Online Elementary Education Degree Programs

Students who are interested in earning their license to teach children from kindergarten through sixth grade can get training in Fort Hays State University’s elementary education bachelor’s degree program. Through a combination of major classes, general education coursework, methods classes, internships, and student teaching experience, people get the knowledge and skills they need to handle the challenges elementary educators face. This program, which is offered both on campus and online, requires students to complete 127 credit hours. Fort Hays State University also offers a Para Pathway version of this degree, which is designed for elementary education para-professionals who need hands-on training in order to earn their license as they continue working at their school district.

Grand Canyon University offers an online elementary education bachelor’s degree program that helps students acquire the skills that are the building blocks to a successful career in education, such as classroom management, assessment, collaboration, and accommodation abilities. In order to do this, students take specific classes in literacy skills and phonics, social justice for educators, ethical practices for teachers, and researched-based strategies for teaching diverse students. Also, students are required to participate in hands-on learning in a real classroom. In addition to the general elementary education degree, Grand Canyon University also offers degree programs that allow students to concentrate on special education, Christian education, or teaching English as a second language.

East Carolina University offers an elementary education program that allows students to learn diverse topics that prepare them for their careers, such as child development, language and literacy, and language arts. In addition, students take general education classes in English, history, human studies, and psychology. Before they complete this online program, people are required to get practical training during an internship at an elementary school for one year. During this time, students teach young learners under the supervision of an experienced educator in order to put what they previously learned into practice.

Students at Nova Southeastern University can earn a bachelor’s of science online in elementary education that teaches the best practices they need to know whether they choose to teach social science, reading, mathematics, or the arts. Some of the areas that students learn include cross-cultural studies, educational psychology, classroom management, and assessments. In addition, students learn methods for teaching a specific subject and complete a simulation experience that gives them the opportunity to practice the approaches they learned before they begin their internship. Then, students go on to get field experience in an elementary school classroom setting, where they participate in teaching activities, lesson planning, and parent/teacher conferences while being supervised by a seasoned professional.

Flexibility is a major feature of Missouri State University’s Master of Science in Education, Elementary Education degree program. All coursework is offered and completed entirely online. Additionally, half of the courses required to earn the degree are electives, allowing students to customize their study to best suit their unique education needs and interests. In addition to their degrees, students earn an MSU graduate certificate in one of the following areas of specialization: Curriculum and Instruction; Gifted and Talented Education; Education Technology; Elementary Math Specialist; Environmental STEM; or Dyslexia. This degree program is designed for working professionals with a previously-obtained teaching certificate, with most students completing the program in five semesters of study. MSU is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) with authorization to provide online degree programs in all 50 states.

The University of Missouri – St. Louis offers a wide range of elementary education master’s degree options featuring either fully-online or partially-online study. UMSL’s Master of Education (MEd) in Elementary Education (General Emphasis) is offered with over a dozen concentrations that allow students to tailor their studies to coincide with their specific professional interests. Most concentrations are presented in a partially-online format, meaning that some courses are completed online while others require attendance on the UMSL campus. The fully-online MEd in Elementary Education with Early Childhood Emphasis focuses on advanced training for educators, researchers, administrators, business owners, and others in working in early childhood agencies and other settings. UMSL’s MEd in Elementary Education with Reading Emphasis is designed to prepare graduates for positions as reading specialists, curriculum specialists, and reading coaches. This partially-online program also provides students with 24 of the 36 hours needed for the Missouri K-12 Special Reading Add-on Certification.

The elementary education bachelor’s degree at Old Dominion University prepares students to teach K-12 learners, or to work in reading specialist, information services, and superintendent positions if they decide to continue with their education. The school requires that students complete 120 credit hours, which can be done online, as well as a teaching practicum. The school also offers several online master's degrees in elementary education, including a mathematics specialist program, a licensure track for students with a non-teaching bachelor's degree, and an option for currently-licensed teachers.

There are a number of elementary education programs available from the University of Alabama that feature partially-online study. UAB’s Master of Arts in Education in Elementary Education and Alternate Master of Arts in Education in Elementary Education (for students without an undergrad degree in education seeking teacher certification) degrees prepare graduates for advanced teaching and leadership positions in both public and private PreK-3 education settings. Students interested in teaching students from PreK-6 can opt for UAB’s Master of Arts in Education in Early Childhood and Elementary Education program. All three programs combine traditional face-to-face, online, and hybrid coursework. The Alternate MA program additionally requires students to complete an in-person student-teaching internship. UAB additionally offers a post-master’s Education Specialist in Elementary Education program featuring online/on-campus hybrid coursework and in-person field and student teaching components.

The online elementary education bachelor’s program at Regis University prepares students to become collaborative educators that can apply their skills to diverse classroom settings. In order to do this, students take coursework on learning assessments, tutoring, literacy interventions, and exceptional students. Also, they are required to complete general education classes in areas such as art, music, and mathematics, as well as a teaching internship and a field experience in an urban school.

Drexel University offers a number of degree options featuring online study for students in the elementary education field, starting with its Bachelor of Science in Education degree. DU’s BS in Education program is designed to prepare students for Pennsylvania PreK-4 teacher or Prek-4 special education certification. Coursework is completed entirely online. However, students must complete 190 hours of pre-student teaching and 12 weeks of student teaching in a classroom setting while in the degree program, per Pennsylvania state certification requirements. DU also offers its BS in Education in a non-certification format that does not include a student teaching placement component. Like its bachelor’s degree, Drexel’s Master of Science in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum: Teacher Certification Track – Grades PreK-4 Education prepares graduates for Pennsylvania teacher certification. The curriculum combines online coursework with approximately 130 hours of in-class field experiences and 12 weeks of student teaching. In addition to the MEd program, DU offers two online graduate certificate programs for bachelor’s degree holders interested in bypassing a full master’s program: Graduate Intern Teaching Certification – Grades PreK-4 Education and Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certificate – Grades PreK-4 Education.