Dickinson Hall, Room 419 | (501) 916-3267 | ualr.edu/education

The School of Education offers three Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.E.) degrees: the Elementary Education K-6, B.S.E. , Special Education, B.S.E. , and Middle Childhood Education, B.S.E. , which includes specialties in math, science, social studies, and language arts. An Education Minor and Teacher Licensure  is offered through the School of Education as well. For details about education licensure content areas, see the licensure officer in the School of Education.

The department strives to provide balanced teacher education programs that embody institutional and college goals, the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) teacher licensure requirements, guidelines of learned societies and professional associations, and contemporary educational philosophies and practices.

General Information

The school also offers Master of Education degrees (M.Ed.) in curriculum and instruction, gifted and talented education, learning systems technology education, reading, and education (with initial licensure areas in education, middle childhood education, and special education). The school offers graduate certificates for education, gifted and talented education, learning systems technology education, dyslexia, and literacy coach specialists. The School of Education also offers non-degree licensure programs at the graduate level for students already holding initial licensure but want to add additional licensure areas in education content areas and special education. More information about the graduate-level programs may be obtained from the UA Little Rock Graduate Catalog.

Exit Requirements

(See each program’s requirements for specific exit requirements) To graduate with a degree from a program in teacher education and to be licensed, students must meet all general graduation requirements and earn a grade of C or greater in all professional education courses. Documentation of successful completion of all required Praxis and other state-required standardized examinations must be provided as a condition for graduation from the undergraduate elementary program, middle childhood program, special education program, and education minor. Students must submit complete required standardized exam scores to the School of Education as documentation of their successful completion of these exams.

Arkansas’ definition of program completers for Title II reporting purposes has been changed. It requires the completion of a degree program and successful performance on all required sections of required exams.

Testing and Admissions Requirements

For entry into the undergraduate initial licensure programs, the School of Education accepts required ACT scores at or above a minimum:

• Math score of 19
• Reading score of 19
• Writing score of 6

If an individual has taken the ACT multiple times, the highest score in each category will be considered. Corresponding comparable SAT scores are accepted as well. Suppose an applicant has ACT scores below the minimum composite score or has not taken the writing section of the ACT. In that case, the applicant may take the Accuplacer Next Generation exam or exams at the UA Little Rock Testing Center and must make at least a score that corresponds to the comparative ACT minimum score:

• Next Gen Reading: minimum score = 253
• Next Gen Math: Minimum Score = 250
• Accuplacer Write Placer: minimum score = 5

Or, the applicant may also choose to retake the ACT (not offered at the Testing Center) to attempt to reach the minimum score required for entrance into the programs.

If an applicant has taken the Praxis Core or Praxis I/PPST, we will also accept the following minimum scores:

• Reading 156
• Math 150
• Writing 162
• PPST minimum scores of Reading 172, Math 171, and Writing 173

The above passing scores will be accepted in any combination of reading, math, and writing. There is an appeals process for students who do not meet the minimum scores and wish to pursue admission. Ask your advisor about this process.

Application for Admission to the BSE in Elementary Education K-6

For admission to Teacher Education and Fall and Spring Block I, all applicants must

1. Be formally admitted to UA Little Rock
2. Have completed a minimum of 9 hours of education coursework (HIST, ELEM, MATH, LSTE, TCED, or ELEM) in Year 1 and/or Year 2
3. Have completed all core requirements with an overall degree plan cumulative GPA of 2.70 or greater or 3.0 in the last 50 hours. Students seeking admission to the college with associate’s degrees designed for transfer (Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and some Associate of Science degrees) should refer to the “Community College Transfers” information appearing later in this section.
4. Have completed their Maltreatment training and have a certificate of completion on file in the Office of Licensure and Placement
5. Have completed their State and Federal Criminal Records background check through DESE, including the Arkansas Department of Human Services Child Maltreatment Central Registry background check
6. Submit passing scores on the ACT or other accepted basic skills exams (see Testing and Admissions Requirements.)
7. Contact the Undergraduate Advisor in Teacher Education, DKSN 419B (501) 916-6283, to complete the admission application.

