Transfer program: AA to BA in Elementary Education with Special Education Emphasis
About The Transfer Program
This transfer path includes coursework at College of DuPage (COD) that will lead to an Associate in Arts degree and prepare you for transfer to Northern Illinois University's (NIU) BA in Elementary Education with Special Education 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
| 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 |
| 2nd Semester Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ENGLI 1102 English Composition II | 3 |
| POLS 1101 American Politics | 3 |
| *Humanities Elective | 3 |
| EDUCA 2201 Education for Exceptional Children | 4 |
| **CHEMI 1105 Contemporary Chemistry or CHEMI 1211 Survey of General Chemistry | 3-4 |
| 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
| 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 |
| 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 Special Education Emphasis
- Total Credits at Northern Illinois University: 74
| Summer Semester+ | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| MATH 201 | 3 |
| EPFE 410 | 3 |
| ETR 434 | 3 |
Third Year at NIU
| 5th Semester Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| LTRE 300 | 3 |
| LTRA 341 | 3 |
| SESE 415 | 4 |
| EPS 450 | 2 |
| LTIC 420 | 3 |
| TLEE 382 | 1 |
| 6th Semester Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| MATH 402 | 3 |
| TLEE 342 | 3 |
| LTRE 350 | 3 |
| SESE 417 | 3 |
| SESE 446 | 3 |
| TLEE 385 | 1 |
| Summer Semester Courses+ | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ARTE 383 or MUED 360 | 3 |
| KNPE 245 | 3 |
Fourth Year at NIU
| 7th Semester Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| ETR 430 | 3 |
| TLEE 383 | 2 |
| TLEE 344 | 3 |
| MATH 403 | 3 |
| SESE 460 | 3 |
| SESE 456 | 3 |
| 8th Semester Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| TLEE 485 | 10 |
| TLEE 461 | 1 |
Completion of BA in Elementary Education with Special Education Emphasis Degree: 143 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 Semester at NIU: EPFE 410, TLEE 282/EPS 282x, and LTIC 301. Students must pass ETR 434 before Fall 3 at NIU.
- Completion of Safety Tutorial prior to the First Professional 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.
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