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 NDSU: 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 30 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Students presenting transfer credit must meet the NDSU residence credits and the minimum upper level credit. Of the 30 credits earned in residence, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Category C: Communication | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Category R: Quantitative Reasoning † | 3 | |
| Category S: Science and Technology † | 10 | |
| Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts † | 6 | |
| Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences † | 6 | |
| Category W: Wellness † | 2 | |
| Category D: Cultural Diversity *† | ||
| Category G: Global Perspectives *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
- *
Courses for category D & G are satisfied by completing D & G designated 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.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS & Elementary Education Requirements | ||
| HDFS 230 | Life Span Development | 3 |
| or PSYC 250 | Developmental Psychology | |
| HDFS 242 | Couples, Marriages and Families | 3 |
| HDFS 250 | Introduction to Research Methods in Human Development and Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 275 | Diversity and Multiculturalism in Individual and Family Life | 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 277 | Math for Elementary Teachers I | 3 |
| EDUC 278 | Math for Elementary Teachers II | 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 | 3 |
| EDUC 330 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| EDUC 350 | Elementary School Practicum and Classroom Management 1 | 2 |
| 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 |
| EDUC 491 | Seminar (Senior Portfolio) | 1 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology | 3 |
| or GEOL 106 | The Earth Through Time | |
| HIST 103 | U.S. to 1877 | 3 |
| or HIST 104 | U.S. Since 1877 | |
| MATH 104 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| or STAT 330 | Introductory Statistics | |
| PSYC 111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Select one from the following: | 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 | |
| Biology or Earth Science (Geology) Lab | 1 | |
| GEOG 111 | Survey of Geography | 3 |
| Total Credits | 112 | |
- 1
If no other NDSU courses are being taken during the same semester as EDUC 350, then students must enroll in an NDSU HDFS 496 course (1 cr.) in that semester. HDFS 496 can only be taken for a total of 2 credits for the entire program.
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 .