“In no other job do you laugh aloud, ignite someone’s imagination, bring peace, pose conflict, kiss frogs, quell fears, affirm goodness, stand amazed…”
Program Overview
Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education
Middle School…..The term strikes fear in the hearts of many education candidates, but what is there to fear? Young Adolescents are creative and inquisitive, funny and tragic (usually just in their own minds), and will keep you hopping and hoping all day long.
The Campbell Middle Grades program is specifically designed to prepare candidates to teach in a true middle school setting. From the coursework required to learn about middle school philosophy and young adolescents, to the class that is taught in a middle school in the junior year, to the year-long internship in one’s senior year, a Campbell Middle Grades Graduate has many opportunities to apply what is being learned in the classroom.
The Campbell Middle Grades program was named “Program to Watch” by the North Carolina Middle Level Education Association in 2013 for its innovative program. Dr. Roukema, the coordinator, was named Higher Education Person to Watch in 2020 as a tribute to the program she has implemented and the outreach that she and her students practice. Look below for the Middle Grades Musings, sent out 4-5 times annually to all the middle schools in the State of North Carolina.
If you are serious about (or even leaning towards) a degree in Middle Grades Education, Campbell is the place for you.
Students successfully completing the program earn a Bachelor of Science degree and initial licensure in North Carolina to teach one of four content areas in grades 6-9: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies.
Additionally, candidates choose a secondary area of concentration from the four areas in which they earn an additional 18 credit hours. With these hours, they have a solid foundation in a secondary concentration area, enabling them to successfully pass the Praxis II exam for a dual license in 6th-9th grades.
Program Requirements & Course Descriptions
- Middle Grades (6-9), English/Language Arts Concentration, B.S.
- Middle Grades (6-9), Mathematics Concentration, B.S.
- Middle Grades (6-9), Science Concentration, B.S.
- Middle Grades (6-9), Social Studies Concentration, B.S.
Schema Sheets
Middle Grades Education Admissions Requirements
First-Year and Transfer Students
Upon acceptance, you will be admitted to Campbell University as a general undergraduate student and identified as Pre-Teacher Licensure for the first two years of study.
To apply to Campbell University as a first-year or transfer student, please visit the university’s undergraduate admissions page.
Applying to the Professional Education program
As an undergraduate candidate seeking a North Carolina “Initial” Teaching Licensure, you must meet admission requirements and be accepted into the Professional Education Program at Campbell University in order to complete student teaching field experiences. You will be expected to apply to the Teacher Education Program at the conclusion of your sophomore year.
Applications should be submitted only after all admission criteria have been met. It is important that you recognize admittance requirements early in your program of study so that you work to maintain the level of performance required to gain and maintain acceptance into the Teacher Education Program.
In addition, stay current on national/state policy changes, which might affect your program of study while at Campbell University. Attend all information sessions sponsored by the Professional Education Department.
Requirements for Admittance to the Professional Education Program
- Satisfactory scores on the SAT/ACT or PRAXIS CORE (See Table Below). Please note: Students who do not meet the established criteria for the SAT/ACT are enrolled in courses to prepare for the PRAXIS CORE.
- A minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.7 in overall scholastic work (from statute);
- “C” or better in all professional education courses, including courses in the content area major;
- Documented participation in early field experiences, or equivalent experiences as approved by the Dean or the Director of Teacher Education;
- Approval of the major department and the Professional Education department;
- No academic, disciplinary, or social probation;
- Adhere to the North Carolina Code of Ethics for teachers and the professional dispositions of the Professional Education Program at Campbell University;
- Complete and submit the Teacher Education Admission Application through the Tk20 online system.
Applicants who fail to meet the listed admission criteria at the time of their sophomore application, may reapply up until the student teaching field experience. No student is allowed to student teach who has not been accepted into the Professional Education Program.
Middle School Musings
Middle Grades Musings is a monthly publication by Campbell University’s Middle Grades Education Program.
Most Recent Issue
Archive
- When the Only Constant is Change (2019)
- I Am (2019)
- Time To Talk (2019)
- Motivating in the Middle (2019)
- Relevancy (2019)
- Achieving the Vision (2018)
- Relationships Matter (2018)
- Managing my Future Classroom (2018)
- Blurring the Lines (2017)
- My Middle Level Pledge (2017)
- Teaming In the Middle (2016)
- We Are All People (2016)
- Social-Media (2016)
- What is Your Mission (2016)
- Follow Your Heart (2016)
- Community (2016)
- Teacher-Leaders (2016)
- The Good Stuffs in the Middle (2015)
Contact Information
For more information on the Middle Grades Program or to contribute to a future Musings publication, please contact:
Dr. Lorae Roukema
Coordinator
roukema@campbell.edu
Testimonials & Quotes
“Being a middle school teacher is a combination of serving in the Peace Corps, organizing an amoebae circus, competing in a decathlon, and earning an Academy Award. In no other job do you laugh aloud, ignite someone’s imagination, bring peace, pose conflict, kiss frogs, quell fears, affirm goodness, stand amazed, and read a crumpled love note that assures the end of the world by 3:00 that afternoon. And that’s just the end of first period.”
Rick Wormeli
Meet Me in the Middle