Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential

Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential

The Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration is recommended as preparation for students who wish to become elementary school teachers and plan to enroll in Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential programs or Education Specialist Credentials in special education programs after graduation.

Courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher. CR/NC grading is not accepted.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Promote and advocate for social justice and be culturally aware, sensitive and responsive in the context of CAD.
  2. Apply developmental, learning and cultural theories used in the field of CAD.
  3. Communicate persuasively, coherently and effectively in the context of CAD.
  4. Understand research methods, assessment, evaluation, data collection, analysis, and reporting in the context of CAD.
  5. Understand the professional roles and responsibilities in Elementary Education settings.
  6. Demonstrate competency in each of the domains of the elementary subject matter requirements adopted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Child and Adolescent Development Major (B.A.): Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential - 45 units minimum

All courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better. CR/NC grading is not accepted.

Core Requirements – 24 units

CAD 210Introduction to Applied Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 260Children, Families, and Community: An Ecological Perspective3
CAD 300Professional Roles and Careers in Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 410GWApplied Developmental Science: Prenatal Through Early Childhood - GWAR3
CAD 411Applied Developmental Science: Middle Childhood through Emerging Adulthood3
CAD 500Research Methods in Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 625Children, Youth, and Public Policy3
CAD 660Applied Advanced Developmental Science in Child and Adolescent Development3

Language Studies (3-4 units)

Select One:

COMM 554Performance of Children's Literature4
ENG 420Introduction to the Study of Language3
SLHS 300Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences3
SLHS 655Language Development3

Literature (3 units)

Select One:

AA S 512Asian American Children's/Adolescent Literature3
CWL 440"Typical American": Narratives of Multiculturalism in the Americas from 1492 to the Present3
ENG 655Literature and the Adolescent Reader3

Mathematics (3 units)

MATH 165Concepts of the Number System3

Science (3 units)

Select One:

A U/GEOG 301Bay Area Environments3
BIOL 300Nature Study3
BIOL 310Biology for Today's World3
BIOL 318Our Endangered Planet3
ERTH 310The Violent Earth3
ERTH 335Global Warming3
ERTH 365Extreme Weather in a Warming World3
E ED 655Hands-on Undergraduate Science Education Experience3
LS 310Science and Culture for Future Elementary School Teachers3
LS 430Future of the Forests3

History (3 units)

Select One:

AIS 410Perspectives of Native California Indians3
AA S 510Asian Americans in California3
HIST 450History of California3
LTNS 315Latina/os in California3

The Arts (3 units)

Select One:

AFRS 400Black Arts and Humanities3
AMST 310/HUM 485The Arts and American Culture3
COMM 557/LS 403Performance and Pedagogy of the Oppressed for Educators3
DANC 340Dance Pedagogy3
DANC 350Dance Aesthetics: Cultural/Historical Perspectives3
E ED 450Art and Learning3
LTNS 425Popular and Traditional Music of the Latinx U.S.3
LS 427Social Movements & the Arts for Future Teachers3
MUS 505Music of the World's Peoples3
MUS 601Music for Children3
TH A 451Storytelling and Folk Literature3

Physical Education (3 units)

Select One:

KIN 240Introduction to Teaching Physical Education3
KIN 401Elementary School Physical Education: K-53
KIN 487Motor Development3

Complementary Studies

To fulfill the University's Complementary Studies requirement, all students completing a B.A. degree must take 12 units from courses outside of the primary prefix of their major and not cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major. This requirement is automatically fulfilled when completing the Child and Adolescent Development degree. However, students may need to take additional units to reach the minimum of 120 units for graduation. 

General Education Requirements

Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Ethnic Studies LD 3 F
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.

First-Time Student Roadmap

SF State Scholars Roadmap

The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential, Visual Impairment Credential, Master of Arts in Special Education Scholars Roadmap

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching, Mild to Moderate Support Needs Credential, Master of Arts in Special Education Scholars Roadmap

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching, Extensive Support Needs Credential, Master of Arts in Special Education Scholars Roadmap

Transfer Student Roadmaps (2 Year)

For students with an AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development.
CAD ADT Roadmap

For students with an AS-T in Early Childhood Education.
ECE ADT Roadmap

For students with an AA-T in Elementary Teacher Education.
ETE ADT Roadmap

For students with an AA-T in Psychology
PSY ADT Roadmap

This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Child and Adolescent Development  or Early Childhood Education

California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T). 

Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.

An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.

Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.

Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.

A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:

  • How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.

Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.