Elementary Education (BA)

What is A Elementary Education Degree?

If you were asked, “Who has influenced you most as you have gone through your life?” you might mention a parent/caregiver or a relative.  But I bet you’ll also mention a teacher or a coach!  You already know about Education because you’ve been involved with it most of your life.  People in the Education field are involved in the process of teaching and learning; they help people of all ages develop new skills, learn knew facts, develop attitudes, and refine their beliefs to make their lives better.  Teachers who complete the BA degree in Elementary Education are specialists in working with children from about 5 to 13 years of age, and many are especially focused on the 5 to 10 range.  Besides becoming teachers, they may also be educational administrators, specialists in curriculum and instruction, or special educators.

The BA degree program will cover general education which includes science, math, English, social studies—all the subjects that teachers are supposed to know to be professional educators.  In the third and fourth years of study, expect to take courses specific to the education field, like the history of education, curriculum and instruction, and methods for teaching elementary students, along with advanced work in a subject area you’re likely to teach especially in grades 5 and up.  You’ll probably observe some classrooms in the third year and do some hands-on teaching—called student teaching–with a supervising teacher during the last couple of semesters of the program.  Much of the required coursework and field experience may be prescribed by your local licensing board.

The videos below discuss “typical” programs, so they should help regardless of which school you are considering.