for Teachers Geometry (3 cr.)
• PSY 101: Introductory Psychology (3 cr.)
• HIS course (3 cr.)
• PHI 105: Introduction to Philosophy (3 cr.)
• Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 2 (Fall)

• ED 204: Human Learning (3 cr.)
• PSY 312: Psychology of Play (3 cr.)
• MAT 208: Probability & Statistics (3 cr.)
• BIO 102: Fundamentals Of Biology/BIO 109 Human Biology (3 cr.)
• Foreign Language I (3 cr.)
• Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 2 (Spring)

• ED 209: Instructional Planning (3 cr.); pre-requisites: ED 110, ED 204
• THE/PHI course (3 cr.); ethics/morality @ 200 level
• ENG elective (3 cr.)
• Foreign Language II (3 cr.)
• Art/Music/Theater (3 cr.)
• PATH elective or Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 3 (Fall)

• ED 313: Classroom Management & Prof. Ethics (3 cr.)
• ED 209: Pre-req
• ED 315: Foundations of Literacy Development (3 cr.)
• ED 425: Curriculum Instruction in PK-12 (3 cr.); pre-requisite ED 209
• ED 445: Universal Design for Learning & Digital Technologies (3 cr.); pre-requisites ED 209, SPE 110
• THE/PHI elective (200-400 level) (3 cr.)
• PATH elective or Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 3 (Spring)

• ED 302: Literacy Instruction (3 cr.); pre-requisite SPE 315
• ED 320: Assessment & Evaluation (3 cr.)
• ED 370: Teaching English Language Learners (3 cr.); pre-requisite ED 209
• COM elective (3 cr.)
• PATH elective or Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 4 (Fall)

• ED 403: Reading Methods for Elementary Inclusive Classrooms (3 cr.)
• ED 404: Teaching Math in the Elementary School (3 cr.)
• ED 414: Teaching Social Studies in Elementary School (3 cr.)
• ED 440: Teaching Science in Elementary School (3 cr.)
• ED 436: Field Experience III (150 hours) (3 cr.)
• Course in minor (3 cr.)
   

Year 4 (Spring)

• ED 470: Student Teaching (14 weeks; 2 placements) (10 cr.)
• ED 472: Student Teaching Seminar (2 cr.)

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Field experiences, an integral part of the teacher preparation programs, include course-embedded fieldwork, pre-student teaching and student teaching.

Accreditation Statements

• The Grades PK-4 teacher preparation program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the . MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Career Outlook

Program graduates teach in preschool through Grade 4 in public and private educational institutions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education is projected to grow 4 percent from 2021 to 2031, about the average for all occupations. The median annual wage in 2021 was $61,350.

Get To Know Your Faculty

For more information about ����ֱ��’s Adult Education Early Childhood Education with Grades PK-4 program, contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 610-796-5187 or gradandadult@alvernia.edu. Or reach out directly to department chair Lucinda Schaeffer at 610-790-1931 or lucinda.schaeffer@alvernia.edu.