Majors & Minors

Identify best practices for engaging young children of all abilities in creative, dynamic play that fosters cognitive and language development. Learn to consider families and the environments in which your students live as integral to lesson planning. Gain experience developing an advocacy agenda around young children and their families.

Program Coordinator:

Learn to give children the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Rigorous coursework and carefully sequenced internships create optimal learning experiences as you prepare to teach elementary school students.

Degree Requirements

Program Coordinator:

Study the development of students at this pivotal stage in life. You’ll learn early the value of collaboration with colleagues, students’ families and external agencies as you work to provide a stimulating educational environment for all students.

Degree Requirements

Program Coordinator:

Program Coordinator:

Elon’s Science Education program prepares teachers for careers in high school teaching across the different science disciplines. The program emphasizes practical hands-on experience in classrooms, educational theory and pedagogy as well as a breadth and depth of science content knowledge. The program culminates with a full semester of teaching in a high school setting.

Degree Requirements

Program Coordinator:

This unique program is one degree with two majors, Elementary Education and Special Education. Students in this program will collaborate with Elon faculty and teachers from local schools to learn the best ways to meet the needs of students with learning differences. Veteran instructors offer guidance as you discover the special legal and developmental challenges that students and their families face.

Degree Requirements

Program Coordinator:

This unique program is one degree with two majors, Middle Grades Education and Special Education. Students in this program will collaborate with Elon faculty and teachers from local schools to learn the best ways to meet the needs of students with learning differences. Veteran instructors offer guidance as you discover the special legal and developmental challenges that students and their families face.

Degree Requirements

Program Coordinator:

Elon’s Teacher Education program offers secondary education licensure programs in high school subjects English, history, and math. K-12 licensure programs are available in music education and Spanish. Secondary education programs leading to North Carolina licensure require completion of a major through the appropriate academic department, in addition to successful completion of professional studies courses and other requirements for teacher licensure.

• English (9-12)
• History (9-12)
• Mathematics (9-12)
  • A.B. Mathematics with Teacher Licensure
  • B.S. Mathematics with Teacher Licensure
• Music Education (K-12)
• Spanish (K-12)

The Outdoor Leadership and Education (OLE) major is designed to provide the knowledge and skills for individuals to design, facilitate, analyze, and assess a variety of outdoor experiential education programming. OLE students develop transferable skills that apply to formal and informal settings including national parks, natural science centers or museums, corporate training and consulting, environmental policy organizations, and outdoor education outfitters.

Students can select from four different concentrations in the major:

• Outdoor Leadership and Education: Environmental Focus
• Outdoor Leadership and Education: Experiential Training and Consulting Focus
• Outdoor Leadership and Education: Inter/Intra Personal Focus
• Outdoor Leadership and Education: Learning and Leadership Focus

The Outdoor Leadership and Education major utilizes principles, practices, and pedagogies of experiential education to design and facilitate group and individual development. Outdoor experiential education is based on active learning pedagogy and aims at supporting the growth, development, well-being, and agency of individuals, groups, and communities.

This major prepares graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop and operate socially just, equitable, and inclusive programming. Students have the opportunity to graduate with a multitude of relevant work experience, certifications, and skills on their resumes. Outdoor Leadership and Education is interdisciplinary in nature with options including courses in both the liberal arts and professional schools to make student more competitive after graduation.

The major supports a variety of professional disciplines. Each concentration offers an interdisciplinary curriculum, hands-on experience, and other opportunities designed to prepare students for a variety of positions post-graduation. Positions could include many different fields, including: formal or informal education (K-12, college and universities, academic or outdoor recreation, youth and/or adult programs): Adventure travel and tourism industry (working as adventure field guide or program director for eco-tours, travel companies, resorts or hotels and/or community centers): Nature interpreters/naturalists (state or national parks; Parks & Recreation directors; environmental educators, or in non-profits or private settings):Wilderness therapy field instructor (for therapeutic programs, or for at-risk youth): Experiential educators (group facilitator; corporate training; team building specialist for camps, corporations, park services, religious organization, local recreation and parks).

