Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

Admissions & Aid School of Education
A University of Portland student in the elementary education programs sits at a round table with children in school classroom as they work with art supplies.

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

What Will I Learn in the Elementary Education Major?

As an elementary educator, you will make a lasting impact on young minds during some of their most formative school years. University of Portland’s bachelor of arts (BA) in elementary education degree program prepares you to serve the needs of all learners and play a vital role in closing the gaps in achievement and social opportunity for future generations.

Upon graduating from UP’s elementary education degree program, you'll automatically earn a recommendation for an Oregon P-12 "multiple subjects" (elementary) preliminary license and be prepared to meet Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission standards:

  • Plan instruction that supports student progress in learning in multiple subject areas and is appropriate for the early childhood, elementary, or middle developmental levels
  • Establish a classroom climate conducive to learning
  • Engage students in planned learning activities
  • Evaluate, act upon, and report student progress in learning
  • Exhibit professional behaviors, ethics, and values

Elementary Education Courses

Required coursework for the elementary education major builds a comprehensive foundation in key educational pedagogies, covering topics such as assessment practices for teaching and learning, children’s and adolescent literature, child development, creativity in the classroom, technology in education, classroom management, and reading and language arts methods.

Elective courses round out your elementary education bachelor’s degree, allowing you to explore your interests, cultivate interdisciplinary connections, and bring broad perspectives into your future classroom.

Student teaching places you in the classroom, working directly with elementary students in one of our 100 partner schools. By the end of the bachelor’s in elementary education degree program, you’ll have over 1,200 hours of field experience, which begins in your first semester at UP, to jump-start your journey to becoming a teacher.

Degree Requirements

University Core

Through UP’s distinctive Core Curriculum, you’ll gain interdisciplinary insights from a robust liberal arts education. The Core is intentionally crafted to shape you into an ethical, reflective, and globally aware educator.

The Core

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More than a Degree

Explore how the hands-on learning and values-based training in University of Portland’s bachelor of arts in elementary education degree program sets you up for success at UP and beyond.

A University of Portland student in the elementary education programs sits in front of a group of children seated on the floor in school classroom as she reads aloud to them.

Field Experience and Student Teaching

Field experience is a critical component of training to become a teacher. As a student teacher, you’ll take on many different responsibilities, including independent instruction, under the direction of a qualified teacher. Taken across multiple semesters, learning in the field challenges you to draw upon pedagogical principles and apply them as you assume teaching duties for the first time.

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Clinical Practice Information

Practical experience is essential to becoming an effective teacher. Through in-person fieldwork and student teaching, you’ll partner with local schools to refine your teaching skills, gain confidence, and make a lasting impact on students’ lives, culminating in over 1,200 hours of teaching experience before you graduate.

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Holy Cross Tradition

Anchored by University of Portland’s Holy Cross values, you’ll gain more than expertise on how to plan engaging lessons, you’ll develop the ethical wisdom to lead your classrooms with purpose and conviction, educating the whole student.

The UP Difference

See why the UP student experience is like no other.

A University of Portland professor of education listens to a student speak during a small class on adolescent and children literature and libraries

Average Education Class Size

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Education Graduates Earn Their Teaching License

A group of University of Portland graduates from the Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education program, dressed in caps and gowns, stand on the steps of Franz Hall as they toss their mortar boards into the air in celebration.
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of Students Receive Financial Aid or Scholarships

Elementary Education Student Spotlight

“Growing up, I didn’t have one teacher who looked like me, nor did teachers put books in my hands with characters who resembled me. I decided to become a teacher so that I could be that representation, foster the voices of BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and other marginalized students, and make sure they know that they matter and deserve to be heard. I chose UP because I felt I could build a community there, it was in a city I wanted to explore, and I wanted to discover what my Catholic faith meant to me outside of my family. Psychology of Education was my favorite class. Viewing the practice of education through the lens of psychology was groundbreaking. In 2019, I was ready to apply for a fourth-grade classroom teaching position. I networked with the connections I made through my student teaching practicum while at UP, and I believe that was a major factor in my hiring.”

Michael Solitaria ‘17, 4th Grade teacher at Grout Elementary School in Portland, OR

Careers and Outcomes

University of Portland prepares skilled educators who are passionate about addressing inequities in education and serving the needs of all students. Accordingly, our elementary education graduates are well-positioned for personal success and ready to make a difference.

3+1 Pathway

At UP, the 3+1 Pathway offers an accelerated route to getting both your bachelor’s in secondary education degree and master of arts (MAT) in teaching degree in just four years. This program gives you a head start in achieving your professional goals, which increases your earning potential and leadership opportunities.

Graduate Studies

The BA in elementary education program is the first step to becoming an educator in Oregon, and it also is the foundation to pursue professional advancement through continued education like UP’s graduate (MEd) and doctoral (EdD) degree programs.

Alumni Employers

Our elementary education alumni consistently secure teaching positions in public and private schools across the country; they are making a difference in the following schools and districts:

  • Archdiocese of Los Angeles
  • McMinnville School District
  • Nehalem Elementary
  • Portland Public Schools
  • Saint Paul Elementary Program, South Korea
  • Seattle School District
  • St. Clare School
  • St. Madeleine Sophie Parish School
  • St. Vincent de Paul Parish School

Related Degrees

A secondary education student from the University of Portland stands in the midst of a local high school classroom while teaching during an internship.

BSSE in Secondary Education

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BS in Psychology

A University of Portland English professor stands at the front of a tiered classroom during a lecture facing towards the students, who listen intently.

BA in English

Shape the Next Generation of Learners

Your calling to teach is more than a career choice; it’s a commitment to shaping future generations. University of Portland’s bachelor of arts in elementary education degree program prepares you to answer that call with confidence, expertise, and purpose.

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