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BA, Elementary Education

A Bachelor’s degree in elementary education provides graduates with the training necessary for initial teaching certification K-5.

Those who want to apply to a bachelor’s program in elementary education should have graduated from high school or have obtained a GED. Each college or university has their own admission requirements, often including a personal essay and previous grades. Before deciding if a degree in elementary education is right for you, consider your ability and desire to work with young students. Any experience with this age group- either volunteer or career oriented- might be favorable for this degree.

A bachelor’s degree in education prepares students to become teachers. Within this field, there are a variety of options, including public and private schools. After achieving a bachelor’s degree in education, students may elect to earn a higher degree, which could lead to a career in school administration or post-secondary education.

A typical university education program will insure that all degree seekers have core classes in the liberal arts. During the professional preparation of course work in education, students will gain experience and skills essential to becoming a teacher by participating in various field work in school classrooms. University faculty, as well as local school district teachers and administrators, usually participate in the degree program by working with students preparing to be teachers.

This degree prepares elementary school teachers to instruct one class of children in several subjects. In some schools, two or more teachers will work as a team and are jointly responsible for a group of students in at least one subject. An elementary school teacher may teach one special subject—usually music, art, reading, science, arithmetic, or physical education—to a number of classes. A small but growing number of elementary teachers instruct multilevel classrooms, with students at several different learning levels.

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