Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

Our students learn to disrupt the status quo by treating all of their students with dignity and care, and ensuring they have access to powerful opportunities to learn.

The undergraduate degree in elementary education leads students to a bachelor’s degree, teacher licensure for kindergarten through sixth grade and an endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. Students are prepared to be reflective, ethical and responsive teachers who are committed to making the world more equitable and just through their work in public schools and the communities they serve.

  • Become a critically conscious educator and an agent of change
  • Design instruction that centers anti-racist, justice-centered learning
  • Develop a dynamic understanding of culture in relation to education

800+ hours of extensive experience in elementary classrooms and the community before you graduate

Join a community of students who are agents of change and advocates on behalf of all students, including bilingual learners

Network with 13,000+ School of Education alumni across the U.S., including 67% in Colorado

Be successful.

Make a difference in the lives of elementary students and future generations with teaching practices grounded in research and centered on equitable learning.

 
$59,670

Median salary of elementary teachers

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019)

 

Be prepared to work in K–6 settings with a degree that offers a BA, teacher licensure and an endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education

 

Top 25 university worldwide in education, among 500 international schools of education

(ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking, 2019)

Academic Plan & Requirements

To earn the undergraduate degree in elementary education, students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours. The degree provides students with the education and licence needed to work in kindergarten through sixth grade upon graduation.

Our students explore a range of topics while earning their degree, including:

  • Children’s literature and literacy engagement in elementary schools
  • Elementary student teaching for cultural and linguistic diversity
  • Dis/ability in contemporary classrooms
  • Step Up to Social Justice Teaching

Community & Involvement

We offer students many opportunities to network with peers and faculty, further their studies, and get the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Be inspired.

The School of Education has many alumni across the nation helping to advance democracy, diversity, equity and justice within communities and educational settings.

Anisah Spahn

BA elementary education
Anisah Spahn worked as a learning assistant in the School of Education and as an undergraduate student ambassador. After graduation, she became a teacher resident at Denver Green School and is working toward a graduate degree in communication sciences and disorders.  

Meredith Nass

BAM in ethnic studies and education
A native of Durango, Meredith Nass has used her degree to help address critical questions about world injustices and how educators and community leaders can become transformative educators and policymakers. Nass works for the School of Education as the student coordinator and is a community organizer through the Coalition to Expand Voting Rights in Boulder. 

Garrett Cease

MA in curriculum and instruction plus teacher licensure in English education
Garrett Cease graduated from CU Boulder with a double major in English and philosophy, and then returned to complete a School of Education master’s degree in curriculum and instruction while gaining teacher licensure in English education. As both a sixth grade teacher and an enthusiast for meditation, yoga, rock climbing and skiing, Cease practices his wellness techniques in the classroom to help guide his teaching and students. 

Andrés Martínez

MA in educational equity and cultural diversity
After spending 23 years as a social studies teacher at Thornton High School, Andrés Martínez decided to continue his professional career with a master’s degree. While earning his MA, Martínez was integral at advancing the Seal of Biliteracy initiative for his school district, Adams 12. He also proposed teaching ethnic studies at his school, with hopes of that becoming an official part of the school’s curriculum.