Elementary Education major at her student teaching site.
College of Arts & Sciences

Elementary Education

Empowering the Next Generation

Do you remember a favorite teacher who made a difference in your life? Elementary school teachers play a vital role in the social, emotional, and academic development of children. What children learn and experience during their early years shapes their views of themselves and the world, directly affecting long-term success in school, work, and personal lives. As an Elementary Education major, you will begin the process of becoming such an important role model, a professional teacher, in your first semester.

Why Choose Elementary Education?

Become a licensed teacher in four years! Becoming a teacher is a rigorous process, but one that can be achieved at Western New England University in just four years. If you want to teach you should be someone with a passion for learning and be ready to meet all requirements for licensure as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). You will be fully prepared to teach students from first through sixth grade in Massachusetts and have reciprocity to teach in approximately 40 other states via the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Contract. You will complete a double major in Elementary Education and one of the following content majors: English, History, Mathematical Science, Psychology, or Sociology. We have carefully mapped out your program by working closely with other departments on campus, so that you are able to graduate in four years with a double major and are ready to teach.

$68,000 Median Pay (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022)
98% Class of ’22 employed/attending graduate or professional school within 6 months of graduation

What Will You Study?

The program will provide you with strong content knowledge and professional skills that will you will need to become an effective elementary school teacher. You will take a mixture of education and content courses each year to meet the requirements for teacher licensure and enhance your subject matter knowledge for teaching. Required courses include: Reading and Language Arts Methods, Elementary Curriculum and Methods, Teaching English Language Learners, and Elementary Education Topics (Arts, Health, and PE).

Unique Learning Opportunities

Elementary Education majors and internships

Student Teaching

Elementary Education majors get out into the field as early as their first year, and no later than sophomore year. You'll have opportunities to do classroom-based field experience in local elementary schools in diverse settings. In Massachusetts, you are required to complete 75 hours of pre-practicum field study, and a 300-hour practicum (student teaching). Working with students and observing professionals in an elementary school is an excellent opportunity to explore whether teaching is right for you. Student teaching occurs only in the fall semester of senior year, allowing you the richest opportunity to learn how to set up a classroom, establish a class community, and implement a curriculum.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad: Become a Global Citizen

Today’s workforce needs professionals who see the big picture. The College of Arts and Sciences will help you to become a student of world cultures and histories as they relate to your studies while making valuable contributions in your explorations. Whether you participate in a faculty-led summer seminar course or spend a semester at an international university, the experience will broaden your horizons and help you compete in the global landscape.

Study Abroad

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