Bachelor of Arts in Elementary and Middle Education – Degree Completion
Finish Your Degree, Launch Your Teaching Career
Paraprofessional to Teacher
The Edgewood College Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree Completion pathway is designed for adult learners serving in paraprofessional roles, as well as other education professionals, whether currently employed by a school district or aspiring to in the future. This program provides a flexible and supportive path for students to complete their bachelor’s degree while earning initial teacher certification. With hybrid and virtual course delivery, flexible scheduling, and a curriculum that integrates work experience with academic learning, this pathway empowers working professionals to enhance their classroom impact and achieve their career goals by becoming licensed educators.
This pathway is tailored for students with prior higher education experience, leveraging existing coursework to provide an efficient route to degree completion. Ideally, applicants should have a minimum of 24 college credits to help accelerate their academic journey. Alternatively, one full semester of employment as a paraprofessional in a school district can also qualify students for admission. For students just beginning their college journey and without professional experience, Edgewood College offers a variety of undergraduate programs that provide a more suitable starting point.
Launch your Teaching Career:
- Majority of courses, including general education courses, are offered in an 8-week accelerated format, allowing you to balance work and studies.
- Most coursework for the major is asynchronous, allowing you the flexibility to fit learning into your busy schedule without attending real-time class meetings.
- Specifically tailored for working adults, empowering you to advance your career without putting your life on hold.
Madison, WI
Hybrid, Virtual
120
January 21, 2025
Careers within Elementary/Middle Education
$64,290
A bachelor’s degree in elementary education prepares you for a variety of career paths. Careers with an asterisk (*) may require additional education.
- Development Specialist
- Education Consultant
- Elementary Teacher
- English as a Second Language or Bilingual Education Teacher*
- Human Resources Coordinator
- Kindergarten Teacher
- Special Education Teacher*
- Training and Development Specialist
Student Organizations
Aspiring Teachers Club
The Aspiring Teachers Club welcomes all students enrolled in, or preparing to study, in the Division of Education at Edgewood College. Their mission is to prepare students for careers in education by providing members with opportunities to enhance their understanding of the profession. They accomplish this by engaging members with opportunities to participate in professional development and community service activities, both on– and off-campus. Their commitment extends to fostering a warm, inclusive, and fun environment, creating a vibrant student community within the Division of Education.
Accreditation
The Teacher Education licensing programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI). Edgewood College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
84 Years of Excellence in Educating Educators
At Edgewood College, education has always been at the heart of our mission. Since granting our first BA in Education degrees in 1940, we’ve been built a reputation of preparing exceptional educators. Today, we continue this legacy by expanding opportunities for paraprofessionals to achieve their professional goal of becoming licensed teachers. This effort not only fosters educational equity but also increases the diversity of teachers in classrooms, aligning with our vision to create equity in education.
Faculty Spotlights
Heather O’Neil is an assistant program coordinator of Language and Literacy as well as an assistant professor. Heather has a BA in History and Secondary Education from St. Norbert College and an MA in Language and Literacy Development from Cardinal Stritch University. She is completing her Ph.D. in Language and Literacy at Concordia University-Chicago. Prior to Edgewood College, Heather was an assistant professor of undergraduate elementary education at Concordia University-Wisconsin for six years. She also worked as a district reading specialist, reading teacher, and literacy coach in various school districts in southeastern Wisconsin. Heather’s research interests include the identity formation of pre-service teachers, writing instruction, and culturally responsive instruction.
HONeil@edgewood.edu
Gerardo Mancilla is an Associate Professor of Education for both the undergraduate and graduate programs. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction, M.S. in Counseling Psychology, and Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to working at Edgewood College, Gerardo was working for the Madison Metropolitan School District where he was a Dual Language Immersion teacher. Gerardo teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses at Edgewood College. Gerardo’s research interests include Critical Race Theory, LatCrit, the school-to-prison pipeline, bilingual education, and immigration. Gerardo has also been active in the Madison community for many years.
gmancilla@edgewood.edu
Donna Vukelich-Selva received her Ph.D. in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. She also holds a Master of Arts in Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies from UW-Madison. Before coming to Edgewood College in 2008, she taught at a K-12 bilingual school in Managua, Nicaragua, where she also founded and ran a study abroad program for US college students. Vukelich-Selva teaches both undergraduate courses in the Division of Education, as well as bilingual and ESL education graduate courses in the Language and Literacy program. She also teaches in Edgewood’s COR program for first year students and piloted a course on the history of immigration in the United States that is cross-listed with Ethnic Studies. Among her college responsibilities, Donna serves on the advisory board for Edgewood’s Center for Multicultural Education. Donna’s research interests include critical race theory, education and immigration, bilingual education and restorative justice. She has been active in the Madison community for many years.
DVukelich-Selva@edgewood.edu
(608) 663-3235
Shaping the Future of Education
ESL and Bilingual Add-Ons
Our program is rooted in the belief that paraprofessionals bring valuable, real-world classroom experience that can be harnessed to strengthen K-12 education. Our approach integrates their current roles into their educational journey, allowing them to fulfill clinical practicum requirements through their ongoing work in schools. With options to pursue licensure in English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual Education, the pathway prepares candidates to meet the growing needs of diverse student populations while opening new career opportunities for themselves.
Student Teaching: Expand Your Skills
Madison and its neighboring communities offer a diverse array of practicum and student teaching placements, including private, parochial, and public schools in both urban and suburban areas. Having diverse options provides you with a broader range of experiences, which facilitates exploration to help you discover the best fit, enhancing both your skills and marketability.
Empowering Educators for Equity and Inclusion
The Division of Education mission is to cultivate future educators dedicated to anti-racist work that embraces and empowers every student. We do this by grounding our work in the core values of Edgewood College and providing teaching that is culturally and linguistically sustaining. This pursuit of equity extends inward, fostering a culture of inclusivity within us, our division, our students, and the communities we influence.
We envision candidates seeking licensure and education degrees as practitioners who are both reflective and effective. Our commitment is to nurture professionals devoted to continuous growth through ongoing professional development, cultivating the knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential for promoting equity in every classroom and school.