Foundations of Teaching | Bismarck State College

to the top of the page
Home Page

Foundations of Teaching

Overview

type:
Education / 4-Year Degree Options
Format:
On-campus
Foundations of Teaching

Overview

Degrees Offered: BAS
Program Begins: Fall, Summer
Delivery Method: Online, On Campus
Phone: 701-224-5486
Email: bsc.has@bismarckstate.edu

Description

This Bachelor's of Applied Science degree program is intended to provide a solid foundation for teacher preparedness, confidence, and tenacity. It will lead to the federal Title I Paraprofessional Certificate of Completion, the North Dakota Substitute Teaching License, with an option to co-enroll in a 4-year licensing bachelor's degree at a partner institution for completion of two bachelor's degrees simultaneously; this ultimately will lead to full teaching licensure as well.*

Preparation

This program is designed to allow a student to be admitted as either a transfer applicant or as a direct enrolled applicant. Refer to the Program Admission tab for additional admission requirements.

This Bachelor's of Applied Science degree will lead to the federal Title I Paraprofessional Certificate of Completion, the North Dakota Substitute Teaching License, co-enrollment in a licensing program at one of our partner institutions that will lead to full teacher licensure in North Dakota and two bachelor's degrees. This will ultimately lead to the strongest preparation of teachers and paraprofessionals in the state. 

Requirements

Students who complete the requirements will earn a Bachelor's of Applied Science in Foundations of Teaching.

Only one BAS in Foundations of Teaching can be earned. Conferral of the BAS requires successful completion of the minimum number of upper level credits (300-400 level courses) in education-related coursework at BSC or another institution.

Program Pathways

Credits from these programs may stack into this Bachelor of Applied Science degree: 

Career Opportunities

Title I Paraprofessional, Substitute Teacher, students who complete the B.S.Ed. with a cooperating institution can become a licensed educator. 

Additional Information

* To earn a full teaching license to become a classroom teacher, students must co-enroll in one of our partner institution’s B.S. Ed. programs. To be eligible for dual-enrollment in a partnering licensing program, students must have:

  1. A cumulative GPA at or above 2.75 at the time of admission to their Education program.
  2. Passed the Praxis CORE Exam for Educators (Reading, Writing, Math).
    1. Or passed with a grade of B or higher in the following courses:
      1. PSYC 230, PSYC 250, or PSYC 255
      2. SOC 235 or SOC 221 (for Reading competency)
      3. ENGL 120 College Composition II (for Writing competency)
      4. MATH 277, MATH 110, MATH 104, or MATH 103 (for Math competency)

Students may graduate with BSC's BAS degree with a minimum GPA of 2.0. However, students will not be eligible for dual-enrollment in a licensing program if their cumulative GPA upon the admission to the partnering licensing program is not at or above 2.75. 

College Admission

Review BSC's How to Apply page and complete the college admission requirements.

Program Admission

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Foundations of Teaching is designed for qualified students to be directly admitted.

In addition to being admitted to BSC, students must meet program requirements based on their status:

First-Year Applicant

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience or who has earned less than 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits. Students who earned college credits while still in high school are considered first-year applicants. 

Students must apply and be accepted at BSC as degree seeking, in addition to the following requirements:

  1. Minimum high school cumulative grade point average – 2.00+
  2. Completion of high school core course requirements:
    1. English: four units
    2. Mathematics: Algebra I or above – three units
    3. Laboratory Science: three units
    4. Social Science: three units

Notes:

  • Successful completion of a GED exam meets the qualifications for both #1 and #2 above.
  • Applicants 25 years of age or older on the first day of class are exempt from the high school core requirements.
  • Students who don’t meet requirements #1 and #2 will begin their college career in Education Foundations - Early Childhood & Elementary Program Certificate, Education Foundations - Secondary Program Certificate, an Associate in Arts degree, or an Associate in Science degree.
  • After the completion of one semester of BSC enrollment with a 2.00 cumulative GPA, a student may request a program change into the Foundations of Teaching Bachelor of Applied Science program.

Transfer Applicant

A student who has earned 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits from an accredited post-secondary institution.

Students must apply and be accepted at BSC as degree seeking, in addition to the following requirements:

  1. Cumulative grade point average – 2.00+ on all accredited post-secondary institutions attended.
  2. Student must not be on dismissed or suspension status at their most recently attended institution.

Notes:

Returning Applicant

Returning to BSC following a break in enrollment or graduation.

Students must apply and be accepted at BSC as degree seeking, in addition to the following requirements:

  1. Cumulative grade point average – 2.00+ on credits from all prior accredited post-secondary institutions attended, including BSC.
  2. Student must not be on dismissed or suspension status.

Notes:

Degree Plans

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, Foundations of Teaching students will be able to demonstrate:

  • The essential dispositions of professional educators in class and P-12 classroom experiences consistently.
  • Ethical and lawful behaviors essential for educators in today’s classrooms
  • The ability to make ethical judgments and problem-solve when challenged with difficult dilemmas in education.
  • Competency in Title I Paraprofessional training to assist in reading, writing, and math instruction.
  • Appreciation for students of all abilities in the inclusive classroom.
  • Mastered competency in the teaching foundations.1
     
1

Teaching tenacity (purpose), learner development & motivation, curriculum & assessment for learning, ethics, and problem-solving/initiative.