BA in Liberal Studies/Undergraduate Education TK-8 Program
67-68 units
Mission
The liberal studies major equips future teachers and other professionals by integrating coursework and service-learning experiences with the application of a Christian worldview as it relates to life vocation. It promotes awareness of cultural diversity issues and studies multiple curricula with an emphasis in specific subject areas aligned with Common Core standards for subject matter while fostering a holistic understanding of knowledge.
Program Overview
The Liberal Studies/Undergraduate Education TK-8 program offers a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies aligned with California Common Core subject matter standards in order to prepare undergraduate students seeking careers as elementary school teachers with the breadth of content knowledge needed to teach in a TK-8 setting.
The liberal studies degree provides future elementary school teachers with opportunities to teach in a self-contained classroom environment. Opportunities are available to take additional units toward a Supplementary/Subject Matter Authorization, if the student desires to teach content up to a ninth-grade level. Consult the Liberal Studies/Undergraduate Education TK-8 program in the Department of Teacher Education for complete information.
During the first two years of college, it is suggested that undergraduate liberal studies majors complete university general education requirements and prerequisites to upper-division coursework, which is embedded in the program’s four-year plan. Students may want to explore the teaching field by taking EDLS 210 as sophomores, juniors, or seniors, along with EDLS 260, EDLS 310, EDLS 315, EDLS 360, EDLS 420, and EDLS 465. Students in this program participate in a minimum of 50 hours of teacher-oriented, service-learning field experience and observation through several core liberal studies/undergraduate education TK-8 courses.
APU liberal students students prepare to work in schools as teachers, and they must know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all TK-8 students learn. Completion of the liberal studies major meets the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) subject matter requirement for the Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential or Education Specialist Credential. The liberal studies major is not a CTC-approved educator preparation program. Liberal studies students seeking to complete a CTC-approved educator preparation program need to complete the BA in Liberal Studies with Integrated Education Specialist Credential program, the BA in Liberal Studies with Integrated Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program, or one of the graduate credential programs offered by the Department of Teacher Education.
Career Opportunities
Though most liberal studies graduates enter teaching credential programs and find teaching positions in public and private schools locally, nationally, and abroad, demand exists in the business and communication fields as well because of the increasing need for college graduates with broad and diverse academic backgrounds. Potential teaching careers exist in multiple subject, single subject, and special education.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| EDLS 210 | Learning from A to Z: Launching Your Journey in Education 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 260 | Shapes, Stats, and Stories: Unveiling God's Design in Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 310 | Mind Matters: Exploring the Science of Learning 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 315 | Building Future Scientists: Foundations of Physical Science for Children 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 360 | Principles of Inclusive Education: AEIOU 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 420 | Fostering Creativity: Unlocking the Arts for Children 1 | 3 |
| EDLS 465 | Once Upon a Page: Connecting Children's Literature and Literacy 1 | 3 |
| COMM 111 | Public Communication 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 111 | Studies in Literature 3 | 3 |
| ENGL 403 | History and Structure of English | 3 |
| MATH 110 | College Algebra 4 | 3 |
| PHYC 125 | Earth Science Concepts and Applications | 3 |
| HIST 201 | World Civilizations and Geography to 1648 | 3 |
| HIST 202 | United States History to 1930 1,5 | 3 |
| HIST 338 | History of California | 3 |
| PSYC 290 | Human Growth and Development 1,6 | 3 |
| KIN 450 | Physical Education in Elementary Schools 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biology and Society 7 | ||
| General Biology I 7 | ||
| Concentrations | ||
| Select one concentration from the list below. | 12-13 | |
| Total Units | 67-68 | |
- 1
This is a core liberal studies course; these must be completed with a grade of C or higher and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- 2
Meets the APU Core: Oral Communication general education requirement.
- 3
Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Literature general education requirement.
- 4
Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.
- 5
California Education Code Section 44335 requires all candidates for a teaching credential to demonstrate knowledge of the United States Constitution by completing a college-level course or a college-level examination in the subject; successful completion of either with a grade of C or higher meets this California Education Code requirement.
- 6
Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.
- 7
Meets the APU Core: Natural Science general education requirement.
Students in the liberal studies major are limited to completing only one concentration from those listed below. A concentration course cannot double-count to meet a concentration requirement and a major requirement listed above.
