Academic Catalog - Elementary Teacher Education AA
Degree & Course Information
An associate degree in Elementary Teacher Education can be a first step toward a career as an elementary school teacher, special education teacher, school administrator, instructional designer, or professional tutor. This degree is transferable to universities offering a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Inclusive Elementary Education, Human Development, Interdisciplinary Studies, Liberal Arts, and Liberal Studies.
Students should work closely with their advisor and contact their transfer institution choices for more specific transfer information.
The first year of an Elementary Education program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses in your first year is proven to greatly increase your likelihood of crossing the graduation stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts and Humanities, History, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences.
Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses will become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of pedagogy and child development will grow and deepen. Coursework will include Introduction to Education and Child Development. After completing a 60-credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers bachelor’s degrees.
Elementary Teacher Education – AA (60 credits)
Required Courses that Fulfill General Education Requirements (32 Credit Hours) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title | |
| (Written) Communication | 6 | ENG 1021* English Composition I ENG 1022 English Composition II |
| Mathematics | 6 | MAT 1220 Integrated Math I MAT 1230** Integrated Math II |
| Arts & Humanities | 3 | LIT 1015 Introduction to Literature OR LIT 2001 World Literature to 1600 OR LIT 2002 World Literature After 1600 OR LIT 2011 American Lit. to Civil War OR LIT 2021 British Literature to 1770 |
| History | 3 | HIS 1210 U. S. History to Reconstruction |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 6 | GEO 1005 World Regional Geography POS 1011 American Government |
| Natural & Physical Sciences | 4 | SCI 1055 Integrated Science I with lab |
| 4 | SCI 1056**** Integrated Science II with lab | |
**Additional Required Courses & Electives (28 Credit Hours) |
|
|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title |
| 3 | COM 1150 Public Speaking |
| 3 | EDU 2211 Introduction to Education |
| 3 | PSY 2441 Child Development |
| Electives – 19 credit hours determined by the receiving institution.institution. | |
* Some educator preparation programs require a B- in ENG 121/1021 as an admission requirement. However, a C- or better meets the general education GT-CO1 requirement.
** Completion of MAT 155/1220 & 156/1230 with a C- or higher will satisfy the GT Pathways math requirement at some institutions but not all. At the receiving institution’s discretion, students may be asked to complete a GT-MA1 approved course.
*** MAT 155/1220 and MAT 156/1230 became approved GT Pathways courses, effective Summer 2020.
**** Students must pass with a C- or higher in BOTH SCI 155/1055 & 156/1056 to satisfy the GT Pathways science requirement.
*If a student should need to take remedial and/or pre-requisite courses they are not included in this degree plan.
*Some courses may not be offered at Otero but available with CCCOnline.
Otero College is a part of a Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement between Colorado community colleges and universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The following Colorado public four-year institutions will accept your completed Elementary Teacher Education AA degree from Otero College.
Adams State University
[B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies]
Colorado Mesa University
[B.A. Liberal Arts]
Colorado Mountain College
[B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies]
Colorado State University-Pueblo
[B.S. Liberal Studies]
Fort Lewis College
[B.A. Elementary Education]
Metropolitan State University of Denver
[B.A. Elementary Education; B.A. Human Development]
University of Colorado Boulder
[B.A. Elementary Education]
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
[B.A. Inclusive Elementary Education; B.A. Biology, B.A. English
Literature, B.A. Geography & Environmental Studies, B.A. History, or
B.A. Spanish]
University of Colorado Denver
[B.A. Education and Human Development – Elementary Education]
University of Northern Colorado
[B.A. Elementary Education]
Western Colorado University
[B.A. Elementary Education, CLD emphasis]