Middle Childhood Education, BSEd

Program Description

The Middle Childhood Education (MCE) undergraduate licensure degree program at Wright State University is committed to the quality and success of every teacher candidate.  In accordance with the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE) national standards, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the Ohio Learning standards, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) standards, and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards, the MCE program faculty are committed to ensuring high teacher candidate quality from recruitment and admission, through the progression of courses and field experiences, to program completion and graduation of candidates in two content areas (math, science, social studies, language arts) and in reading.  Faculty and staff work closely with every candidate to ensure a positive experience and to support the learning outcomes of our specific courses and program.

The Middle Childhood Education program leads to the Bachelor of Science in Education degree with licensure in 2 content areas (math, science, social studies, language arts) and reading for grades 4-9. Choose from the following content area options:

• Language Arts & Social Studies
• Language Arts & Mathematics
• Language Arts & Science
• Social Studies & Mathematics
• Social Studies & Science
• Mathematics and Science

The MCE undergraduate licensure degree program is designed so that candidates complete general education and content courses during their first four semesters (two years) and are admitted into the MCE program at the beginning of their third year experiences. They will proceed through their third and fourth years as members of a cohort group. The cohort portion of the program consists of four semesters of integrated coursework and field experiences.

Specific courses will be taken to ensure that candidates develop theoretical and practical knowledge in the humanities, mathematics and technology, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and the arts. Courses that incorporate multi-cultural and global perspectives are also included in the general education requirements. The content area methods courses taken during the fourth year in the program focus on pedagogy and developmentally responsive best practices for middle-level learners.

Additionally, candidates will complete a year-long field placement during their fourth year with two days per week spent in a field placement classroom in the fall, followed by student teaching, consisting of five days per week in the same classroom during the spring semester. Due to the year-long field placement in school settings, parts of this program operate on a different calendar than the university calendar, and candidates may be required to start prior to the beginning of the university's academic term. Candidates pursuing a teacher licensure program are also required to successfully pass the Ohio Department of Education prescribed exams for their intended areas of licensure. An FBI/BCI background check is required for the year-long field placement, and the state of Ohio also requires an FBI/BCI background check as a part of the licensure application.

NOTE: Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state. The WSU Middle Childhood Education undergraduate program meets the educational requirements determined by the state of Ohio.  This program may NOT meet educational requirements outside of Ohio.  If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state's licensure or certification requirements.

Admission Requirements

1. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.6 or better.
2. Grade of C or better required for ALL pre-requisite content courses and education courses 
3. A minimum of 60 credit hours (including IP-In Progress)
4. Grade of C or better required for the following:

• All Pre-Professional Core courses: ED 1100, ED 2800, and MTH 2415
• All WSU Core courses related to the applicant's two respective concentration areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies)
• All Teacher Education courses under the WSU Core requirements: ED 2100, ED 2600, ED 2700, and EDS 2900

5. Professional Dispositions (CDI) “Meets Requirements” rating for ED 2650
6. No unresolved Concern Conferences.
7. Demonstration of competency on a nationally normed test in Reading, Writing and Math via the subtests on the ACT, SAT, and/or Praxis Core Academics for Educators exams. See program website for specific score requirements.

Program Learning Objectives 

Students in the program will be able to: 

• Satisfy the accreditation requirements of our accreditors. 
• Satisfy the teacher licensure requirements set forth by the Ohio Department of Education. 
• Meet the professional disposition requirements set forth by our accreditors. 

*Note the list of accreditation bodies below

Program Learning Outcomes 

• The students in our program, as a result of their learning experience, can satisfy the accreditation requirements of our accreditors. 
• The students in our program, as a result of their learning experience, can satisfy the teacher licensure requirements set forth by the Ohio Department of Education. 
• The students in our program, as a result of their learning experience, meet the professional disposition requirements set forth by our accreditors. 

For More Information

• Middle Childhood Education, B.S.Ed.
• School of Education and Leadership
• College of Health, Education, and Human Services