The Program
Providence College offers three education programs on the undergraduate level: a major in elementary/special education, a secondary teacher’s preparation program, and a music education program.
All teacher education programs offered by the College have been approved by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a member of the Interstate Certification Compact.
Education majors are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.50. In addition, students must meet specified criteria at three points in the program: admissions, readiness to student teach, and approval for licensure. For a complete listing of the criteria at each point in the assessment system, refer to the Undergraduate Education Assessment Handbook on our website.
Teacher Preparation Licensure
Student candidates in each of the three programs are required to complete a specific number of hours of supervised student teaching in order to be licensed in their discipline. Three hundred and sixty clock hours are required for secondary education teacher candidates in biology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics, physics, and foreign languages; 420 clock hours for music education teacher candidates, and 720 clock hours (2 semesters) for elementary/special education teacher candidates.
Education Diversity Requirements
In helping to prepare future teachers to work effectively with students and families from all cultures and backgrounds, education majors must fulfill the following diversity requirements:
- Completion of at least one course from an approved list of diversity electives; the diversity elective may also satisfy a Core Curriculum requirement, meet a minor requirement, or fill a free elective slot;
- Completion of at least one practicum experience in an urban setting;
- Demonstration of the ability to prepare and implement lessons that include effective strategies for working with students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Music Education
For students interested in the music/music education program, please refer to the Department of Music section of this catalog.
