The Elementary Education (Theory into Practice) Program is a four-year program for students who want to teach children in kindergarten through grade six. The TIP program emphasizes the application of theory and research to the day-to-day world of elementary teachers in a wide range of schools. Courses and field experiences focus on helping teacher candidates develop the entry-level skills and knowledge needed to employ the current and emerging diagnostic and instructional tools that are used in a majority of elementary schools and that will allow them to successfully teach students with a diverse set of abilities. Through their subject concentration area, candidates gain in-depth experience in the subject of their choice—such as math, science, language arts, social studies, or fine arts.

Program experiences are designed to help emerging teachers to identify knowledge that is worthwhile for elementary students and to design and teach lessons constructed around such knowledge. As a whole, program experiences provide for a close fit between course work and field experiences, with the goal of providing students with many opportunities to apply and reflect upon what they are learning.

Students will typically apply to the TIP program in the sophomore year, by March 1 to begin authorized professional education courses in the fall semester or by October 1 to begin in the spring semester.

In addition to content requirements, students in this program complete a license addition, minor, or area of concentration, each of which enables students to gain in-depth knowledge in a subject of their choice. Professional education courses includes a series of subject specific methods courses, work in the psychology of learning, applying technology in education settings, multicultural issues, the history of U.S. education, an examination of the purpose of schooling in America, an ongoing set of increasingly demanding field experiences and related seminars. These courses culminate in a semester-long student teaching experience.

This program requires 42 credits of content coursework, a minimum of 9 additional credits in an area of concentration, minor outside the School of Education, or license addition, and 69 credits of professional education coursework, for a total of 120 credits.

The area of concentration, minor, or license addition requirement is designed to provide the prospective elementary teacher with in-depth knowledge in one school-related curriculum subject. All courses in these areas must be completed with a grade of C or better and an average minimum GPA of 2.5. Students should consult an academic advisor to plan an approved sequence to fulfill the area of concentration, minor, or license addition requirement. An area of concentration may be selected from the following areas:

• The Arts 
• Literacy
• Mathematics 
• Science 
• Social Studies