This program is offered in Fairbanks and College of Rural and Community Development campus service areas. The elementary teacher postbaccalaureate program is an intensive, year-long program designed to provide students with the course work and internship experience necessary to meet the Alaska Teacher Standards and be eligible for licensure as an elementary teacher in Alaska. This classroom-based program is built upon the principle of partnership — a cooperative effort between interns, mentor teachers and university faculty partners.

Students begin the program in the summer with a 9-credit block of courses. Students who complete the undergraduate courses ED F110, ED F201, ED F330, ED F344 and EDSE F316 can use these to fulfill the summer requirements. During the academic year of the school district, all students complete two semesters of integrated university courses and internship.

Students must apply through the Office of the Registrar to graduate with a certificate of completion. At the end of the school year, if students have successfully met all of the program requirements, they will be eligible to apply for an Alaska Elementary License.

Elementary applicants apply as graduate-level licensure students. They may choose to complete this licensure program as part of the M.Ed. degree in elementary education. However, application to the M.Ed. degree program should be made at the beginning of elementary postbaccalaureate course work to avoid losing credits for the M.Ed. degree. (See M.Ed. elementary education options requirements.) Candidates who enter the elementary postbaccalaureate licensure program are required to have laptop computers prior to enrolling in ED F344 or ED F624.

Admission and Application Information

It is recommended that students submit applications before Dec. 15 to provide time to complete prerequisites if necessary. Applications will be reviewed as submitted. Deadline is Feb. 15.

Admission includes meeting both UAF graduate admission requirements and the School of Education admission requirements.

GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

Submit the following to the UAF Office of Admissions with a copy to the School of Education:

1. UAF graduate application and fee.
2. Official transcript of bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and official transcripts from all institutions attended. A GPA of at least 3.0 (B grade) in undergraduate degree is required but students with less than a 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission in special circumstances.
3. Submit ACT, SAT or GRE scores.
4. Three letters of reference that address qualifications and potential as a teacher.
5. A vitae/resume.
6. Four- to five-page essay indicating: reasons for wanting to become a teacher, assessment of academic and personal strengths relative to teaching, future plans and reasons for selecting the elementary postbaccalaureate program.

School of Education REQUIREMENTS

Submit the following information directly to the School of Education, using School of Education forms:

1. Alaska passing scores from the Praxis I or Praxis Core ASE exam in reading, writing and mathematics and score from Praxis II Elementary Content exam (test 5018).
2. Completed academic analysis form to provide information on breadth and depth of prior course work relative to 10 Alaska Student Content Standard areas. If additional course work is required, it must be completed prior to beginning the program.
3. A writing sample, autobiography, evidence of successful paid or volunteer teaching/learning experience, evidence of successful cross-cultural experience.
4. Evidence of technology competence through successful completion of ED F237A, ED F237B, ED F237C and ED F237D or by successfully challenging each of the four components of the two-credit course.
5. Completed Alaska Department of Education and Early Development authorization packet (fingerprint cards and criminal background check necessary to work in schools). Packet is available from the School of Education.
6. Some school districts may require interns to submit a physical examination form.

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 39 credits