Elementary Teacher Education Program Map

Students completing Associate Degrees for Transfer are guaranteed admission to the CSU system. Please see the beginning of the "Academic Programs" section for details. Students who seek to become teachers in primary, secondary, bilingual, or special education will find this to be an ideal educational program. This pathway focuses on building the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that prepare professionals to work with children grades TK to twelve. In this program, students will learn how to promote healthy development and learning in individually, culturally, and linguistically responsive ways, and will complete their first two years of a four-year degree. Employment of elementary school teachers is projected to grow above 6% due to the projected increases in student enrollment and the increase of teacher's retirements. The median annual wage is around $54,550.

Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Community of interest: SBSC Social/Behavioral Science & Communication
Award: AA-T Degree
Program code: 33563.31AA-T
Department: Elem Teacher Education
CIP code: 24.0101: Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies.
TOP code: 4901.20 - Liberal Studies

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Program Schedule Report Meet with a counselor

Elementary Teacher Education

AA-T Degree

The AA-T is designed for transfer preparation to a specific California State University major in academic areas outside STEM and CTE. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum and an academic program of specialization.

About Associate Degrees for Transfer. AA-T and AS-T degrees are aligned with transfer model curricula developed jointly by the Academic Senates and discipline faculty in the California Community College and California State University systems. Completing one with a qualifying GPA guarantees CSU admission with junior standing in a related major (campus assignment depends on space and competitive criteria).

About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.

See the 2026-27 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

16–18 units

CDEV C1000

Child Growth and Development

3 units

Meets Area 4.

Students examine the progression of development in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains and identify developmental milestones for children from conception through adolescence. Emphasis is on interactions between biological processes, environmental, and cultural factors. Students may engage in various methods of observing children's development to evaluate individual differences and analyze development characteristics at various stages according to developmental theories. (C-ID CDEV 100).

View full course outline for CDEV C1000

EDUC 2

Introduction to Education

3 units

This course introduces students to the concepts and issues related to teaching diverse learners in today’s contemporary schools, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12). Topics include teaching as a profession and career, historical and philosophical foundations of the American education system, contemporary educational issues, California’s Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), and Teacher Performance Standards (TPS). In addition to class time, the course requires 51 hours of structured fieldwork in public school elementary classrooms that represent California’s diverse student population, and includes cooperation with at least one carefully selected and campus-approved certificated classroom teacher. (C-ID EDUC 200).

View full course outline for EDUC 2

Select one: Meets Area 1A

Required

4 units

Choose one of 2 choices

ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
4 units
course details
In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. This course focuses on close reading; expository, argumentative, and fictional texts; and develops expository, persuasive and argumentative academic writing. Essays will demonstrate analysis, critique, and synthesis. Graded only. (C-ID ENGL 100).
Prerequisite: Placement as determined by the college’s multiple measures assessment process
View full course outline for ENGL C1000
+−
ENGL C1000E
Academic Reading and Writing
4 units
course details
In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. This course includes embedded support. This course builds on literacy practices by developing expository and argumentative writing, awareness of audience, purpose and research strategies including documentation. Primarily expository and argumentative texts will be used, responding to a variety of rhetorical situations. Graded only. (C-ID ENGL 100).
Prerequisite: Placement as determined by the college’s multiple measures assessment process
View full course outline for ENGL C1000E
+−

General Education: Area 2

Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

College-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning — the toolkit behind science, business, and informed citizenship.

General Education: Area 6

Ethnic Studies

The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.

Term 2

Class Schedules

15 units

COMM C1000

Introduction to Public Speaking

3 units

Meets Area 1C.

In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches. (C-ID COMM 110).

View full course outline for COMM C1000

HIST C1001

United States History to 1877

3 units

Meets Area 3B and US-1.

This course is a historical survey of the United States, from Indigenous North America to the end of Reconstruction. The course also introduces students to historical reasoning skills. The course encompasses important economic, political, cultural and social developments. (C-ID HIST 130).

