Elementary Education Online Program

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the elementary education online degree program?

  The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree is an OSU undergraduate elementary education degree program designed for academically qualified candidates who demonstrate sensitivity and caring for all children. The program prepares teacher candidates to become knowledgeable decision makers who use interactive processes to connect understanding of content to meaningful learning experiences. 

• Is the program a degree and certification seeking program?

  Yes, upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Science degree requirements and OSDE certification requirements, you will be eligible for certification in Oklahoma. 

• What are the application and certification requirements?

  Field hours

  Minimum of 144 hours over three placements

  • 24 hours in an urban or highly diverse school (less than 70% white)
  • 24 hours in a middle school (6,7, or 8 grade) core content area classroom
  • 96 hours in a pre-internship placement--candidate may select three school districts
    • Cannot be a school where the candidate attended or has relatives attending or working
    • Cannot be a school where candidate has children attending

   

  Internship

  Minimum of 16 weeks of 40 hours per week.  Candidate may select three school districts or remain in the pre-internship placement if agreeable with the mentor/school.

   

  Admission to Professional Education

  • Pass a Foundations Course/First Field Experience course (CIED 2453) with a C or better
  • Have an overall GPA of 2.50 or above
  • Meet one of the following–
    • General Ed GPA of 3.0 or higher across 30 hours
    • Score a 22 or higher on the ACT (writing portion must be included)
    • Score 1120 on the SAT with writing scores of 5 for Reading, 4 for Analysis, and 5 for Writing
    • Passing PRAXIS scores for math, reading, and writing on the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators
  • Possess a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution

   

  Oklahoma Subject Area Tests

  Elementary Education Subtest 1 (OK 150) and Subtest 2 (OK 151).  Must be taken to be assigned to student teaching; must be passed to qualify at OSDE for certification.

   

  Other Tests

  • Pass the Trauma Informed and Legal Issues modules before graduation
  • Pass the Foundations of Reading Test (890)
  • Pass the Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK) Elementary (053)
  • Pass the OSDE Naturalization and Citizenship Test

   

  Other Requirements

  • Complete a Federal Background Check with Fingerprints to be sent to OSDE
  • Complete a certification application and pay OSDE for certificate
• Is the program fully online?

  The program is an online program with field experiences and internships required in person. Courses are offered in three formats: asynchronous (no scheduled meeting times), synchronous (scheduled Zoom classes with the instructor and classmates), or hybrid (a combination of asynchronous/synchronous; i.e., you may have a Zoom class scheduled at certain times, while at other times, the work will be asynchronous). Additionally, there are three field experiences and a student teaching internship that requires participation in person within an elementary/middle school public school classroom. Two field experiences require 24 hours each in a classroom setting. One field experience, to be completed the semester before the internship requires 96 hours of field observations. The internship is a semester-long experience. 

• Am I required to apply for Oklahoma teaching certification if I am an out-of-state resident? 

  The program is an Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education accredited program, therefore, all students seeking completion of an elementary education degree must comply with the Oklahoma Teacher Certification requirements.

  
  Note: Out-of-state residents wishing to seek teacher certification in their state of residence may apply directly to their state department of education for teacher certification after receiving the Oklahoma state teaching certificate. Many states have reciprocal agreements making this process relatively easy. See State Contacts for a list of state departments of education. 

• Who do I contact about coursework or enrollment?

  For questions about your coursework, enrollment or other questions, contact the academic advisor, Michelle Crew, at 405-744-5053 or michelle.crew@okstate.edu. 

• Are the required field experiences in person or online?

  Although coursework is 100% online, there are field experiences which require the student to participate in person. Field experiences are imbedded in the following courses:

   

  • CIED 2453 Introduction to Teaching and Learning (class times are synchronous) and  24 observation hours (in person) in an elementary classroom.
  • CIED 3622 Middle Level Observation (class times are asynchronous)  and 24 observation hours (in person) in a middle school classroom.
  • CIED 4373 Classroom Environments and Experiences (class times are asynchronous) and 96 observation hours (in person) in an elementary or middle school classroom.
  • CIED 4450 Internship in Elementary Education (no class time) - this is the student teaching experience (in person), in a classroom daily for a minimum of 16 weeks.