Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, BAEE

The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (BAEE) degree provides candidates with specialized, professional preparation leading to a career in teaching kindergarten through eighth grade.  The BAEE provides a program that sets the groundwork to enter the education profession as a responsive and student-focused educator. Aligned with national and state professional standards, the BAEE is an Arizona Department of Education (ADE) approved preparation program (pending approval) leading to teacher certification in Elementary Education.

Students who complete all program requirements will be eligible to receive “Institutional Recommendation” (IR) from the college. Graduates then take their IR, along with other required documentation, to ADE to apply for an elementary education teaching certificate. Using an IR to apply for teacher certification streamlines the process by eliminating the need for ADE to conduct a course by course transcript review. The IR provides the graduate with the benefits of faster processing and reduced fees for the teacher certification application.

Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the BAEE program. The BAEE program requires demonstration of prior college success and the ability to work in the field of teaching. Lower division (100 and 200 level) courses may be taken prior to program admission. Enrollment in BAEE upper division courses (300 and 400 level) requires admission to an educator preparation Bachelor’s degree program.

Requirements

To be considered for admission, students must meet the following criteria:

• An earned Associate Degree or higher from an accredited institution.
• Demonstration of meeting foundational knowledge in Elementary Education (e.g., an earned AAEE degree).
• An overall GPA of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
• A current Identity Verified Prints (IVP) card with Level 1 clearance.

Selection Criteria:

Students who graduate with an NPC AAEE degree are automatically accepted into the BAEE program provided they maintain continuous enrollment upon graduation. For admission, continuously enrolled graduates must meet with the Educator Preparation Program advising team to update their degree intent within one semester of graduation. Students who have an earned degree in another major, or who have not maintained continuous enrollment must apply for admission into the BAEE program. Go to www.npc.edu/baee-apply to complete the application.
Priority admission will be given in the following order:

1. NPC graduates with an earned AAEE.
2. NPC graduates with an earned Associate Degree in any education program.
3. Graduates with an Associate Degree in Elementary Education from another accredited institution.
4. Graduates with an Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in any field