$398

Undergraduate Tuition Guarantee
(Cost Per Credit)

UNIVERSITY	COST PER CREDIT	COURSE FEES
UoPX	$398	One Fee per Course
GCU	$470 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course
DeVry	$514 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course

Information based on a BS in Business degree. Click the link below for source of data.

$698

Graduate Tuition Guarantee
(Cost Per Credit)

UNIVERSITY	COST PER CREDIT	COURSE FEES
UoPX	$698	One Fee per Course
DeVry	$776 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course
Capella	$805 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course

Information based on an MBA degree. Click the link below for source of data.

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Graduate/Professional certificate

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate

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Location:

13 months

Approximate program length

Total credits

$540

Cost per credit

Online

Format

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Are you changing careers, using an emergency teaching certification or preparing for teaching licensure? With our accelerated certificate program for a Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate, you could help children gain the skills they need to succeed on their educational journey. You’ll prepare to be an effective classroom teacher and further develop your teaching experience at the elementary level. Credits from this certificate can apply toward a Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Teacher Education. You won’t be in this alone. Our program support specialist can help you navigate teacher licensure and credentialing requirements. We’ll also help you with school placements for your clinical experience and clinical practice through our close partnerships with hundreds of school districts nationwide.

You'll learn how to

Design and implement effective elementary classroom instruction
Apply professional ethics to teaching practices
Meet the instructional needs of diverse elementary student populations
Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology into the classrooms

Courses

Course at a time

4 to 6

Weeks per course

Courses per year

Program Details

Requirements

You’ll need 23 credits to complete this Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits.

General Education Courses

8 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in this field.

Elective Courses

1 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Course

During your clinical practice experience — one of the final steps to complete your degree — you’ll complete a rigorous student teaching experience where you will apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a teacher and a University of Phoenix faculty advisor, you’ll develop lesson plans, teach, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in this field.

MTE/503

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0 Credits

This course is designed to provide an orientation to the primary components of the Alternative Pathway Certificate. Students will be introduced to the program's progression and degree completion requirements. Field Experience, Electronic Resources, E-Portfolio, Student Teaching, and the Student Teacher Performance Assessment will be discussed.

APE/522

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3 Credits

This course examines the strategies used in managing a positive and respectful classroom environment within the framework of today¿s diverse student population. Topics include models of discipline, establishing expectations and procedures, motivating and engaging students, and effective communication strategies. The course focuses on supporting teacher candidates in developing an individual classroom management plan appropriate for their targeted grade levels and needs.

APE/518

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the theoretical models that underlie teaching and learning. Teacher candidates analyze the most effective teaching strategies to encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of content and to promote critical thinking. Teacher candidates also examine teaching methods and learn to effectively use students' prior knowledge to develop lesson plans.

APES/514

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2 Credits

This course provides an overview of the categories of exceptionality for school-age students with special needs. The teacher candidate will focus on expressive and receptive communication skills and the recognition of individual learning patterns to utilize for the planning, instruction, and assessment strategies of diverse populations. Historical perspectives and information related to special education law, and current policies and practices are examined.

SEI/504

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3 Credits

This course addresses legal and historical foundations of structured English immersion (SEI) foundations, instructional elements and language development of English learners in elementary grades, and culturally relevant instruction. Candidates explore SEI identification, SEI models, and English Language Proficiency Standards. Candidates also examine language acquisition theories, elements of language, and language domains. Candidates learn instructional strategies for academic English development in elementary settings. This course is designed to meet the standards set by the Arizona Department of Education.

APES/562

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3 Credits

This course provides the teacher candidate with the methodology to assess student learning effectively. The focus is placed on providing teacher candidates with the tools necessary to use, interpret, and evaluate student growth in order to inform instruction. Teacher candidates explore a variety of assessment tools and construct objective and performance assessments.

APE/537

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the most current research, theory, and methods of reading instruction. Teacher candidates will implement teaching and learning strategies that use critical thinking, provide meaningful context, and incorporate student knowledge to develop an integrated unit of instruction. Various instructional and assessment techniques, including research-based phonics, are modeled. A practical application project, based on work with a student in a K-8 school setting, is incorporated into the course requirements.

APE/515

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the methodology and assessment strategies that enhance learning at the elementary level. Integrated content, interdisciplinary teaching, and curriculum and assessment issues are emphasized. Multiple perspectives of students as learners of elementary content, along with current research on pedagogy, are explored. This course provides teacher candidates with an opportunity to develop the ability to use and evaluate instructional and curricular materials and appropriate assessment strategies.

General Education Courses:

Core Courses:

MTE/503: ORIENTATION TO ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY CERTIFICATE
APE/522: ELEMENTARY - EFFECTIVE LEARNING CLIMATES
APE/518: ELEMENTARY MODELS, THEORIES, AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
APES/514: SURVEY OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS
SEI/504: STRUCTURED ENGLISH IMMERSION-ELEMENTARY
APES/562: ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
APE/537: ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT- READING/ELA
APE/515: ELEMENTARY CONTENT METHODS

Elective Courses:

COE Central

College of Education students will find many helpful resources on COE Central. Program handbooks provide a wealth of information on topics such as professional expectations, clinical experiences, clinical practice, internships, edTPA and much more. Milestone roadmaps, technology and multimedia resources, and various toolkits are also available.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes for the Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate.

Program Purpose Statement

The Alternative Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education is a graduate-level certificate program intended to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for initial teacher licensure. The certificate program is designed for students who want to become elementary education teachers. Candidates for this certificate program have already earned a bachelor’s degree. The certificate program includes a clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework. There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity. Requirements for licensure vary by state. View your state’s teacher licensure requirements.

Tuition

Paying for school

locked-in tuition

$540

Cost per credit

Keep the same fixed, affordable tuition from start to finish of your certificate program, even if it takes longer than you planned. That’s our promise: no matter what surprises life brings, you can count on us.

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Graduate faster by transferring in prior eligible credits from another accredited institution.

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Accreditation & Faculty

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Institutional accreditation

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org. Since 1978, University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

Faculty fast facts

Average years of industry experience

Principals

You might also want to check out:

Master of Arts in Education/Special Education

Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Teacher Education

Continuing Education for Teachers

card group 1

The following programs — BSEd/E, BSEd/ECH, MAEd/TED-E, MAEd/TED-S, MAEd/SPE, CERT/AP-E, CERT/AP-S, and CERT/AP-SE — provide the academic preparation to sit for initial teacher certification exams in select states.

Teacher Candidates located in Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia will be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure, in their home state. Candidates located in South Carolina enrolled in the Alternative Pathway Certificate Program will also be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure, in their home state.

Teacher Certification Program requirements may change based upon state agency licensure requirements and they can be found at https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges/college-of-education/teacher-licensure/state-requirements.html. The College of Education has made a determination if program requirements in your home state meets, does not meet, or affords no determination. Please check this list regularly prior to contacting your state agency for state-specific requirements.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.