University of North Texas 
Elementary Education Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Program type:
Major
Teaching Certification
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
4 years
Credit Hours:
120
Help the next generation of learners reach their full potential.
Teachers are vital to children's development, shaping emotional, social and academic
growth. Becoming a certified Early Childhood-6th grade teacher prepares you to work
with a diverse population of learners to help them lead their best lives.
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Request More InfoWhy Earn a Degree in Elementary Education?
The Early Childhood through Grade 6 Education Degree Program — with a Science of Teaching, Reading, and English as a Second Language Supplemental Teacher Certification — at the University of North Texas is designed for students whose goal is to become a teacher in classrooms from Pre-K through 6th grade.
This certification path includes preparation in the Science of Teaching Reading, a new initiative in the State of Texas that prepares teachers to implement instruction in reading, especially with young learners. English as a Second Language courses develop knowledge and skills critical to the success of English Language Learners in today’s diverse classrooms.
Marketable Skills
- Oral and written communication
- Use data and technology
- Organize people, materials, and resources
- Teamwork
- Think critically to solve problems
Elementary Education Degree Highlights
Opportunities for undergraduates to choose a specialization area that offers deep,
focused exploration in an area of interest. Options include Early Childhood Education;
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics); Language, Literacy and
Activism; Inclusive Education; Ethnic Studies in Education; International Studies
in Education; and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Begin foundational coursework in education earlier during Freshman and Sophomore years
as students complete their general core requirements.
Expanded opportunities for field experiences in actual classrooms and a variety of
learning contexts starting early in the program and continuing through clinical teaching.
Choose from an increased number of electives based on interest with courses designed
to allow students to explore topics more deeply or to learn about new and exciting
concepts.
The Department of Teacher Education and Administration offers coursework face-to-face,
online and in hybrid formats to best meet your needs.
A program vision focuses on equity-oriented, anti-racist and humanizing pedagogies
as represented in a set of core commitments for both faculty and teacher candidates.
What Can You do With an Elementary Education Degree?
Overall employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 124,300 openings for kindergarten and elementary school teachers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Elementary Education Degree Courses You Could Take
Learning With and From Children (3 hrs)
Introduction to early childhood education and care as a field of study that centers
on young children’s play, experiences, and identities.
Teaching as Advocacy for Equity (3 hrs)
Explores the relationships between education, culture, and society. Focuses on structures
of social and educational inequality, as they relate to race, class, and gender; processes
of power and control in education, as they are expressed in curriculum, policy, and
pedagogy; education as a process of social and cultural reproduction; and teaching
as a form of intervention in these processes.
Early Language and Literacy Development (3 hrs)
Course focuses on theoretical and practical applications of early language and literacy
development (birth through grade K). With an emphasis on family and community literacy
practices, this course will explore the ways in which children use and play with language
as their earliest form of literacy and how teachers can capitalize on family and community
literacy practices to create culturally sustaining classrooms.
Strategies to Support Diverse Learners in General Education (3 hrs)
Examination of the roles of various professionals in the successful inclusion of students
with disabilities in the general education classroom. Focus on consultation models,
practices and principles with an emphasis on collaboration, cooperative learning and
inclusion.
How People Learn (1.5 hrs)
Examines the processes of human learning and development within and across the multiple
contexts of our daily lives, including home and school. Considers the role of social
context and culture in shaping learning processes; the various ways learning is demonstrated;
and the implications of these processes for the design of learning environments.
Classrooms as Communities (3 hrs)
Guides preservice teachers in cultivating a reflective, professional teacher identity
while building and sustaining a classroom learning community that effectively serves
all students.
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