Elementary Teacher Education, AA-T
Program Description
Students who complete the Associate in Arts in Elementary Teacher Education for Transfer degree will be ensured preferential transfer status to CSUs for Elementary Teacher Education/Liberal Studies majors. The degree requirements will fulfill the lower division major requirements at many CSUs. Students are advised, however, to meet with a counselor to assess the course requirements for specific local CSUs and to validate which CSUs are considered local.
Learn more about the program on the Child Development and Education website.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will display an understanding of elementary education and teaching, and will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of children's growth and development from utero through adolescence.
- Students will leave with a broad, liberal study background, which will help prepare them to teach in an elementary classroom.
Units Required
- Major: 80-80.5
Associate Degree Requirements
Associate in Arts in Elementary Teacher Education for Transfer requires completion of a minimum of 90 units, including:
- Core and support courses for the major (80-80.5 units)1
- Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)2 (49-58 units) (full certification is required)
- Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)3 (45 units) (full certification is required)
- Transferable electives necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement
- 1
Some units from the core and support courses may be used to satisfy the GE requirement. Please see a counselor for more information.
- 2
Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information. Important Note: Although it is possible to fulfill the requirements for the Associate Degree for Transfer by completing the IGETC for UC pattern, admission to CSU requires completion of an Oral Communication course (IGETC Area 1C; CSU GE Area A-1); therefore, students who plan to transfer to CSU should complete this course as part of their GE or elective units.
- 3
Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| BIOL 10 | GENERAL BIOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES | 5 |
| or BIOL 14 | HUMAN BIOLOGY | |
| CHLD 1 | CHILD GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT: PRENATAL THROUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD | 4 |
| CHLD 2 | CHILD GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT II: MIDDLE CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADOLESCENCE | 4 |
| COMM 1A | PUBLIC SPEAKING | 5 |
| or COMM 1AH | HONORS PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| EDUC 2 | INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION | 5 |
| ENGL 1A | COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| or ENGL 1AH | HONORS COMPOSITION & READING | |
| or ESLL 26 | ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING | |
| ENGL 16 | INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE | 4 |
| or ENGL 16H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE | |
| GEOG 10 | WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| GEOG 20 | INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE | 4 |
| HIST 3A | WORLD HISTORY FROM PREHISTORY TO 750 CE | 4 |
| HIST 3B | WORLD HISTORY FROM 750 CE TO 1750 CE | 4 |
| HIST 17A | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1815 | 4 |
| HIST 17B | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1812 TO 1914 | 4 |
| MATH 42 | MATH FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS | 5 |
| POLI 1 | POLITICAL SCIENCE: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | 5 |
| PSE 20 | INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE | 5 |
| Support Courses | ||
| List A | ||
| Complete one course from List A: | 5 | |
| COMPOSITION, CRITICAL READING & THINKING THROUGH LITERATURE | ||
or ENGL 1BH | HONORS COMPOSITION, CRITICAL READING & THINKING THROUGH LITERATURE | |
| ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING & CRITICAL THINKING | ||
or ENGL 1CH | HONORS ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING & CRITICAL THINKING | |
| CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SYMBOLIC LOGIC | ||
| List B | ||
| And complete one course from List B: | 4-4.5 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE | ||
| List C | ||
| And complete optional courses from List C: 1 | ||
| HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | ||
| HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA: THE MULTICULTURAL STATE | ||
| CONTEMPORARY HEALTH CONCERNS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
or SOC 1H | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | |
| HUMAN SEXUALITY | ||
| Total Units | 80-80.5 | |
- 1
As noted, List C courses are optional, and are not required to satisfy the degree requirements. Please contact a counselor if you have any questions.