Program Coordinator:

The Pre-K Add-on Licensure Track meets the coursework requirements for Preschool-Kindergarten (Pre-K) Add-on licensure in North Carolina, for undergraduates who are already majoring in a teacher licensure preparation program, such as Elementary Education. Other licensure components (testing) are required for licensure referral.

Course Requirements

The TESOL is a cross-disciplinary program designed to provide introductory preparation for teaching English to speakers of other languages in U.S. based K-12 programs, adult education, as well as educators in a global context. The mission of the TESOL is to foster the development of critically-engaged, effective English as a Second Language educators who are prepared to teach in the United States or abroad. The five-course sequence has three foundational courses in English and Education, along with a required teaching internship. Additionally, students will have options for two additional courses in language and education from a variety of departments.

Course Requirements

The Special Education Add-on Licensure Track meets the coursework requirements for Special Education (SPED) Add-on licensure in North Carolina, for undergraduates who are already majoring in a secondary teacher licensure preparation program. Other licensure components (testing) are required for licensure referral.

Course Requirements

The Adventure-Based Learning minor provides students with an introduction to the field of outdoor experiential education. Courses will focus on designing, facilitating, and assessing outdoor education programming and the many ways in which outdoor education can be used in formal and informal settings. Outdoor experiential education is based on active learning pedagogy and aims at supporting the growth, development, well-being, and agency of individuals, groups, and communities.

Course Requirements

The Coaching minor curriculum, offered by the Department of Education and Wellness, is based on the national coaching standards developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). Competencies are addressed from each of the NASPE domains: Philosophy and Ethics; Safety and Injury Prevention; Physical Conditioning; Growth and Development; Teaching and Communication; Sports Skills and Tactics; Organization and Administration; and Evaluation. The minor prepares future coaches interested in youth sports, community recreation leagues, scholastic sport (elementary through high school) and intercollegiate athletics.

Course Requirements

The Early Childhood Minor educates students in the science and theory of early human development to promote a holistic view of children within the socio-cultural context of their families and communities and appreciate the need for advocacy on behalf of young children and their families. The Early Childhood Minor prepares students to: learn about child development science and theory; better understand the needs of young children within their sociocultural environments; develop an advocacy agenda around young children and their families; build the skills to partner with families.

The Early Childhood minor is designed, in part, for students who are interested in studying the early childhood period, but who are not necessarily interested in a career as a teacher. The minor complements many majors and minors in the College of Arts & Sciences, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, and other professional schools at Elon.

Course Requirements

The mission of the Environmental Education minor is to prepare environmentally literate educators, active community members, and global citizens who are able to increase public awareness of environmental issues, make informed and responsible choices, and help others take similar actions.

Course Requirements

The Teaching and Learning minor is designed, in part, for students who are interested in studying education as an academic field — the processes and structures of traditional school settings as well as other educational arenas — but who are not necessarily interested in teaching as a career. This minor prepares students to make informed decisions about education issues as to work with diverse populations.

A student pursuing a minor in teaching and learning should contact the chair of the Department of Education & Wellness, Marna Winter, at mwinter2@elon.edu.

Course Requirements

The TESOL minor is a cross-disciplinary program designed to provide introductory preparation for teaching English to speakers of other languages in U.S. based K-12 programs, adult education, as well as educators in a global context. The mission of the TESOL minor is to foster the development of critically-engaged, effective English as a Second Language educators who are prepared to teach in the United States or abroad. The five-course sequence has three foundational courses in English and Education, along with a required teaching internship. Additionally, students will have options for two additional courses in language and education from a variety of departments.

Course Requirements

The Wellness and Health Education minor includes an examination of disease determinants, theories and strategies for behavior change, methods for effective delivery and evaluation of health education programs, and design and implementation techniques for health education in diverse communities. The minor courses conform to best practices and ethics in the field of health promotion, as outlined by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, World Health Organization and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The goal is for students to become culturally competent leaders in wellness and health promotion.

Course Requirements