Elementary Initial License Certificate

The Elementary Initial License Certificate program allows students to meet licensure requirements in elementary education (grades K-6). This program includes a one-year intensive combination of methods courses and fieldwork known as the Professional Year. Upon successful completion of the Professional Year, teacher candidates are recommended for initial teacher licensure from the State of Colorado in elementary education (grades K-6). Undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate degree from LAS select an approved major and fulfill the requirements for both the BA and licensure. Candidates who have already earned a baccalaureate degree apply for the Licensure Only (post-baccalaureate) option with the opportunity to apply nine (9) credits toward the MA in Curriculum and Instruction. The course requirements for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate licensure pathways differ and are listed below.

Post-baccalaureate students have the option to take up to nine (9) credit hours at the graduate level and apply them to an MA in Curriculum & Instruction within a five-year period.

Undergraduates, however, cannot use those credits toward both their BA degree and their MA degree.

**Please note: Undergraduates must map their program of study with their academic advisor/LAS advisor prior to consulting with a faculty advisor from the College of Education.

Central Features of Elementary Initial License Certificate

• Integration of education courses with professional field experiences
• Over 1000 hours of supervised and mentored field experiences
• Focus on embracing diversity and social justice throughout coursework and experiences
• Preparation of teacher candidates with evidence-based pedagogy and best practices through carefully designed methods courses
• Cohort model situated in partner schools with support from mentor teachers, building liaisons, and university supervisors
• Set sequence of courses from May to May, commonly known as the Professional Year 

Faculty

• Katie Anderson-Pence, Ph.D., Department Chair, Associate Professor
• Timothy Callahan, M.A., Senior Instructor
• Grant Clayton, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Leslie Grant, Ph.D. Associate Professor
• Mary Hanson, M.A., Instructor
• Christi Kasa, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Ji Hyun Oh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Kylie Swanson, Ph.D.,  Program Coordinator of Elementary Education, Assistant Professor