Students interested in teaching at the junior high or high school levels in public schools across Arkansas must be licensed by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in a state-approved subject area. The UA Little Rock programs offered by content area departments in collaboration with the School of Education are designed to prepare students for licensure and successful entry into the teaching profession.
Program Requirements
Candidates for licensure must complete the program, pass examinations mandated by the state, and pass a criminal background check.
In order to complete the Education Minor, students must pass all required Praxis Subject Assessment content exams within their licensure area. Students who do not pass the exams are eligible to graduate under an education program degree plan with a minor in education but are ineligible for teaching licensure. Students should consult an advisor in their licensure content area before registering to take exams. Students must submit completed “Praxis Assessment” scores to the School of Education. Read more about the requirements.
Teacher Licensure Areas
All programs require the completion of a major in the chosen field and in some cases require additional courses, blocks of courses, or other special minors. View the curriculum for the teacher licensure areas which include:
- Art Education (Grades K-12)
- Biology/Life Science (Grades 7-12)
- Chemistry (Grades 7-12)
- English/Language Arts Education(Grades 7-12)
- Mathematics Education (Grades 7-12)
- Music Education (Vocal/Instrumental) (Grades K-12)
- Physical Education/Health (Grades K-12)
- Physics (Grades 7-12)
- Social Studies/History Education (Grades 7-12)
Education Minor Program of Study
Courses in the education minor (18 hours) are required for all licensure areas and should not be confused with other blocks of courses or special minors required in some licensure areas.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Education Minor occurs when a student registers for TCED 4321 Teaching Diverse Learners or TCED 4383 Instructional Skills. A student must have met these requirements:
- Submit required entrance exam scores in reading, writing, and math. See Testing and Admissions Requirements.
- Completion of RHET 1311 and 1312, ACOM 1300, MATH 1302 or 1321 with a grade of “C” or better
- Completion of all core requirements with a cumulative average of 2.7, or a 3.0 on the last 60 hours
- Approved background checks in the Arkansas Educator Licensure Systems (AELS). Please contact the Director of Licensure and Placement for directions.
- Completion of the Child Maltreatment Mandated Reporter Training (UAMS). Once you have completed the 60-90 minutes of self-paced training you should download your certificate of completion and store it in your files for future use and licensure.
Please contact the Education Minor Advisor, Dr. Andrew Hunt, or submit a request if you have questions.
Teacher Education Course Descriptions
MCED 4310 Middle Level Content Literacy
Emphasis on the development of reading in the content areas for middle school students. Focus on the concepts of developing meaningful literacy experiences for adolescents of all ability levels, with a continued focus on language and literature as an integral part of the curriculum. Involves a study of major theories and current teaching strategies in literacy for adolescents. Evaluation and assessment strategies explored. Three credit hours.
SPED 4301 Education of Exceptional Learners
Prerequisite: PSYC 2300 or consent of instructor. Introduction to the psychological, sociological, philosophical, legal, and educational implications of educating exceptional learners in the mainstream; the role of teachers, professionals, and parents as team members in providing appropriate education and necessary adaptations for exceptional learners. Dual-listed in the Graduate Catalog as SPED 5301. Three credit hours.
TCED 4321 Teaching Diverse Learners
Prerequisite: TCED 4383/5383. This course provides knowledge of educational psychology, special education, and diversity and incorporates technology for learning and teaching. Course assignment requires students to observe classes in a variety of school settings with diverse populations. Includes a field component of 15 hours of classroom observation under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. Dual listed as TCED 5321, may not be repeated for credit. Three credit hours.
TCED 4330 Classroom Management
Prerequisite: Candidates will have taken or passed Praxis CORE prior to course. Concurrent with TCED 4600. Emphasizes creation of and fostering of classroom management techniques and strategies for the design of environments that are conducive to a safe place for teaching and learning. Includes connecting the school-home-community connections. Incorporates technology for learning and teaching. Three credit hours.
TCED 4383 Instructional Skills
This course provides knowledge of instructional skills, assessment, and disciplinary literacy. Lesson planning and design, evaluation, equity, legal issues, technology implementation, and content area literacy strategies will be addressed. Includes a field component of 15 hours individualized or small group instruction/support in a K- 12 classroom setting under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. Dual listed as TCED 5383, may not be repeated for credit. Three credit hours.
TCED 4600 Internship
Prerequisite: TCED 4383, TCED 4321, 2.75 GPA, Praxis Il content area examination(s) as required by department/ program. Concurrent with TCED 4330. An educational internship with a field component of a minimum of 12 weeks (480 hours) of internship in a classroom setting under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. Total field experience hours must reflect exposure at both the lower (K-6 or 7-12) and upper (7-9 and 10-12) grades. Each program will ensure that no less than 25% of total field experiences are completed in either grade range. Course may be cross-listed with ARED/ACOM/BIOL/CHEM/ENGL/HHPS/HIST /IGSC/LANG/MATH/MUED/PHYS/THEA 4600. Six credit hours.
