Bachelor of Arts in
Elementary Education K-8 Distance

The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at the University of Alaska Southeast is a four-year undergraduate degree program available by distance to freshman and transfer students in urban and rural Alaska seeking a Bachelor degree and elementary education credential that meets state and national standards.  Students can complete this program while staying in their home communities. The senior year consists of a nine month intensive internship, with students completing a 2.5 days per week practicum experience in schools with their mentor in the fall and a 5 days per week student teaching experience in schools with their mentor in the spring. Student supervision is collaborative and highly interactive. Methods classes are taken throughout the senior year.

The degree requirements are interdisciplinary and provide breadth in the content areas necessary for successful teaching at an elementary level and depth in the opportunities to connect theory and practice in a variety of real classroom, school, and community contexts. Courses in this program:

• Connect theory & practice, emphasizing a wide breadth of interdisciplinary content

• Integrate current educational technology throughout the degree program

• Integrate practical experience with professional theory during a year-long senior capstone student teaching internship

• Are taught by outstanding, professionally recognized faculty in small classes

The main components of this program include: (1) subject area course work in UAS General Education Requirements (GERs); (2) additional subject area course work in those areas important for successful teaching at an elementary level; (3) foundation courses in education with practical experiences in the schools; (4) ongoing interactive student advisement; and (5) a capstone year-long experience where the professional education courses are integrated with field experiences and student teaching.

Contact

Jeffrey Lofthus, Program Coordinator and Advisor
jeffrey.loftus@uas.alaska.edu
907.796.6404 (Juneau)

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All education programs through the School of Education at University of Alaska Southeast are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, a performance-based teacher accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education recognized by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.