View full course outline for HIST C1001

Select one:

Required

3 units

Choose one of 2 choices

ENGL C1002
Introduction to Literature
3 units
course details
In this course, students are introduced to works by diverse authors and major literary genres, developing close reading and analytical writing skills. Students also develop appreciation for and critical understanding of the cultural, historical, and aesthetic qualities of literature. (C-ID ENGL 120).
Prerequisite: Successful completion of college-level composition (ENGL C1000/ENGL C1000H/ENGL C1000E/C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent.
View full course outline for ENGL C1002
+−
HIST 3
World History to 1500
3 units
course details
This course is a survey of the development of world civilizations from prehistoric humans to 1500. Major themes include: broad patterns of change; dynamics of race, class, gender and ethnicity; reciprocal influence between the physical environment and human societies; and ways in which human groups have interacted with one another. In addition, the course examines distinctive forms of political, social, and economic organization, and significant scientific achievements, cultural developments, and belief systems. The course also provides an introduction to historical method. (C-ID HIST 150).
View full course outline for HIST 3
+−

List B (Select one): Meets Area 3A

Required

3 units

Choose one of 3 choices

ART 1
Art Appreciation
3 units
course details
This course provides a general introduction to art that offers a look at works of art through the study of theory, terminology, themes, design principles, media, techniques, with an introduction to the visual arts across time and diverse cultures. (C-ID ARTH 100).
View full course outline for ART 1
+−
DRAM 2
Introduction to Theatre
3 units
course details
This course focuses on the relationship of theatre to various cultures throughout history, and on the contributions of significant individual artists. This course introduces students to elements of the production process including playwriting, acting, directing, design, and criticism. Students will also survey different periods, styles and genres of theatre through play reading, discussion, films and viewing and critiquing live theatre, including required attendance of theatre productions. (C-ID THTR 111).
View full course outline for DRAM 2
+−
MUS 1
Music Appreciation
3 units
course details
A survey of art music in western civilization. Topics studied include but are not limited to elements of music, basic musical forms, music periods, styles, and the role of music and musicians in the western world. Students will develop active listening skills and explore music's connections to history, culture, other art forms, and the interplay of global musical traditions. (C-ID MUS 100).
View full course outline for MUS 1
+−

General Education: Area 1B

Critical Thinking and Composition

Reading and writing about complex texts — analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions, building your own case with evidence.

Term 3

Class Schedules

14 units

BIOL C1000

Introduction to Biology with Lab

4 units

Meets Area 5B/5C.

This combined lecture and laboratory course provides the non-biology major with an introduction to living things and their environment. Students use experimentation and investigation to develop important critical thinking skills. Students learn about the process of science, the building blocks of life, the role and regulation of DNA, how populations change over time, the movement of energy within and between life forms, and how species interact with each other and their surroundings. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply an understanding of biological concepts to current issues and their impacts on society.

View full course outline for BIOL C1000

POLS C1000

American Government and Politics

3 units

Meets Area 4 and US-2/US-3.

This course is an introduction to government and politics in the United States and California. Students examine the constitutions, structure, and operation of governing institutions, civil liberties and civil rights, political behaviors, political issues, and public policy using political science theory and methodology. (C-ID POLS 110).

View full course outline for POLS C1000

List A (Select one):

Required

4 units

Choose one of 2 choices

PSC 11
Earth Science with Lab
4 units
course details
An introduction to the essentials of Earth Science with a laboratory. Topics include the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and solar system. This course focuses on the interactions between physical and chemical systems of the Earth such as the tectonic cycle, rock cycle, hydrologic cycle, weather and climate. (C-ID GEOL 121).
View full course outline for PSC 11
+−
PSC 12
Concepts in Physical Science
4 units
course details
This course is an investigation of basic principles of physics and chemistry including matter, physical and chemical properties, energy, motion, light, atomic structure, bonding, solutions and chemical reactions. The inter-dependence of chemistry and physics will be emphasized. This course is intended for non-science majors. (C-ID PHYS 140).
Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra or equivalent
View full course outline for PSC 12
+−

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C2999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Term 4

15 units

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C2999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the 4-year pathway for this program.

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

Example roles: 1

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

Local Job Market

Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199no nearby openings indexed

No nearby openings matched any of: postsecondary teacher. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.

Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.

Last generated 2026-07-05T16:57+00:00

Program Snapshot

Next Steps

2-Year Degree Paths

4-Year Degree Paths

Graduate School Paths

Source Notes