Application for Admission to the BSE in Middle Childhood Education

For admission to Fall and Spring Block I, all applicants must

1. Be formally admitted to UA Little Rock
2. Have completed RHET 1311  and RHET 1312  English Composition, ACOM 1300 , MATH 1321 , or MATH 1302  (see advisor) with a grade of C or greater in each of these courses
3. Have completed all core requirements with an overall degree plan cumulative GPA of 2.70 or greater or 3.0 in the last 50 hours. Students seeking admission to the college with associate’s degrees designed for transfer (Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and some Associate of Science degrees) should refer to the “Community College Transfers” information appearing later in this section
4. Have completed their Maltreatment training and have a certificate of completion on file in the Office of Licensure and Placement
5. Have completed their State and Federal Criminal Records background check through DESE, including the Arkansas Department of Human Services Child Maltreatment Central Registry background check
6. Submit passing scores on the ACT or other accepted basic skills exams (see Testing and Admissions Requirements)
7. Contact the Undergraduate Advisor in Teacher Education, DKSN 419B (501) 916-6283, to complete the admission application

Application for Admission to the BSE in Special Education

For admission to Teacher Education and Professional Prep I, all applicants must

1. Be formally admitted to UA Little Rock.
2. Have completed RHET 1311  and RHET 1312  English Composition, ACOM 1300 , and MATH 1302  (see advisor) with a grade of C or greater in each of these courses
3. Have completed all core requirements with an overall degree plan cumulative GPA of 2.70 or greater or 3.0 in the last 50 hours. Students seeking admission to the college with associate’s degrees designed for transfer (Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and some associate of science degrees) may be fully admitted with audit for equivalent Core Courses and passing scores on the ACT or other accepted basic skills exams (see Testing and Admissions Requirements). Passing Praxis scores upon full admission to UA Little Rock. Please refer to the “Community College Transfers” information appearing later in this section
4. Have completed their Maltreatment training and have a certificate of completion on file in the Office of Licensure and Placement.
5. Have completed their State and Federal Criminal Records background check through DESE, including the Arkansas Department of Human Services Child Maltreatment Central Registry background check 
6. Submit passing scores on the ACT or other accepted basic skills exams (see Testing and Admissions Requirements)

• For admission to Professional Prep II courses, all applicants must:

  • satisfactorily complete all Professional Prep I requirements with an overall GPA of 2.75 or greater.

• For admission to Professional Prep III Internship I, all applicants must:

  • satisfactorily complete all Professional Prep II requirements with an overall GPA of 2.75 or greater

• For admission to Professional Prep IV Internship II, all applicants must:

  • satisfactorily complete all Professional Prep III requirements with an overall GPA of 2.75 or greater
  • achieve passing scores on the Praxis II special education content exam
  • satisfactorily complete Internship I

Application for Admission to the Minor In Education

Students interested in teaching in education in Arkansas must be licensed by the state in a state-approved subject area. UA Little Rock programs in teacher education are designed to prepare students for licensure. Candidates for licensure must pass examinations mandated by the state, and pass a criminal background check.

Students interested in teaching at the secondary level may pursue a major in their content area and an Education Minor.

Teacher Licensure Areas

• Art Education (Grades K-12)
• English and Language Arts Education(Grades 7-12)
• Music Education (Vocal/Instrumental) (Grades K-12)
• Social Studies Education (Grades 7-12)
• Physical Education, Wellness, Leisure (Grades K-12)
• Mathematics Education (Grades 7-12)
• Physical Science / Earth Science Education (Grades K-12)
• Biology and Life Science (Grades 7-12)
• Chemistry (Grades 7-12)
• Physics (Grades 7-12)

Admission to the program will only be considered if the student has completely met the following requirements:

1. Formal admission to UA Little Rock
2. Completion of RHET 1311  and RHET 1312 , ACOM 1300 , MATH 1302 , or MATH 1321  with a grade of “C” or better
3. Completion of all core requirements with a cumulative average of 2.75, or a 3.0 on the last 60 hours
4. Submission of passing scores on the ACT or other accepted basic skills exams to an advisor (see Testing Admissions Requirements)
5. Submission of Advising Form to the program advisor
6. Completion of all background checks (FBI, State Police, and Child Maltreatment)

Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education

The Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, located in SUA 101, provides the following programs or services:

• AP Summer Institutes
• Arkansas Advanced Placement Professional Development Center
• Arkansas Evaluative Initiative
• e Initiative
• Center for Gifted Education
• Duke Talent Identification Ceremony
• Summer Laureate for Youth (SLUFY)

For additional information, call (501) 916-3410.

