
education Field Experience
What Is Field Experience for Education?
Bachelor’s degrees in Education provide students with opportunities to observe and teach in schools while learning the theories and strategies that are part of an effective classroom. These opportunities are called field experiences. These field experiences are part of classes within the program and culminates with student teaching. Student teaching is a semester-long experience that provides students with the opportunity to be the teacher of a class in a school under the supervision of the teacher of that class.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much field experience is required for my program?
Early Childhood Education – 120 hours
Elementary Education – 115 hours
Secondary English Education – 95 hours
Secondary Math Education – 95 hours
Secondary Social Studies Education – 95 hours
All of these programs also include 490 hours of student teaching across 14 weeks.
Can I do all of the field experience in the summer when I do have classes or my sport is out of season?
No. The field experience is required in an actual classroom in a school. This means the field experience must occur Monday – Friday and during school hours when students are present.
Can I do all of the hours at one time in one semester?
The field experiences are associated with particular courses:
- EDUC 2101 Teacher Education Orientation – 30 hours
- ECED 3223 Literacy Methods for ECE – 5 hours
- EDEL 3303 Methods of Elem. Science – 5 hours
- EDEL 3503 Methods of Elem. Music/Art – 5 hours
- EDEL 4503 Methods of Elem. Language Arts – 5 hours
- EDEL 4603 Methods of Elem. Social Studies – 5 hours
- EDEL 4803 Methods of Elem. Math – 5 hours
- EDEL 4304 Diagnostic and Prescriptive Reading – 15 hours
- ECED 3103 Nutrition and Physical Development in EC – 5 hours
- ECED 4103 Family and Community Relations in EC – 5 hours
- ECED 3203 Early Childhood Development & Learning – 5 hours
- ECED 4203 Guidance, Observation & Assessment of YC – 10 hours
- EDUC 3103 Educational Psychology – 25 hours
- EDUC 4223 Students with Exceptionalities – 10 hours
- EDUC 4603 Methods of Teaching Secondary Social Studies – 30 hours
- EDUC 4703 Methods of Teaching Secondary Math – 30 hours
- EDUC 4803 Methods of Teaching Secondary English – 30 hours
- ECED 3243 Methods of Math/Science of Young Children – 5 hours
- EDEL 3203 Methods of Reading in Intermediate Grades – 5 hours
- EDUC 4909 Student Teaching – 490 hours
Can I select the school where I do the field experience?
Yes. You can provide up to three choices of schools where you would like to complete the field experience.
I am currently teaching in a school, I cannot take the time out of my class to complete the field experience. What can I do?
MACU has a program in Educational Studies that provides students with an educational foundation by taking educational classes without field experience.
Because this program does not have the required field experience, students completing this program are not eligible for a standard teaching certificate. Students would apply for an alternative teacher certification. This type of teacher certification has additional requirements during the first years of teaching, but after fulfilling those requirements, teachers can apply for a standard teaching certificate.