Elementary Education Program Application

Step 1: Attend the Application Information Meeting

Step 2: Confirm You Are Meeting Program Entry Requirements*

*Or will have met program entry requirements before fall 2026. Please meet with your adviser if you have questions or concerns.

Program Entry Requirements: 

1. Admission to UMM

2. Minimum GPA of 2.5 overall, 2.75 in licensure area(s), and 2.75 in Education courses.  No grade below C- will be accepted in these courses. Courses must be taken A-F unless offered S/N only.

3. Approximately 60 semester credits completed by the end of sophomore year.

4. APAS must be coded as an Elementary Education Major. You can do this on the Academic Advising webpage (click on Change Major/Adviser and complete the online Major/Minor Change Form).

5. Satisfactory completion of prerequisites (with a grade of C- or higher) before beginning ElEd program coursework:

   1. ED 2111–Tutor-Aide Practicum (1 cr)

   2. ED 2121–Introduction to Education [SS] (4 cr)

   3. ED 2601–Development, Learning, and Teaching [SS] (2 cr)

      • or PSY 2411–Lifespan Developmental Psychology [SS] (4 cr)

      • or PSY 3401–Child Development (4 cr)

      • or PSY 3504–Educational Psychology (4 cr)

Step 3: Submit Your Online Application

Link to online application.  Due December 1, 2025.

Step 4: Obtain Three College-Level Academic Recommendations

Obtain three college-level academic (i.e., not athletic coaches or success coaches) recommendations from faculty outside of the Division of Education. All recommendations are due December 1, 2025. Please have faculty send completed paper recommendation forms to the Division of Education at ummed@morris.umn.edu.  The Google Form version of the recommendation form is sent to the Division automatically. You will want to connect with your recommending professors early so that they have ample time to complete their recommendation before the due date.

Step 5: Interview with an Elementary Education Faculty Member

Interview with an Elementary Education faculty member during the week of January 20, 2026.  A Google Spreadsheet will be available in December for scheduling.

Decision Timeline

The selection committee will carefully review all application materials and applicants will be informed via university email of committee decisions by Friday, February 6, 2026. The Elementary Education program for the 2028 cohort begins Fall Semester, 2026. Please contact your advisor or the Elementary Education discipline coordinator for advising, or if you have other questions, please feel free to contact the Division of Education at ummed@morris.umn.edu.

If admitted, you will attend a mandatory meeting held on Thursday February 26, 2026 at 11:40 in Blakely 9. 

Clinical Experiences

Clinical experiences (field experiences, student teaching and practica) are a vital component of the UMN Morris teacher education program. They provide teacher candidates the opportunity to put theory from university coursework into practice. Each experience is thoughtfully selected to allow pre-services teachers exposure to a variety of grade levels, schools, and cooperating teachers, and to work with students who differ in race, ethnicity, home language, socioeconomic status, and with a range of exceptionalities.

As part of the clinical experiences, teacher candidates will be required to annually complete a background check, obtain liability insurance, and be able to travel or obtain transportation to school partner sites. UMN Morris does not provide transportation to school sites or guarantee specific location requests can be accommodated.