Online Elementary Education Program

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Please select ‘Online Elementary Program’ or ‘Online Special Education Program’ on CU’s admission application.

The Online Education Program is a Bachelor of Science in Education degree that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours from the following areas: the General Education Program, the Professional Education Component, and the Content Specialization Component (Elementary K-6 or Special Education K-Adult). Candidates are also required to meet basic skills requirements in reading, writing and mathematics, criterion scores on PRAXIS II: Subject Assessment exam(s) and the WV Teacher Performance Assessment (WVTPA). Candidates must also meet West Virginia certification requirements.

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree will qualify a teacher candidate for recommendation of initial licensure to the West Virginia Department of Education. This is a requirement, even if the candidate intends to teach in another state. Through reciprocal licensure agreements, graduates may qualify for licensure in other states. Graduates may receive one-year probationary certification while filing to become a citizen of the United States, or when filing a declaration of intent to become a naturalized citizen.

Once a candidate is accepted into an Online Education Program, they must also be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program. Acceptance into Concord University, or acceptance into an Online Education Program does not mean you have been accepted into the Teacher Education Program.

Candidates are given a 4-Year-Plan during their first advising appointment; deviation from the plan will result in delayed graduation due to the Fall/Spring rotation of online education courses.

  1. Candidate submits a Concord University admission application. Candidates must select ‘Online Elementary Program’ or ‘Online Special Education Program’ on Concord University’s admission application. APPLY HERE.
  2. The submitted application is processed by Concord University’s Admissions Office, and is then processed by Department of Education. The Department of Education Office will complete a transcript analysis if needed.
  3. Candidates will be notified of their status (accepted or denied) via email from the Department of Education Chair
  4. If accepted, candidates will have a 4-Year-Plan created for them by the Department of Education Chair, and will be enrolled in coursework.
  5. Candidates will meet with their assigned education advisor each semester prior to enrolling in coursework to ensure they are on track for successful program completion and graduation.

All coursework in the Online Elementary & Online Special Education Programs will be delivered in an online, asynchronous format. Candidates will still be required to participate in face-to-face clinical experiences

Professional Education Component – Core Coursework

All teacher education candidates must earn a 2.50 GPA in the Professional Education Component, and complete all Professional Education Component courses with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Coursework in the Professional Education Component that is older than ten years may have to be repeated.

  • EDUC 210 Diversity, Culture, and Education in a Pluralistic Society (3 hrs)
  • EDUC 210L Clinical Experience Level I (0 hrs)
  • EDUC 301 Educational Technology (3 hrs)
  • EDUC 305 Psychology of Teaching and Learning (3 hrs)
  • EDUC 305L Clinical Experience Level II (0 hrs)
  • EDUC 306 Classroom Management and Instructional Strategies (3 hrs)
  • EDUC 306L Clinical Experience Level III (0 hrs)

Professional Education Component – Year Long Residency

All teacher education candidates must earn a 2.50 GPA in the Professional Education Component, and complete all Professional Education Component courses with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Coursework in the Professional Education Component that is older than ten years may have to be repeated. Students who complete Part 1 of the Year Long Residency will then transition into Part 2 of the Year Long Residency within the same classroom.

Residency Part I

  • EDSP 415 Co-Teaching, Consultation and Collaboration (3 hrs)
  • EDUC416 Assessment and the Data Informed Teacher (3 hrs)
  • EDUC450 Clinical Experience Level IV (6 hrs)

Residency Part II

  • EDUC460 Clinical Experience Level V (12 hrs)

Content Area Component

All teacher education candidates must earn the minimum required content area GPA, and meet all minimum grade requirements as outlined in the Academic Catalog. Content area coursework is specific to each content specialization. Please reference the Academic Catalog for additional information.

General Education Component

All Concord University students must earn a minimum 2.00 in the General Education Component. Specific General Education courses are satisfied within the Elementary Education program. Elementary Education majors must complete specific General Education coursework as noted on the progression sheet.

Are all applicants accepted into the Online Program?

No. Minimum requirements for admission to Concord University are required. Once admission to the university is granted, candidates must complete all other Online Program admission criteria, and have their application be reviewed by the Department of Education Chair.

Are only First-Time-Freshman allowed to apply?

No. Any first-time-freshman, current CU student, re-admit or transfer student can apply for admission into an Online Education Program. Analysis of transcripts are done on an individual basis to determine if transfer hours can be applied to the program.

Does acceptance into an Online Education Program mean automatic acceptance into the Teacher Education Program (TEP)?

No. Once admission into the program is granted, candidates must complete certain courses and requirements to be eligible to apply for formal admission to the TEP.

Would I be required to complete Clinical Experiences within Concord’s service area?

Concord does not place candidates in clinical experience classrooms without a written agreement with the school district. Concord is willing to work to establish agreements with any district, so that clinical experiences can be completed in relatively close proximity to the candidate. Establishing agreements depends on the willingness of the school district to provide certain assurances to ensure quality clinical experiences, with quality supervision and support.

Would the Year Long Residency be required?

Yes. All education programs include a Year-Long Residency.

During Residency Part I, the candidate is placed in the school where they will be completing the year-long residency. This is a semester-long, intensive (full-day), professional experience. Candidates will complete approximately 315 hours of teaching time in the classroom (3 full days per week, based upon mentor’s contracted time). During Residency Part I the teacher candidate will follow Concord University’s academic calendar.

During Residency Part II, candidates work as full-time teaching interns, assuming all responsibilities and duties of the cooperating mentor, under the direction of a university supervisor. Residency Part II is a 16-week, intensive (full-day), professional experience. Teacher candidates should not enroll in extra coursework, or engage in extra-curricular activities which interfere with Residency Part II. Exceptions to this must be approved by the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences. During Residency Part II the candidate will follow the county schools academic calendar.

Will I received a teaching license?

Upon successful completion of an Online Education Program, candidates will be recommended for a West Virginia Teaching license. West Virginia has reciprocal agreements with all states. Candidates should check requirements of the state in which they are ultimately planning to teach for specific requirements and eligibility.

What if I determine that an entirely online program isn’t the best choice for me after I have begun the coursework?

Candidates who are accepted into an Online Education Program may exit the program at any time to complete coursework as part the regular elementary education program. However, once a candidate exits an Online Education Program, they can not re-apply for admission.

Am I allowed to take a combination of online coursework, and course work delivered in a synchronous manner?

No. If a candidate is enrolled in an Online Program, all coursework must be completed entirely online. Accepted candidates will not be able to “jump around” between course delivery methods.

Will non-online students be permitted to take online education courses as well?

Yes. Online Program candidates are given priority in online education course enrollment. If seats remain open after Online Program candidates have enrolled, non-online program candidates will be permitted to enroll in the coursework.

Will I be guaranteed a spot in an online course that is not an Education course?

Ideally, yes. Online Program courses must be taken in a specific order, in order to match other departments’ online course offerings. A specific number of seats in those courses will be “reserved” for Online Program candidates during the designated semesters.