As with many undergraduate degrees, a degree in teaching requires the student to pursue the equivalence of about two years of general education courses. General education courses include studies in subjects like math, English, history, psychology, speech and both the biological and physical sciences. The number of credit hour required in each field will vary by school and by degree program. Students must take these courses in order to have the proper foundation for third and fourth year upper-level courses in their major field of study. Admission to teacher education programs is not automatic at many schools. Most education programs require students to have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 to 2.75 before admitting them to the teacher education program.
Once students have completed their general education requirements and have been admitted to the teacher education program, they can then take courses in areas of study specific to teachers. Whether offered at universities or smaller four-year colleges, teacher education courses usually entail a mixture of educational theory and pedagogy courses. They may also include many other courses in child or adolescent psychology as well. Some teacher education programs also require students to take practical courses in classroom management and other areas that will prepare them for teaching competency. Most education programs require their teaching students maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 to 3.0. The more prominent the school or teacher education program, the more likely it is that the minimum GPA requirement will be a 3.0. In some cases, it could be be higher.
Nearly every degree program, including those in the field of education, allows students to take a number of elective courses. Elective courses are those in any subject area that students can choose to take. Students sometimes take these because they have an interest in the subject or, as is sometimes the case, because a course was the only one they could fit into their schedule. Students who think they may want to teach in more than one area, or at least have the option to do so, may take additional courses in that subject area as well. Elective courses taken after admittance to a teacher education program usually do not have a minimum GPA requirement. Those take prior to admission may count toward a student's overall GPA needed to get into the teaching program. In any case, shooting for the minimum 2.5 to 3.0 GPA is probably a good bet, but it is probably best to check with the school's education program before taking elective courses.