Elementary Education & Human Development and Family Science Dual Degree Program

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

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

  1. Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
  2. Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework.  Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
  3. Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
  4. A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  5. At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
  6. Transfer Students: Must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate-degree granting or professional institution. 
    1. Of these 60, at least 36 must be NDSU resident credits as defined in #7.
    2. 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.
  7. 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

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 Credits39
  •  A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.

Major Requirements

HDFS & Elementary Education Requirements
HDFS 230Life Span Development (May satisfy general education category B)3
or PSYC 250 Developmental Psychology
HDFS 242Couples, Marriages and Families (May satisfy general education category W)3
HDFS 250Introduction to Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences3
HDFS 275Diversity and Multiculturalism in Individual and Family Life (May satisfy general education category B & D)3
HDFS 330Child Development3
HDFS 353Children, Families and Public Policy3
HDFS 390Career Development1
EDUC 210Creative Activities2
EDUC 240Educating Exceptional Students3
EDUC 250Introduction to Education3
EDUC 283Understanding Cultural Diversity3
EDUC 300Educational Technology2
EDUC 315Math in the Elementary School3
EDUC 320Social Studies in the Elementary School3
EDUC 321Foundations of Reading Instruction3
EDUC 322Methods of Language Arts Instruction3
EDUC 323Reading in Elementary School2
EDUC 330Children's Literature3
EDUC 350Elementary School Practicum and Classroom Management (2 cr.) & HDFS 496: Field Experience (1 cr.)3
EDUC 352Culturally Diverse Practicum1
EDUC 355Science Methods/Elementary Teachers3
EDUC 400Educational Psychology2
EDUC 450Trends in Assessment & Education Issues2
EDUC 490Student Teaching (Elementary - 10 cr.) & HDFS 496: Field Experience (1 cr.)11
GEOL 105Physical Geology (May satisfy general education category S and G)3
or GEOL 106 The Earth Through Time
HIST 103U.S. to 1877 (May satisfy general education category A)3
or HIST 104 U.S. Since 1877
MATH 104Finite Mathematics (May satisfy general education category R)3
PSYC 111Introduction 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)
HDFSElective3
HDFS300-400 level6
Other Elementary Education Requirements
Biology Elective3
Chemistry or Physics Elective or STEM ED 160 3
CSCI 114Computer Applications (May satisfy general education category S)3
or TL 116 Business Software Applications
GEOG 111Survey of Geography2
MATH 277Math for Elementary Teachers I3
MATH 278Math for Elementary Teachers II2
EDUC 491Seminar (Senior Portfolio)1
Total Credits112

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 .