Program Overview

Elementary Education Program

The Elementary Education program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation. This dynamic, field-based curriculum combines on-campus learning with real-world classroom placements, preparing students to become certified to teach students from first to sixth grades.

Program Details

• Program Type: Major
• Academic Unit: School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences
• Degree Type: Bachelor of Arts
• Standard credit hours: 120
• Delivery Mode: In-person
• Typical Program Length: 4 years
• Typical Course Load: 4-5 per semester, plus field placement
• Estimated Program Cost: $51,396

Career Opportunities

This degree is suitable for:

• Aspiring elementary school teachers
• Principals
• Learning specialists
• Special educators
• Reading teachers
• Paraprofessionals

Program Features

• Active learning: Integrates authentic classroom experiences with meaningful opportunities to practice and refine teaching skills.
• Field-based: Offers a range of classes taught in school communities throughout Kansas City.
• Urban serving: The Institute of Urban Education offers a scholarship for future teachers, focusing on social justice and multicultural education.

After Graduation

Individuals who earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education can pursue careers as kindergarten and elementary school teachers. Overall employment in this field is expected to remain stable, with a majority of opportunities coming from schools looking to replace teachers who retire or leave the profession.

Potential Careers

• Elementary or middle school teacher
• Curriculum developer
• Child advocate

Where Our Students Work

• Academy for Integrated Arts
• Guadalupe Centers Charter Schools
• Kansas City, Mo. public schools

Median Salary

$62,066 per year, based on data from Lightcast.io for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.

Potential Courses

• Working with Families and Communities: Explores research and theory relative to children, family, and community, with implications for learning and instruction.
• Integrated Arts: Covers the basic principles of creativity and their application in multicultural teaching of art, creative dramatics, creative movement, and musical rhythmic interpretation.
• Curriculum and Learning Theory: Strategies for classroom organization, building relationships with students, and applying theoretical knowledge of child development to the analysis of contexts that impact student educational experiences.
• Student Teaching in Elementary School: Participate in an all-day, full-semester field placement at an elementary school and gain experience in a first through sixth-grade classroom.

Related Programs and Pathways

• Special Education (Major)
• Exercise Science (Minor)
• Psychology (Minor)

Application Process

1. Gather materials: Official transcripts, names and locations of previous colleges or high schools, citizenship, residency, and visa information (if applicable), and ACT/SAT test scores (optional).
2. Complete the online application: No application fee for domestic undergraduate students; $75 for international students.
3. Check admissions requirements: Some programs have specific admission requirements.

Application Dates

• To start classes in Fall: Apply by June 15; classes begin in August.
• To start classes in Spring: Apply by November 15; classes begin in January.

Estimated Tuition Per Semester

• Resident Rate: $6,424 per semester.
• Heartland Rate: $9,320 per semester.
• Nonresident Rate: $16,347 per semester.

Financial Aid

• 96% of first-time students qualified for financial aid last year.
• Average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students: $12,617.
• 80% of undergrads received a scholarship or grant.