INTEGRATED STUDIES MAJOR 

Otto Miller Hall 130

206-281-2148

FACULTY:  Sharon Young, Integrated Studies Coordinator; Tami Brewer; Eleanor Close; Don Holsinger; Luke Reinsma; Andrew Ryder

The Required Major for Prospective Elementary Teachers

The integrated studies major is a new comprehensive interdisciplinary program designed for students who want to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. Students planning to complete the certification program as an undergraduate at Seattle Pacific University are required to major in integrated studies.

Overview of the Major

The major provides future elementary teachers the opportunity to develop depth of knowledge in the content areas they will teach: language arts, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, the arts, and health/fitness. There are two components to the integrated studies major: (1) the core courses, with studies across all six content disciplines listed above, and (2) a concentration of study in a selected discipline.

Component I:  Core Courses

Students take a total of 64 credits in the core courses. These courses simultaneously fulfill the 40 credits of requirements in Seattle Pacific University’s Exploratory Curriculum. The core courses were selected to enable students to develop both breadth of content knowledge across the subject areas they will teach (language arts, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, the arts, and health/fitness), and some depth of content knowledge in those areas.

A number of the courses were specifically designed for future elementary teachers including inquiry-based mathematics, inquiry-based science, children’s literature, and the art, music, theatre, and physical education of children. The courses were also selected to align with the six content areas of Washington state’s endorsement competencies for elementary education K–8 and to prepare teachers to take the state-mandated WEST-B® and WEST-E™ content skills tests. See the School of Education for more information about the tests.

Component II:  Concentration in a Discipline

Students select a discipline as an area of concentration. They take 30-35 credits in the discipline with the goal of acquiring greater depth of knowledge in one of the core content areas.

When students are admitted into the major, they should work with the advisor for their selected concentration. The six discipline concentrations are listed below:

The Arts Concentration, Andrew Ryder, advisor

Requirements for The Arts Concentration

Health and Fitness Concentration, Tami Brewer, advisor

Requirements for Health & Fitness Concentration

Language Arts Concentration, Luke Reinsma, advisor

Requirements for Language Arts Concentration

Note: Students choosing the language arts concentration must fulfill the requirement for proficiency in a second language.

The requirement, equal to the completion of the third quarter of a University-level language course, may be met by the study of any modern or classical language other than English.

Mathematics Concentration, Sharon Young, advisor

Requirements for Mathematics Concentration

Natural Sciences Concentration, Eleanor Close, advisor

Requirements for Natural Sciences Concentration

Social Sciences Concentration, Don Holsinger, advisor

Requirements for Social Sciences Concentration

The Required Major for Prospective Elementary Teachers

The major was designed, in conjunction with elementary certification course requirements to be completed in a four-year undergraduate program. Proper advising is crucial to ensure that courses are taken in the appropriate sequence.

Requirements for Elementary Education Certification

Advising

It is extremely important for students in integrated studies to work closely with an advisor as they make decisions regarding their course selections for the core courses, the concentration, and the Elementary Certification Requirements, along with the University’s graduation requirements.

Freshmen should work with their USEM advisor during their freshman year. Other students should work with an integrated studies faculty advisor from the list above. Students who plan to participate in the study abroad program need to work with one of the integrated studies faculty advisors to determine the most appropriate quarter for such travel. This planning should be done during the freshman year, if at all possible.

Requirements for Admission to the Integrated Studies Major

Students may apply for admission to the integrated studies major as early as the Spring Quarter of their freshman year. At the time of admission, students must have a 2.5 minimum GPA.

A student must complete the major’s requirements that are in effect when the student is admitted to the major. Once admitted, students must maintain a 2.5 minimum GPA; however, students need to be diligent about having a 3.0 minimum GPA for admission to the School of Education.

Application for the Integrated Studies Major  

Requirements for Admission to the School of Education

Transfer Students

Students who transfer from a Washington state community college with a Direct Transfer Agreement for Elementary Education will be able to have credits counted toward corresponding course requirements in the core courses.

Other transfer students can petition the integrated studies faculty advisors for course substitutions in the core courses and the concentration.

Students Can Have an Integrated Studies Major Without Elementary Certification

Students can graduate with an integrated studies major without seeking elementary certification. The only difference in the coursework for such students is the capstone course.