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Endorsement Pathways: Elementary and Middle Grades Endorsement

UTEP offers two endorsement pathways: elementary (Grades 1st-6th) and middle grades (Grades 5th-8th). The elementary pathway is for those candidates that would like to teach in grades 1st-6th self-contained classrooms while the middle grades pathway leads to grades 5th-8th subject-specific endorsements in mathematics, social science, general science, and language arts. Through the first two years of the program, students will receive an elementary endorsement upon successful completion of the UTEP Elementary Pathway. Candidates are also eligible to receive a middle-grades endorsement if they have sufficient undergraduate coursework in their chosen content area. Candidates may also choose to take courses beyond the program requirements in order to become eligible for subject-specific middle grades endorsements.

 

Middle Grades Endorsement Subject Areas

Candidates can be endorsed in any or all of the following subject areas for grades 5th-8th middle grades teaching. Please note that seven courses (equivalent to three semester hours each) are needed in order to qualify for any middle grades content endorsement. Some of these courses will be provided to students during the first two years of the program. However, students must enter UChicago UTEP with the minimal courses below in the particular subject area for a particular endorsement (or take additional coursework during the program) to qualify for a 5th-8th middle grades endorsement.

 

Science

Candidates must have taken 5 content courses in any of the following areas: life science, physical science / chemistry, earth science, space science.

 

Social Science

Candidates must have taken 5 content courses in any of the following areas: history, geography, economics, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, civics & government.

 

Mathematics

Candidates must have taken 4 content courses in any of the following areas: geometry, calculus, college-level math, number sense, probability & statistics.

 

English/Language Arts

Candidates must have taken 4 content courses in any of the following areas: reading, writing, literature, communication.