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Northern Illinois University: AA to BA in Elementary Education with ESL/Bilingual Emphasis

Transfer program: AA to BA in Elementary Education with ESL/ Bilingual Emphasis 

About The Transfer Program

This transfer path includes coursework at College of DuPage (COD) that will lead to an Associate in Arts (AA) degree and prepare you for transfer to Northern Illinois University's (NIU) BA in Elementary Education with ESL/ Bilingual Emphasis program.

Ready to become the elementary school teacher you loved as a child?

NIU's experiential and research-informed program in Elementary Education prepares you to work with children in first through sixth-grades, ready to teach in all subject areas. We're grounded in theory, research and best practices, and our graduates work in a wide variety of linguistic, socio-economic and cultural contexts. You'll learn about multicultural curriculum and instruction, classroom management, educational technology, special education, assessment, educational philosophy and psychology. We are accredited nationally by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The NIU College of Education embeds diverse, real-world learning opportunities in elementary education, offering you valuable experiences you won't get anywhere else. You'll have four field experiences prior to student teaching, each focusing on a specific element of education, including literacy and teaching learners from diverse backgrounds. Our "Educate and Engage" series offers many unparalleled experiences in which our students apply what they learn and are supported in their transition to professionals.

For more information on this program submit a inquiry form with Northern Illinois University.

Transfer Agreement Suggested Plan

  • Degree: Associate of Arts
  • Area of Concentration: Teacher Preparation
  • Total Credits at College of DuPage: 64

First Year at COD

Total Semester Credit Hours: 15
1st Semester Courses Credit Hours
ENGLI 1101 English Composition I 3
SPEEC 1100 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3
*EDUCA 1100 Introduction to Education 3
*General Education Math 3
PSYCH 1100 General Psychology 3
Total Semester Credit Hours: 16-17
2nd Semester Courses Credit Hours
ENGLI 1102 English Composition II 3
POLS 1101 American Politics 3
ENGLI 1157 Children's Literature 3
EDUCA 2201 Education for Exceptional Children 4
**CHEMI 1105 Contemporary Chemistry or CHEMI 1211 Survey of General Chemistry 3-4
Total Semester Credit Hours: 6
Summer Semester Courses Credit Hours
HISTO 1130 History of the United States to 1865 or HISTO 1140 History of the United States since 1865 3
*Humanities/ Fine Arts Elective 3

 

 

Second Year at COD

Total Semester Credit Hours: 15 - 16
3rd Semester Courses Credit Hours
ECONO 2202 Microeconomics and the Global Economy or ECONO 2200 Principles of Economics/ ECONO 2201 Macroeconomics and the Global Economy 3
**BIOLO 1100 Survey of Biology or BIOLO 1110 Environmental Biology 3
**EARTH 1101 Physical Geology of Earth's Interior or EARTH 1122 Astronomy: The Solar System 3-4
GEOGR 1100 Western World Geography or GEOGR 1105 Eastern World Geography 3
*Fine Arts Elective 3
Total Semester Credit Hours: 15
4th Semester Courses Credit Hours
EDUCA 1101 School  Procedures 3
MATH 1431 Precalculus I or MATH 1116 Technical Mathematics II 3
EDUCA 2230 Diversity in K-12 Schools 3
ECEC 1101 Growth and Development of the Young Child 3
EDUCA 1150 Technology Integration in K-12 Schools 3

Completion of AA Degree: 64 credit hours

  • Degree: Bachelor of Arts
  • Major: Elementary Education with ESL/Bilingual Emphasis
  • Total Credits at Northern Illinois University: 74
Total Semester Credit Hours: 9
Summer Semester+ Credit Hours
MATH 201 3
EPFE 410 3
EPS 300 3

 

Third Year at NIU

Total Semester Credit Hours: 15
5th Semester Courses Credit Hours
LTRE 300 3
LTRA 341  3
SESE 456 3
EPS 450 2
LTIC 400 3
TLEE 382 1
Total Semester Credit Hours: 16
6th Semester Courses Credit Hours
MATH 402 3
TLEE 342 3
LTRE 350 3
LTIC 435 3
LTIC 445 3
TLEE 385 1
Total Semester Credit Hours: 6
Summer Semester Courses+ Credit Hours
ARTE 383 or MUED 360 3
KNPE 245 3

 

Fourth Year at NIU

Total Semester Credit Hours: 17
7th Semester Courses Credit Hours
ETR 430 3
TLEE 383 2
TLEE 344 3
MATH 403 3
LTIC 420 3
LTIC 447 3
Total Semester Credit Hours: 11
8th Semester Courses Credit Hours
TLEE 485 10
TLEE 461 1

 

Completion of BA in Elementary Education with ESL/ Bilingual Emphasis Degree: 142 credit hours

Important Notes

  • *College of DuPage requirement.
  • ** There are 3 sciences courses required in the following area: Physical Science, Biological Science, and Earth & Space Science. One of these three must include a lab credit.
  • + Summer courses planned are not a confirmation of summer course offerings. Contact NIU and COD advisors to plan accordingly.
  • College Algebra is required for the elementary education major. However, students proficient in math may be able to test out of this requirement at NIU. Consult an NIU advisor
  • NIU ETT 229 Tech requirement can be met by passing a competency exam at NIU. Consult an NIU advisor.
  • Must have a minimum grade of "C" or equivalent in all major required course work as well as the courses used to satisfy the NIU Foundational Studies writing and Oral communication requirements (ENG 101, ENG 102, CMS 101).
  • Minimum cumulative GPA to begin the Fifth Semester course work and all courses after is a 2.75. Passing of all prerequisites is required prior to entering the Fifth Professional Semester at NIU: EPFE 410, TLEE 282/EPS 282x, and LTIC 301
  • Completion of Safety Tutorial prior to the Fifth Semester at NIU.
  • A criminal background check (CBC) is required for enrollment in all clinical experiences. Students are responsible for contacting the appropriate school district office of their placement for information on how to obtain the required CBC.
  • Annual verification of freedom from tuberculosis (TB test) before being allowed to participate in any clinical experience, including student teaching.
  • Successful completion of the subject matter knowledge test administered by the Illinois Licensure Testing System is required prior to enrolling in the Eighth Semester at NIU.
  • Successful completion of the EdTPA is required prior to licensure.

Accreditation – Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

GPA Graduation Requirements/Course Grade Requirements/etc. Refer to the "Comments" section above.

For more information on this program submit a inquiry form with Northern Illinois University.

Transfer Guide updated in Fall 2020.

Contact Information

Christine Jandak, College of DuPage Program Advisor
jandakc@cod.edu | (630) 942-2981

April Zawlocki, College of DuPage Associate Professor
zawlockia@cod.edu | (630) 942-3383

Counseling, Advising and Transfer Services
Student Services Center (SSC), Room 3200
(630) 942-2259

Christine Schweitzer, Northern Illinois University Elementary Education Program Advisor
cschweitzer2@niu.edu | (815) 753-8556

Northern Illinois University Transfer Center
(815) 753-0446 | transfercenter@niu.edu