Elementary Education
Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Elementary Education
Discover how you can shape and inspire current and future generations
with a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in elementary education from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teaching Education and the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation, this 124 credit-hour program encompasses key subject areas, instructional and curriculum-planning techniques and student teaching assignments, with the goal of helping you engage and uplift the youngest learners. After completing your residency year in student teaching, you’ll be eligible to apply for Standard Elementary Certification for grades 1-8.
Interested candidates must first be accepted to Central before applying to the Teacher Education program.
About the B.S.Ed. | Curriculum | Careers | Admission Requirements | Learn More
About the B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education
Since our beginnings, UCO has strived to improve our community through applied teacher education. Our graduates start their journey in the classroom, soon practice their skills in the field and prepare for a meaningful career every step of the way. You’ll complete requirements to obtain certification, develop a portfolio to stand out and will have access to enriching and transformative opportunities, including clinical experiences, global learning activities and other outlets to grow your creative and scholarly achievements.
Guiding you through this endeavor are our esteemed faculty members, who have extensive elementary school classroom experience. As a result, our elementary education students consistently pass the state certification exam at high rates and make a difference from day one.
Through this combination, our program overseen by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is known throughout the state for graduating engaged, innovative elementary educators who are not only confident in their skills but reflective, responsive and resourceful.
To get you to this point, this bachelor’s in elementary education:
- Instructs you in key child and adolescent theories and research to not only help you understand but motivate your students, facilitate collaboration and create age-appropriate curriculums;
- Takes a holistic look at elementary curriculum, touching on teaching language arts, visual and performing arts, the natural sciences, mathematics, health and social studies for content exposure and to strengthen literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
- Helps you develop curriculum rooted in learning theory geared toward diverse learners;
- Broadens your leadership and communication skills, from verbal and nonverbal to media usage, to encourage inquiry among students and create a supportive classroom environment;
- Exposes you to various assessment strategies used to evaluate students, improve your own teaching and create lesson plans encouraging socioemotional, physical and intellectual growth;
- Covers professional ethics, resources for educators and the pursuit of lifelong learning; and,
- Highlights how educators can be effective leaders and the importance of strong relationships with students’ families, your colleagues and community organizations.
Support Courses
Overlapping with University Core requirements, support courses advance your understanding of key subject areas, both for your own educational journey and the impact you make in the classroom. This sequence includes courses in English composition, research, U.S. history, literature, mathematics, data, geography and earth science to form the foundation of your knowledge base.
Core Courses
You’ll begin to discover the techniques that make an effective elementary school teacher and start to familiarize yourself with essential learning tools for grades 1-8.
In thinking about your approach, what you’ll teach and examining progress, this group of courses starts with instructional theories and research before introducing you to contextual analysis, content areas for the elementary grades, assessment and intervention methods, techniques for developing lesson plans and teaching language arts and literacy. At this stage, you’ll start to spend time in the classroom to practice your newly acquired skills.
Elementary Education Emphasis
Begin to uncover how a teacher captivates the youngest learners and sparks their interest. This sequence covers teaching art, music, STEM, social studies and the natural sciences to elementary and middle school grades, as well as assisting English language learners and finding your footing in the school and regional community as an educator.
Professional Education
The time you spend in the classroom observing and teaching students increases as you simultaneously start to build your portfolio. Helping launch your career, this grouping of courses covers Oklahoma teacher certification requirements and more advanced instructional methods, from childhood development and assessment tools to creating effective learning environments for all children and meeting the needs of students with disabilities. You’ll further begin to plan lessons and classroom procedures in line with Oklahoma Academic Standards.
Careers
Engaged, determined teachers help students connect with the material, discover their interests and begin to envision their futures. Growth for elementary and middle school teachers is predicted to be steady between 2020 and 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at a rate of 7%.
Along with fulfilling certification requirements, consider participating in the following student and community organizations to get a head start on your career:
- Central Association for Responsive Educators (CARE);
- Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society;
- Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI);
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC);
- Teachers of English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL); and.
- Oklahoma Education Association (OEA).
Admission Requirements
Interested elementary education majors must apply and be accepted to the Teacher Education Program in order to take professional teacher education courses and graduate with an education degree from UCO. Admission to the Teacher Education Program is separate from admission to the University of Central Oklahoma.
Learn More About UCO’s B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education Program
Fulfill your passion to teach and set the youngest generation on a path toward success with a bachelor’s in elementary education from UCO. For additional information, contact the Department of Curriculum and Instruction by email at cni.ceps@uco.edu or by phone at 405-974-5721 with your questions.
