B.S. in Elementary Education with a Track in Individualized Studies

What is the Individualized Track?

The Individualized track offers Elementary Education majors an opportunity to create a program which supports their knowledge and development as a teacher, in a creative and specialized way. Rather than selecting one of the pre-determined tracks in the BS Elementary program (which could lead to additional certifications), the Individualized track is co-designed by the student and his/her faculty advisor based on individual career goals and intellectual interests.

Tracks could incorporate established minors (https://catalog.louisville.edu/undergraduate/programs-study/) or be exclusively designed. Examples of track themes are listed below:

Creative Arts (courses selected from Art, English Creative Writing, Humanities, Music, and Theatre Arts)

Environmental and Ecological Studies (courses selected from Biology, Geography, and Sustainability).

Global Diversity Studies (courses selected from Anthropology, Asian Studies, History, Latin American and Latino Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies, Pan-African Studies, and Political Science).

Human Rights Advocacy (Community Health, Public Health, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and Women and Gender Studies)

Literacy (courses selected from Education, English, and Linguistics)

World Language/International Studies (any courses in World Languages, Linguistics, Education, ISLP)

Students interested in BS Elementary Education with Individualized Track

The BS Elementary Education with Individualized Track program is available to students who are seeking certification in Elementary Education, and who would like to work with a faculty advisor to co-design their own track based on individual career goals and intellectual interests. The Individualized Track consists of 27 credit hours of courses that must be approved by an Elementary Education faculty advisor.

STEP 1: Students who are interested in pursuing the Individualized track must first meet with an academic counselor in the Education Advising and Student Services Office (please call 502-852-5597 to schedule an appointment). The professional academic counselor will complete a transcript review/degree audit including general education requirements, professional Education course requirements, and elective requirements.

STEP 2: After meeting with an EASS academic counselor, the student will send an email to the faculty advisor for the program, Dr. Sherri Brown, to schedule a meeting. The email should include:

  • Brief explanation of career goal(s) and intellectual interest(s)
  • Proposed "title" of your Individualized track
  • Areas or "blocks" of study you want to include in your track

During the meeting with the faculty advisor, the student will discuss the information above and the faculty advisor will:

  • approve any elective courses that have been completed and may be used as part of the track;
  • identify departments where courses may be selected – and specific courses where appropriate;
  • approve the title of the individualized track;

STEP 3: After meeting with the faculty advisor, the student will develop a written proposal (see below) that will explain how the individualized track supports his/her development as an Elementary teacher and specifies the intended learning outcomes (for example, developing an understanding and respect of cultural differences, increasing critical thinking skills, and/or developing leadership abilities). You may use the Professional Dispositions Rubric and the Diversity Rubric to assist in identifying appropriate learning outcomes.

  1. Complete a Cover Sheet.
  2. Provide a brief personal statement explaining your background, interests and influences.
  3. Describe the goal(s) of your track/program.
  4. Identify the title of your track and the academic courses/departments that have been approved. How is each relevant to the goal? How are these courses/departments interrelated?

The cover sheet and written proposal must be submitted to the faculty advisor for feedback, approval and signature. Once finalized and signed, the faculty advisor will send the proposal to the ECEE Department Chair for final approval and signature. The Department Chair will notify the student, faculty advisor and EASS academic counselor of the approval, and the documentation will be added to the student’s official file.