Elementary Education & Human Development and Family Science Dual Degree Program
Major Requirements
Dual Degree Program
Major at NDSU: Human Development & Family Science
Major at VCSU: Elementary Education
Degree Type at: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 126
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution.
- Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
- Within the 36 resident credits, a minimum of 15 must be in courses numbered 300 or higher and 15 credits in the major field of study.
- At least 36 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories. |
- A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS & Elementary Education Requirements | ||
| HDFS 230 | Life Span Development (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| or PSYC 250 | Developmental Psychology | |
| HDFS 242 | Couples, Marriages and Families (May satisfy general education category W) | 3 |
| HDFS 250 | Introduction to Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 275 | Diversity and Multiculturalism in Individual and Family Life (May satisfy general education category B & D) | 3 |
| HDFS 330 | Child Development | 3 |
| HDFS 353 | Children, Families and Public Policy | 3 |
| HDFS 390 | Career Development | 1 |
| EDUC 210 | Creative Activities | 2 |
| EDUC 240 | Educating Exceptional Students | 3 |
| EDUC 250 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| EDUC 283 | Understanding Cultural Diversity | 3 |
| EDUC 300 | Educational Technology | 2 |
| EDUC 315 | Math in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDUC 320 | Social Studies in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDUC 321 | Foundations of Reading Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 322 | Methods of Language Arts Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 323 | Reading in Elementary School | 2 |
| EDUC 330 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| EDUC 350 | Elementary School Practicum and Classroom Management (2 cr.) & HDFS 496: Field Experience (1 cr.) | 3 |
| EDUC 352 | Culturally Diverse Practicum | 1 |
| EDUC 355 | Science Methods/Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| EDUC 400 | Educational Psychology | 2 |
| EDUC 450 | Trends in Assessment & Education Issues | 2 |
| EDUC 490 | Student Teaching (Elementary - 10 cr.) & HDFS 496: Field Experience (1 cr.) | 11 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology (May satisfy general education category S and G) | 3 |
| or GEOL 106 | The Earth Through Time | |
| HIST 103 | U.S. to 1877 (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| or HIST 104 | U.S. Since 1877 | |
| MATH 104 | Finite Mathematics (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology (May satisfy general education category B) | 3 |
| Select one from the following: (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 | |
| Business and Professional Writing | ||
| Writing in the Health Professions | ||
| Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | ||
| HDFS Electives: (Cannot take HDFS 230 or HDFS 496) | ||
| HDFS | Elective | 3 |
| HDFS | 300-400 level | 6 |
| Other Elementary Education Requirements | ||
| Biology Elective | 3 | |
| Chemistry or Physics Elective or STEM ED 160 | 3 | |
| CSCI 114 | Computer Applications (May satisfy general education category S) | 3 |
| or TL 116 | Business Software Applications | |
| GEOG 111 | Survey of Geography | 2 |
| MATH 277 | Math for Elementary Teachers I | 3 |
| MATH 278 | Math for Elementary Teachers II | 2 |
| EDUC 491 | Seminar (Senior Portfolio) | 1 |
| Total Credits | 112 | |
NDSU HDFS Degree Requirements and Notes
- A grade of C or better is required for all HDFS courses, regardless of whether they are used for the major core, major electives, general education, or free electives.
- A 2.50 cumulative GPA is required in major courses for graduation.
- Course taken Pass/Fail will not be used to satisfy any requirements other than total credits.
VCSU Elementary Education Degree Requirements and Notes
- Though not required, many majors pursue a Reading or STEM credential or an endorsement in Kindergarten, Middle School, English Language Learners (ELL), or as a Special Education Strategist.
- A 2.75 cumulative GPA is required for admission to teacher education.
- A 2.5 cumulative GPA is required to begin coursework in elementary education program.
- Students will need to take Praxis CORE I sophomore year and Praxis II subject matter and pedagogy exams senior year .