The Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in Teacher Education is a versatile program designed to launch careers in the K-12 educational field. It provides a foundational understanding of child development and methods in teaching.

This degree offers a clear dual pathway:
• Immediate Employment: Graduates are qualified for careers as educational paraprofessionals (teacher’s aides or assistants). 
• Transfer to Licensure: It serves as the ideal first step for students intending to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree and state teaching licensure. 

Students in this program are strongly encouraged to continue their education to earn a Bachelor’s in Elementary or Secondary Education to become licensed classroom teachers. 


Program Learning Outcomes

  • Apply theory of student learning and develop activities that support the intellectual, social and personal development of all students.
  • Differentiate instruction based on how students approach learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
  • Describe the use of formal and informal assessment as it applies to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning.
  • Describe a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking and problem solving.
  • Model effective verbal, nonverbal and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration and supportive interactions in the classroom.
  • Perform as a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effect of one’s own choices and actions.
  • Demonstrate mastery in and application of foundational concepts from general education. Successful completion of 31 hours of general core.


Degree Requirements

The following degree requirements are for the 2025-2026 Catalog. For other catalogs, please see Catalogs

Minimum of 61 Credit Hours

General Education Core (31 Credit Hours)

Area I. Communications (9 credit hours)
COMM1130 Public Speaking 3
COMM2120 Interpersonal Communication 3
ENGL1110 Composition I 3
ENGL1120 Composition II 3
Area II. Mathematics (4 credit hours)
MATH1220 College Algebra 4
MATH1350 Introduction to Statistics 3
Area III. Laboratory Science (4 credit hours)
Area IV. Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)
Area V. Humanities (6 credit hours)
3 credit hours from Humanities AND
HIST2110 Survey of New Mexico History 3
Area VI. Creative and Fine Arts (3 credit hours)

Concentration Requirements (26 credit hours)

ECED1110 Child Growth, Development, andLearning 3
ECED1115 Health, Safety, and Nutrition 2
ECED1125 Assessment of Children andEvaluation of Programs 3
ECED2110 Professionalism 2
ECED2115 Introduction to Language,Literacy, and Reading 3
EDUC1120 Introduction to Education 3
EDUC2340 Multicultural Education 3
EDUC2440 Teaching Elementary School Math 3
SPED2110 Introduction to Studentswith Exceptionalities 3

Related Studies (3 credit hours)

BCIS1110 Intro to Information Systems 3
Early Childhood Education Teacher Birth-Grade 3 AA Curriculum Map