MARION — IWU-National & Global is addressing the current teacher shortage by creating a degree track that equips teachers and eliminates barriers to elementary education licensure.
The new Bachelor of Science in integrative studies with a concentration in elementary teacher training and a minor in elementary education prepares enrollees for their initial Elementary Generalist K-6 educator licensure and opens doors for them to manage their own classrooms.
“We’re excited to open doors for more teachers to pursue their dreams by offering an accredited, accelerated opportunity for bachelor’s degree completion that will ultimately lead to licensure,” says Dr. Sarah Hamsher, associate professor of education at IWU-National & Global. “This program is ideal for paraprofessionals, classroom assistants, and others who are passionate about making the classroom an innovative, creative space for today’s elementary school students.”
This program is one of few in the country that provides a licensure pathway without requiring an education major. IWU’s curriculum provides hands-on, practical classroom experience, which includes observing classroom teachers, writing lesson and unit plans, and completing case studies and analyses from real-life examples.
As school districts across the nation face a startling lack of educators, IWU is excited and honored to create a pathway that accelerates degree completion and prepares the teachers of the future. With IWU’s generous transfer policy, students can transfer up to 90 previously earned credits toward their bachelor’s degree and begin taking concentration- and minor-specific classes more quickly. To learn more about this degree, visit indwes.edu/bsis.
