Graduate Certificate in Elementary Education

The Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development offers a Graduate Certificate program for qualified post-baccalaureate students who are interested in receiving Initial Licensure as a teacher of Elementary Education, Grades 1–6. Students who are successful in completing this program will develop the knowledge and skills necessary as a beginning teacher of Elementary Education, Grades 1–6. Specifically, the learning outcomes are as follows:

• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the subject matter necessary for elementary education curriculum (literacy, math, social studies, science) to plan curriculum and instruction.
• Demonstrate pedagogical knowledge in elementary education subject-specific areas to deliver effective instruction.
• Show ability to use child development knowledge in lesson planning and interactions with children to manage classroom climate and operation.
• Demonstrate ability to effectively and critically reflect on their own practice in order to improve their practice and meet professional responsibilities.
• Demonstrate equity and cultural competence and display knowledge about and sensitivity to the role of race, ethnicity, culture, gender in schooling, and accommodation for diverse student abilities.
• Collaborate with families to support students learning at home and at school.

For those students successful in completing all the courses and practica in this certificate program, the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development provides a recommendation for licensure to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Office of Educator Licensure. Students must also apply directly to the DESE and are required to take additional tests (Massachusetts Test for Educator License [MTELs]) to secure licenses.

Requirements for licensure as a teacher of Elementary Education, Grades 1–6 are listed below. Please note, prior coursework may be submitted for review to determine equivalency. If determined to be equivalent, required courses listed may be waived as a part of the certificate program.

Total credits: 38

• SED CH 515 Elementary Education Curriculum Methods (10 cr)
• SED CH 655 Student Teaching Practicum: Grades 1–6 (8 cr)
• SED ED 502/503 Foundations in Education (2 cr)
• SED LR 551 Reading Development, Assessment, and Instruction (4 cr)
• SED ME 503 Mathematics for Teaching: Algebra (4 cr)
• SED ME 504 Mathematics for Teaching: Geometry (4 cr)
• SED SE 510 Special Education (2 cr)
• SED TL 520 Sheltered English Immersion (4 cr)