Retention

Retention decisions are the responsibility of the faculty. Once admitted, students are required to maintain a 2.75 grade-point average, with at least a C in all courses specific to the elementary program. In addition, students’ professional behaviors, content knowledge, and classroom performance will be evaluated throughout the program. Successful completion of the licensure program is not based solely on the number of course credits but requires a demonstration of specified professional knowledge, skills, and behaviors. While a student may require additional time to meet some performance expectations, the faculty may limit that time and reserves the right to remove a student from the program should appropriate progress not be demonstrated.

Legal Requirements: Elementary, Middle Childhood, and Special Education

Students who have been formally admitted to the program must complete a criminal records check, state civil records check, and FBI records check before being placed in the field. The student is responsible for the fees associated with these checks (See Licensure Officer for correct paperwork).

Graduation Requirements: Elementary, Middle Childhood, and Special Education

Completion of all courses in the degree plan with grades as required and passing scores on all required Praxis II and other exams (see Licensure Officer for correct exams to take).

Licensure

Applicants must provide the following items to the ADE Licensure office (see the School of Education Licensure Officer for details on this process):

1. A completed license application form.
2. An official UA Little Rock transcript showing the date the degree was granted. Official transcripts from all other institutions attended.
3. Appropriate Praxis II scores and other required exam scores.
4. ADE required professional development certificates
5. Complete background checks for State Police, FBI, and Child Maltreatment Central Registry.

For more information concerning licensure, contact the School of Education Licensure Officer here.

Second Language Requirements for B.S.E. Students

There is no second language requirement for either of the programs, although the special education program requires ASL I.

Community College Transfers

Students transferring to UA Little Rock from two-year colleges are subject to these provisions (See “Transfer Student” section for requirements for admission of transfer students).

Students must first consult with Academic Advising to articulate transfer coursework before being admitted to the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. Students must schedule an appointment with the Undergraduate Advisor in Teacher Education, DKSN 419J (501) 916-5635, to pursue admission to elementary, middle childhood, and special education programs. Students must meet the admission requirements listed above per program sought. If a student has completed the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) at a two-year institution, core requirements at UA Little Rock will be met.

Students Who Transfer from Four-Year Institutions

These provisions listed for community college transfers may also apply to transfer work from four-year institutions that are either accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) formerly known as the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) or approved as teacher education institutions by the state in which they are located.

University Core Requirements and Retention

University Core Requirements

A student seeking a baccalaureate degree must complete a total of 35 hours in core courses. Options within the core may be restricted by the content majors, associated blocks of courses, or special minors in some licensure areas. A student should consult the requirements of his or her licensure area before selecting core courses.

Retention

Once admitted, students are required to maintain a 2.75 grade-point average, with at least a “C” in all professional courses (this includes all courses associated with the licensure/degree plan). In addition, students’ professional behaviors, content knowledge, and classroom performance will be evaluated throughout the program.

Successful completion of the licensure program is not based solely on the number of course credits but requires a demonstration of specified professional knowledge, skills, and behaviors.

Once the student has begun the program, periodic evaluations will assess progress. Failure to progress satisfactorily might result in a student being removed from the program. While a student may require additional time to meet some performance expectations, the faculty may limit that time and reserves the right to drop a student from the licensure program should appropriate progress not be demonstrated.

Programs

• Elementary Education K-6, B.S.E.
• Middle Childhood Education, B.S.E.
• Special Education, B.S.E.

• Education Minor and Teacher Licensure