University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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College of Education

110 Education Building
1310 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-2800

The College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers undergraduate degree programs in two of the six departments within the college. The departments that offer undergraduate degree programs, and the programs offered by each, are described below.

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers degree programs in elementary education and early childhood education and provides the supporting course work for the teacher education minor in secondary education. Students who satisfactorily complete the degree program in elementary education are eligible for the University's recommendation for Illinois certification in grades kindergarten through nine. The early childhood education degree program prepares students for recommendation for Illinois early childhood certification (birth through grade three). The program also incorporates course work leading to an early childhood special education approval. Only students who have earned at least 60 semester hours are considered for admission to the elementary or early childhood curricula. The teacher education minor in secondary education is a component of the teaching option within the following Sciences and Letters majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: biology, chemistry, English, geology, history, mathematics, physics, and speech. Students who satisfactorily complete an LAS degree in one of these areas and the teacher education minor in secondary education are eligible for the University's recommendation for Illinois certification in grades six through twelve. For additional information regarding Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section elsewhere in this catalog. Additional information regarding the teacher education minor in secondary education may be found at the end of the College of Education's section.

The Department of Special Education offers an undergraduate degre program that prepares students to teach persons with moderate to severe disabilities. Students who satisfactorily complete the degree program in special education are eligible for the University's recommendation for Illinois certification in grades kindergarten through twelve with an endorsement in trainable mentally handicapped. This program is able to accommodate only a small number of juniors and seniors. Applicants to this program must complete special admission procedures.

In addition to these degree programs, a two-year curriculum in the College of Education, called education general, is available to students who have completed less than 60 semester hours of credit. It is designed to accommodate students admitted as freshmen who are uncertain about the specific degree programs they wish to pursue in the College of Education and who need to complete the 60 hours required for admission to all curricula in the college.

In addition to offering undergraduate degree programs in education, the College of Education, under the auspices of the Council on Teacher Education, cooperates with four other undergraduate colleges on the Urbana-Champaign campus to provide courses in professional education to undergraduate students who are preparing for careers in teaching and special educational services.

The College of Education also offers graduate degree programs. Detailed information concerning graduate programs in education may be obtained by referring to the College of Education Graduate Programs Handbook available in 120 Education Building.

Requirements

ADMISSION

All freshmen are admitted to the education general curriculum. Junior standing, at least 60 semester hours of baccalaureate-oriented course work attained at an accredited institution of higher learning, is required for admission to the programs in special education, elementary education, early childhood education and the teacher education minor in secondary education.

Admission to the College of Education at any level (freshmen, transfers from other institutions, or on-campus transfers from other colleges) is competitive. Freshmen must complete the University's minimum high school subject pattern described in the undergraduate admissions section elsewhere in this catalog. In addition, freshman applications are evaluated for admission based on ACT/SAT scores and the high school percentile rank achieved at the conclusion of the junior year in high school. Admission for transfer from other institutions and for on-campus transfer is based on the following criteria: the cumulative and University of Illinois grade point average(s), grades earned in the course work of the intended major, completion of required course pattern, the quality of the applicant's background statement, and space availability in the desired curriculum. At the time of publication, the minimum grade point average for transfer admission was 3.1. A student whose cumulative average is below the minimum criteria may be considered individually, on a petition basis, if enrollment vacancies exist in the curriculum to which the student is seeking admission and if a compelling rationale is presented.

GRADUATION

Each undergraduate student in the College of Education must meet the University requirements and the requirements of the Council on Teacher Education for graduation; both sets of requirements are found elsewhere in this catalog. Students in all curricula must meet the course and academic credit requirements of their curricula with satisfactory scholastic averages. Student teaching is required of all undergraduates in teacher education and must be completed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students in need of additional information concerning regulations and requirements of the College of Education should consult their academic advisers or the associate dean for instructional programs in the College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 110 Education Building, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820.

For additional requirements pertaining to certification, please refer to the Council on Teacher Education section elsewhere in this catalog.

GENERAL EDUCATION

At the time of publication, the University general education requirements were under revision. Prospective and new students should confirm their general education requirements by consulting the college admissions/records officer.

In order to meet the University's current requirements in general education, each candidate for a degree from the College of Education must complete Composition I; Advanced Composition; Quantitative Reasoning I; Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures; Cultural Studies: Non-Western/U.S. Minority Cultures; Foreign Language through the third semester college course; and six hours in each of the following areas: Humanities/Arts, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Natural Sciences/Technology. In most teacher education curricula, additional credit in these areas is required. These requirements are generally fulfilled by course work offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students must select their courses for general education from the campus general education course list that may be accessed on the Web at http://www.provost.uiuc.edu/gened/.

Special Programs

Honors at Graduation

Eligibility for graduation with honors is established after all grades are recorded following a student's final semester. A student who achieves the required scholastic average in all work presented for

graduation (excluding credit for courses not included in the computation of the grade point average) may be recommended for honors as follows: honors, minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.75; high honors, minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.85; highest honors, minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.90.

Edmund J. James Scholars

The James Scholar program is a University-wide honors program established to encourage undergraduate research and independent study and to foster scholarly endeavors. As a James Scholar, students are entitled to certain academic privileges, including access to the "stacks" in the library, priority assignment of registration time, and official recognition on the University of Illinois transcript.

The college establishes the minimum criteria for participation in the program and invites eligible students to participate. Selection criteria for beginning freshmen is based on a selection index determined at the time of admission which combines the high school percentile rank and the student's ACT composite. Transfer and continuing students must have achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative and University of Illinois grade point average to participate.

Students are certified as James Scholars by the college on a yearly basis. To qualify for this certification, the student must complete one honors course each semester and maintain a 3.5 University of Illinois and cumulative grade point average. More information concerning the James Scholar program can be found elsewhere in this catalog.

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