Art Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ART 145 | Drawing I 1 | 3 |
| ART 146 | Painting I | 3 |
| Select one of the following art history courses: | 3 | |
| History of Ancient Art and Architecture 1 | ||
| History of Modern Art and Architecture | ||
| History of Contemporary Art and Architecture 1 | ||
| History of Early Christian and Medieval Art and Architecture 1 | ||
| History of Renaissance to Rococo Art and Architecture 1 | ||
| Select one of the following crafts courses: | 3 | |
| Ceramics I 1 | ||
| Printmaking: Serigraph | ||
| Sculpture I | ||
| Multicultural Art 1 | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Fine Arts general education requirement.
English Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 222 | English Literature to 1789 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 224 | World Literature to the Renaissance 1 | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| American Literature to 1865 (Select one of the following American literature courses:) 1 | ||
| American Literature Since 1865 1 | ||
| American Ethnic Literature 2 | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| American Novel | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Literature general education requirement.
- 2
Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.
Human Development: School Psychology Concentration
PSYC 290 and MATH 130 are prerequisite courses for the upper-division courses in this concentration.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MATH 130 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
| PSYC 345 | Psychology of Child and Adolescent Development 2 | 3 |
| PSYC 360 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Brain and Behavior | ||
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Cognition | ||
| Psychology of Learning | ||
| Psychology of Exceptional Children | ||
| Neurological and Behavioral Disorders | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.
- 2
Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.
Human Development: Special Education Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDLS 303 | Introduction to Special Populations | 3 |
| EDLS 304 | Introduction to Teaching Special Populations | 3 |
| PSYC 410 | Psychology of Exceptional Children | 3 |
| PSYC 430 | Intervention Strategies with Children | 3 |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Math Concentration
See the Department of Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics for updated schedules.
Note: Students must begin their mathematics coursework at the level for which they qualify as determined by their SAT/ACT score, previous university coursework, or the APU mathematics placement assessment. Some students require one or more courses prior to calculus.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 280 | Discrete Mathematics and Proof | 3 |
| MATH 340 | Geometry | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistics 1 | ||
| Introduction to Modeling with Probability | ||
| Total Units | 13 | |
- 1
Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.
Music Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MUS 101 | Beginning Voice Class | 1 |
| MUS 103 | Beginning Piano Class 1 | 1 |
| MUS 121 | Music Theory I 2 | 3 |
| MUS 133 | Practical Musicianship I | 1 |
| MUS 201 | Introduction to World Music 3 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| History and Literature of Commercial Music | ||
| Ancient, Renaissance, and World Music Literature | ||
| Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic Music Literature | ||
| Late Romantic and 20th-Century Music Literature 4 | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Or 1 unit for each Applied Piano (permission by audition only).
- 2
Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Fine Arts general education requirement.
- 3
Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.
- 4
Meets the APU Core: Humanities: History general education requirement.
Science Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| BIOL 151 | General Biology I 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 152 | General Biology II | 4 |
| CHEM 123 | General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry for the Health Sciences 1 | 4 |
| Optional Elective | ||
| Physics for Life Sciences I 1 | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
Meets the APU Core: Natural Science general education requirement.
Social Science Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| POLI 150 | American Government 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following world history/political science courses: | 3 | |
| Modern Africa | ||
| History of the Middle East I: Early and Medieval Islam | ||
| History of the Middle East II: Modern Middle East | ||
| Colonial Latin America | ||
| Ritual and Re-enactment in Modern Latin America | ||
| Historical Themes 2 | ||
| History and Politics of the Non-Western World | ||
| Select two of the following social science courses: | 6 | |
| World Geography 3 | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics 4 | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| State and Local Government | ||
| Comparative Politics | ||
| Contemporary Social Problems | ||
| Education and Society | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
- 1
California Education Code Section 44335 requires all candidates for a Teaching Credential to demonstrate knowledge of the United States Constitution by completing a college-level course or a college-level examination in the subject; successful completion of either with a grade of C or higher meets this California Education Code requirement.
- 2
Selected theme must be non-U.S. and non-European.
- 3
Recommended for students who wish to include a Supplementary Authorization in Social Science on a future California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.
- 4
Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.
Spanish Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SPAN 201 | Intermediate Spanish I | 3 |
| SPAN 202 | Intermediate Spanish II | 3 |
| SPAN 301 | Spanish Conversation and Community 1, 2 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Literary Masters 3 | ||
| Survey of Spanish Literature | ||
| Survey of Latin American Literature | ||
| Survey of the Literature of the Spanish-Speaking World | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |