Elementary Education (Non-Licensure), BA (CAGS)

Within the context of a Christian worldview, the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (Non-Licensure) degree provides a challenging, theory-based and application-oriented approach to educating children from kindergarten to grade 6. Courses and field experiences develop educators who are dedicated to addressing diverse learner needs with excellence through servant-leadership in their field and in society.

The skills and dispositions of the professional educator will be developed through the study of curriculum development, learning assessment, psychological foundations, teaching methods, classroom management, and critical thinking. These principles are then put into practical application through field-based experiences in real K-6 classrooms. This combination of conceptual knowledge applied in real-world classroom experiences contributes to the student's development as an elementary educator.

Upon successful program completion, graduates meet requirements for certification by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to teach in schools around the world. Students pursuing this degree are not eligible for a Colorado state teaching license.  However, this degree will meet educational requirements for teaching in many private elementary schools, charter schools, international schools, and other agencies. Although a full-time student teaching practicum is not required, students are required to complete approximately 160 clock-hours of field-based experiences over the course of two semesters.

Students graduating from the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (Non-Licensure) program may apply to the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (MACI) program at CCU. Upon acceptance, six credits of graduate-level coursework included in the BA professional core can be applied to the MACI "Non-Emphasis" degree.

All degree program requirements must be completed within four years beginning from the start date of the first education course within the professional core of the program. After the four-year period, a student who has not completed the program requirements will be withdrawn from the program unless an exception to policy request to extend this time limitation is submitted by the student and approved by the program director.  In this case, the student’s CCU transcript will be reviewed by the program director.  At the director’s discretion, if an extension is approved, a program course may have to be retaken if the content of the course has received substantive changes since it was last taken by the student. 

Students who step out of the program for more than 365 days or go beyond the four-year period without an approved extension and wish to complete the program will be required to apply for re-admission. If approved for readmission, the student’s CCU transcript will be reviewed by the program director.  At the director’s discretion, a program course may have to be retaken by the re-admitted student if the content of the course has received substantive changes since it was last taken by the student. Students will be required to adhere to current academic policies, program requirements, tuition, and fees.

The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (Non-Licensure) requires completion of the following 120 hours:
General Education Core (45 credits)
Elementary Education Professional Core (39 credits)
Electives (36 credits)