Elementary Education Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

An Elementary Education major prepares you to teach children in kindergarten through the elementary grades. Elementary education majors learn child development, teaching methods for reading, math, science and social studies, classroom management and assessment, with supervised student teaching.

An Elementary Education major includes coursework in child development, teaching reading and literacy, math and science methods, classroom management, and assessment and more. You build skills such as lesson planning, classroom management, differentiated instruction, and communication with families. Programs often include student teaching. Typical degrees: bachelor's and master's degrees.

Typical courses include child development, teaching reading and literacy, math and science methods, classroom management, assessment, and student teaching. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Elementary Education is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s, and a doctoral or professional degree takes several more years beyond that. Part-time study takes longer.

Bachelor's and master's degrees. In the latest federal data, 86 colleges reported certificate awards, 152 colleges reported associate awards, 872 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, 310 colleges reported master’s awards, and 8 colleges reported doctoral awards.

Career paths connected to elementary education include elementary school teacher, kindergarten teacher, teacher assistant, substitute teacher, tutor, instructional coordinator, and school principal. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include elementary school teacher (typical training: 4 years plus licensing), kindergarten teacher (typical training: 4 years plus licensing), teacher assistant (typical training: Weeks to 2 years depending on the district), substitute teacher (typical training: Days to weeks for a substitute permit), tutor (typical training: Weeks to months), and instructional coordinator (typical training: Master’s plus 5+ years of teaching).

Elementary Education majors build skills such as lesson planning, classroom management, differentiated instruction, communication with families, and patience.

Good pairings include Special Education (prepares you to support students with disabilities in every classroom), Spanish (helps you work with English learners and their families), and Psychology (deepens your understanding of how children learn and behave).

Often, yes. Programs commonly include student teaching. Ask each college how its program arranges hands-on work.

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as elementary school teacher, kindergarten teacher, and teacher assistant, and enjoy subjects like child development and teaching reading and literacy. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes child development, teaching reading and literacy, and math and science methods; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

1,101 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

New York (60), North Carolina (46), Florida (45), Illinois (44), and Iowa (39), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

1,005 of the colleges that offer elementary education also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Elementary Education prepares you to teach children in kindergarten through the elementary grades. Secondary Education prepares you to teach a subject such as math, science, English or history in middle and high school. Elementary Education leads to careers such as elementary school teacher and kindergarten teacher, while Secondary Education leads to careers such as high school teacher and middle school teacher.

Elementary Education prepares you to teach children in kindergarten through the elementary grades. Early Childhood Education focuses on the learning and care of children from birth to about age eight. Elementary Education leads to careers such as elementary school teacher and kindergarten teacher, while Early Childhood Education leads to careers such as preschool teacher and childcare worker.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to elementary education, such as Elementary School Teacher Training.