Nov 14, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Education Major: Middle Childhood Licensure Track


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs by Department

Program Description


Education offers educator preparation programs that lead to licensure in the State of Ohio. It is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). While specific elements of educator licensure vary from state to state, there is sufficient similarity so that the programs offered at Heidelberg will satisfy requirements in many states. Licensure candidates must apply for the appropriate Ohio Department of Education license within one calendar year of earning the Education degree.

Ohio teaching licenses are awarded to Education Majors in the following areas:

  1. Primary Education-Pre-K through Grade 5
  2. Middle Childhood Education-Grades 4 through 9
  3. Adolescent to Young Adult-Grades 7 through 12
  4. Multi-Age- Music Education-Pre-K through Grade 12
  5. Intervention Specialist-(Special Education) Grades K through 12

Candidates may receive a two-year Resident Educator license in one of the first four areas listed. In addition, candidates may add Intervention Specialist to the Primary, Middle Childhood, or Adolescent to Young Adult license, (this is not a stand-alone program at Heidelberg). Note that this will require additional coursework and will take additional time above and beyond the Four-Year Graduation Guarantee. Candidates seeking licensure in two areas must student teach in each area for at least six weeks.

Entering first-year students are classified as Conditional Education Majors (EDC) and take first-year courses EDU 110 EIS 200 , and PSY 101 . Upon successful completion of these courses (C-or higher) and achievement of a minimum 2.85 GPA, EDC majors enroll in EDU 220  and apply for admission into the Educator Preparation Program. 

Once accepted into the Educator Preparation Program, Conditional Education majors will be classified as Education Licensure Candidates (EDL). Education majors must be classified as EDL to enroll in 300-level professional education classes. They also must maintain a 2.85 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in any professional education courses at the 300-level or above.

Education Licensure Candidates (EDL) must earn passing scores on all state-mandated tests required for their licensure area before they will be permitted to register for student teaching (EIS 426 , EIS 427 , EIS 428 , EIS 429 , EIS 430 ).

All Education majors must complete the education licensure core courses. Beyond these, candidates need to complete the courses required for their specific licensure area. Any EDU or EIS course that is a prerequisite for any other EDU or EIS course must be passed with a grade of C- or better.

Background Check Requirement

Ohio law requires that all persons working in schools with students must complete both an Ohio criminal background check and an FBI criminal background check annually, conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Identification Investigation (BCII). This applies to all education majors who are registered for any course with a field experience component. Background check fees are the students’ responsibility.

Reading Core Requirement


The state of Ohio requires that all Primary and Middle Childhood majors, as well as those adding Intervention Specialist, complete a reading core curriculum of 12 credit hours. A passing score on a state-mandated test of principles of researched-based reading instruction is required before being permitted to register for student teaching courses.

The required courses are:

Middle Childhood Licensure Track Required Courses (15 semester hours):


The goal of the Middle Childhood track is to prepare teachers for grades 4 through 9 licensure. In addition to the Licensure Core courses listed above, students in this track must complete two areas of concentration listed below.

(in addition to the Licensure Core courses listed above)

Areas of Concentration (Choose Two):


Middle Childhood Generalist (MGE)


The Middle Childhood Generalist is an endorsement available only to those pursuing a middle childhood license. It will allow the candidate to teach all subjects in grades 4-5-6 only. While the endorsement is designed to meet the needs of grade level classroom configurations in which all subject areas are taught by a homeroom teacher, graduates with this endorsement will not be restricted to these classroom settings.

The following program of study has been approved for Heidelberg:

To add Language Arts, take: WRI 210  and LIT 102 .
To add Math, take: MTH 117  and MTH 118 .
To add Social Studies, take: HIS 107  and POL 227 .
To add Science, take: BIO 123  and BIO 123L  and GEO 101 .

Anyone who has already graduated may also add this endorsement to their license through Heidelberg by meeting the requirements listed above. Candidates must add both of the non-concentration areas to be able to teach in a self-contained classroom.

Additional Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE tests) are required for the Middle Childhood Generalist Endorsement. Candidates seeking the endorsement must choose one option: either the 018 and 019 OAE Elementary Education Subtests or the content tests for each content area being added to the MC license.

Additional Licensure Option


Intervention Specialist (ISP) (20 semester hours):


The goal of the Intervention Specialist program is to enable teacher candidates seeking primary, middle childhood, or adolescent/young adult teaching licensure to obtain an additional license to work with children with mild/moderate disabilities. The program is not a stand-alone major.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs by Department