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The broad K-12 licensure encompasses Art, Music, and Kinesiology. K-12 licensure students must complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology, a Bachelor of Music Education, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art.

A minimum of 75 credit hours of general education and content area coursework must be completed with a minimum GPA of 2.80 before a K-12 candidate is eligible to apply for admission to the Center for Teacher Education. Before students may register for any upper level education courses, they must be formally accepted to the Center for Teacher Education through a thorough application process. All application requirements and prerequisites can be viewed on our program application page or in the Advising Handbook. 

K-12 education students rotate through a variety of elementary and secondary field placements. During their their internship semester K-12 teacher candidates are placed in the classroom full-time and take on the lead teaching role. All coursework and licensure testing must be completed prior to internship so that candidates are eligible to apply for Colorado teacher licensure immediately upon completion of the internship and degree.

Colorado Placement

CMU's Education programs meet the requirements for licensure in the state of Colorado, as such, students are required to complete their field hours within the state of Colorado. Placements are arranged between a local school district and the Center for Teacher Education, and are typically within our 14-county western slope community of school districts. Placements outside of this 14-county region are made on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on several factors including, agreements with cooperating school districts, qualified mentor availability, and student support and supervision. While graduates have successfully obtained licensure in other states, at this time, CMU does not offer placement outside of Colorado. To find out about licensure requirements for other states, see our State Licensing Resources page.

K-12 Education Advising

Content Advisors: K-12 students also work closely with their content advisors in Art, Kinesiology or Music throughout the program, and should meet with their content advisors every semester prior to registration.

K-12 Education Program Advisor: Dr. Joanelle Morales. All K-12 Education majors work with Dr. Morales and should meet with her each semester.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree leads to licensure for K-12 Art Education in the state of Colorado. The visual art emphasis presently includes course work in theory, art history, and studio art. The range of disciplines and media are the same as called for by the state. Methodology courses in elementary and secondary art education are required. The successful Art Education degree candidate will be prepared to teach all levels of art in a school environment.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Fine Arts in K-12 Education, Art

The Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Kinesiology provides students the knowledge and skills to teach elementary, middle/junior high school, and high school physical education. This degree leads to K-12 licensure in Colorado.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in K-12 Education, Kinesiology

The Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Music Education provides students with the knowledge, skills, and musicianship to become a successful music educator. Studies in music theory, history, literature, ensemble performance, and applied study give the student a strong foundation on which to build a successful teaching career. Classes in conducting, instrumental, choral, and elementary techniques as well as music education philosophy develop the skills and knowledge needed for a rewarding career as a K-12 music educator. These skills and knowledge are applied during field experiences as well as during the student teaching internship.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Music Education in Music Education K-12

After completing a K-12 degree, graduates are prepared to teach will be prepared to teach at the elementary, middle and high school levels in their selected area.

Career Links:

Program Application
Advising Handbook
Field Placement

College to Career

From the Teacher Education program to a High School Art Teacher in Arizona, check out Josh Dillinger's transition to his career.

More about this graduate