Elementary Education
Training future educators to think critically, respond compassionately, and work strategically to meet the needs of every student.
Teaching as a profession, and as a way to fulfill the Great Commission, is incredibly rewarding, both personally and professionally. If this is indeed the direction that you believe God is leading you, we encourage you to consider Multnomah.
The elementary education program (PDF) here at Multnomah is unique from other schools’ programs in that our teacher education graduates will also graduate with a major in Bible. While this does require us to add one additional term of studies—one summer term between the junior and senior year—we feel that it is worth it. Multnomah graduates will not only be knowledgeable in all areas of teaching and learning, but also be students of the Word, able to serve from a Biblical perspective.
The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education is a 4-year degree program consisting of 139 semester-credit hours taken over nine terms. Students who enroll at Multnomah who wish to become licensed early childhood or elementary teachers will declare elementary education as a major when they enter as freshman. From the first term at Multnomah, students will be enrolled in education courses designed to equip and inspire students for service in formal educational settings: in public schools, private schools, international schools—virtually anywhere that licensed teachers are needed.
The process for completing the Bachelor’s in Elementary Education is a unique process because the Teacher Education Program is subject to external requirements from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, which is the teacher licensing agency for the state of Oregon. This agency, TSPC, has some specific requirements with regard to teacher licensure programs in the state of Oregon, which means that students who wish to be recommended for licensure need to follow a fairly specific course of study throughout their four years here at Multnomah. Our course of study includes three strands: Bible/theology, General Education, and Professional Education. Students who wish to graduate in four years need to follow the course layout carefully to be sure that all of the required classes are taken—so if you are interested in going through our program, please stop by the Faculty Annex and pick up a course layout so that you will know what courses to take from your freshman year on.
After your sophomore year, you are eligible to apply for entry into the Teacher Education Program. As a part of your application process, you will go through fingerprinting for the state of Oregon and take the CBEST, a test required by TSPC. More information about this test and about the process of applying for the Teacher Education Program is in the Teacher Education Handbook. This Handbook is given to all students who enroll in the Foundations of Education course, which is a course that students should take the fall term of their freshman year.
Our mission is to prepare educators whose minds are trained to think critically, whose hearts are trained to respond compassionately, and whose hands are trained to work strategically so that our graduates are qualified to meet the needs of every student capably and effectively. We welcome you to come and be a part of a community of believers in the Teacher Education Program committed to affecting the lives of future generations through the field of formal education.
