Early Childhood, Elementary Education Degree Pennsylvania

Make a world of difference teaching students in grades pre-K to 4.

Turn your love for children into a rigorous and rewarding career with a bachelor's degree in grades pre-K to 4 education from PennWest California. With a combination of research-based instruction and hands-on experience, this degree program will give you the knowledge, skills and dispositions essential to becoming a successful classroom leader.

This program is rooted in the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Upon successful completion of your bachelor's degree, you will be eligible for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate for pre-kindergarten to grade 4.

You'll also receive the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Integrative STEM Education Endorsement, an additional credential that documents your ability to integrate science, technology, engineering and math concepts into early childhood and elementary education.

PennWest California's comprehensive teacher training will give you a competitive edge:

Gain in-depth knowledge of early childhood education, elementary education, human development and learning.
Complete a professional electronic portfolio that will impress future employers.
Participate in supervised field experiences and student teaching in Pennsylvania. Even first-year students gain classroom experience.
Earn the Integrative STEM Education Endorsement as part of your four-year teacher education program.

Apply to become a Rutledge Institute Scholar.

Founded through a gift from Karen and Tom Rutledge, the Rutledge Institute for Early Childhood Education supports scholarships that cover tuition, fees and room costs for a select group of highly qualified undergraduates enrolled in the early childhood education program at PennWest California.

Each year, 10 Rutledge Scholars are selected to enter the program as first-year students and continue through their senior year at PennWest California. Learn more about the Rutledge Institute at PennWest California and how you can apply to become a Rutledge Institute Scholar.

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Program Highlights: Grades PreK-4 Education

Top Accreditation: This degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredits PennWest California. CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through quality assurance and continuous improvement. See CAEP reporting measures of program impact and outcomes.

Student Teaching: As a PreK-Grade 4 education major, you'll put theory into practice by completing one semester of student teaching, in addition to field experience in at least two grade levels.

STEM Endorsement: PennWest California graduates have a competitive edge, because coursework required for the Integrative STEM Education Endorsement approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education is embedded into the Grades Pre-K to 4 Education program. Set yourself apart with this in-demand credential!

Learn more about applying.

100%

Of surveyed program graduates found jobs in early childhood education or went on to graduate school. (From respondents to a 2014 survey.)

55K

Is the average annual salary for kindergarten and elementary education teachers in the United States. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Degree Benefits

Discover the benefits of a university with over 165 years of experience producing top-quality teachers. As a Pre-K-4 education student at PennWest California you will:

Learn from highly qualified faculty members who have experience in pre-K to grade 4 education.

Get individual advising and career guidance.
Graduate job ready and with a resume demonstrating hands-on experience.
Receive job-placement support from PennWest California's Career and Professional Development Center.

Graduate Outcomes

With the anticipated retirements of millions of public school teachers, the future looks bright for students interested in a professional career in early childhood education and elementary education. PennWest California program alumni are finding top jobs across Pennsylvania and the United States. Job titles include:

Public or private school teacher.
Para-educator.
Childcare worker/owner/director.
Children and youth services member.
Remediation teacher.
Substitute teacher.
Curriculum author.

Grades PreK-4 Education Bachelor's Degree

A PennWest California student teaches children in a classroom.

Professional Development Schools

PennWest California proudly participates in a Professional Development Schools (PDS) collaborative in western Pennsylvania. As part of your PennWest California teacher education, you’ll travel to elementary schools and early childhood centers for hands-on field experiences that can begin as soon as your first year. Later, as a student-teacher, you’ll work with educators in local school districts, attend professional development sessions, and take part in career planning activities.

A teaching working with science in schools.

STEM Education Endorsement

PennWest California is one of the only Pennsylvania universities to offer the Integrative STEM Education Endorsement as part of the standard teacher preparation curriculum. Earn your Level I teacher certification and this in-demand endorsement – a credential that documents your ability to plan, design and implement instructional strategies that integrate STEM into classroom lessons. The STEM endorsement demonstrates your ability to design learning activities that also can be used in tinker labs, maker spaces, fabrication labs and other innovative settings.

Video Overview of PennWest California's Education Programs

PennWest California's College of Education and Human Services offers more than 30 career-oriented programs in many fields.

An elementary student uses an educational toy.

What Do Program Alumni Have to Say?

"I can't express how valuable the education program was to me at PennWest California. … Learning how to analyze student data and how to make changes to my instruction to meet students' needs enables me to provide the best education for each student that I have on a regular basis." - Amanda Bilitski '15

Grades PreK-4 Education Bachelor's Degree Courses

This four-year bachelor's degree program combines classroom learning and teaching field experiences to prepare you for a rewarding career in the education of young students. Pennsylvania certification in pre-K to Grade 4 education is awarded upon graduation and completion of state certification requirements.

Example Courses

Course	Credits
General Education Courses	40 or 41
Building a Sense of Community UNI 100 First-Year Seminar	1
Composition ENG 101 English Composition I	3
Public Speaking EDU 350 Supporting English Language Learners	3
Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy MAT 120 Elementary Topics I	3
Health and Wellness CHD 250 Health and Physical Education for PreK-Grade 4	3
Technological Literacy EDU 333 Technology for Teaching and Learning	3
Humanities ESP 210 Special Education Foundations and Collaboration	3
Fine Arts MUS/ART/THE 372 Creative Arts for PreK-4	3
Natural Sciences Approved Natural Sciences Course with Lab	3 or 4
Social Sciences GEO 102 Geographic Systems for Elementary Education (1 credit) AND POS 102 American Government for Elementary Education (1 credit) AND ECO 102 Economics for Elementary Education (1 credit)	3
Ethics and Multicultural Emphasis CHD 350 Family and Community Collaborations	3
General Education Options MAT 130 Elementary Topics II Approved British/American Lit Course (see program notes) HIS 101 U.S. History to 1877 OR HIS 102 U.S. History since 1877	9

Required Major Courses	60
CHD 200 Intro to PreK-Grade 8 Education	3
ELE 220 Instruction and Assessment in PreK	3
ELE 221 Instruction and Assessment in K-4	3
ELE 300 Emergent Literacy	3
ELE 301 Literacy Foundations I: Lang Arts*	3
ELE 302 Literacy Foundations II: Reading*	3
ELE 310 Teaching PreK STEAM	3
ELE 311 Teaching Math K-4*	3
CHD 312 Leadership and Advocacy in Childhood Ed	3
ELE 321 Teaching Science K-4*	3
ELE 331 Teaching Social Studies K-4*	3
EDU 375 Introduction to Integrated STEM Education	3
ELE 410 PreK-4 Field Experience	3
ELE 411 K-4 Field Experience*	3
CHD 413 Content Area Literacy Field Experience*	3
CHD 450 Assessment and Data Literacy*	3
ELM 461 Student Teaching and School Law*	12

Required Related Courses	12
ESP 311 Assessment and Positive Behavior Interventions	3
ESP 412 Evidence Based Practices*	3
PSY 205 Child Psychology	3
PSY 208 Educational Psychology	3

Free Electives	9
RSP 700 Fundamentals of Literacy	3
RSP 707 Creating and Fostering Literate Environments	3
RSP 708 Literacy Dev. for ELL	3

Total	121

Additional requirements, not counted toward the General Education requirements, include:

Special Experience Course (1 course required): ELE 461 Student Teaching PreK-Grade 4
Writing-Intensive Component Courses (2 courses required): ELE 410 PreK-4 Field Experience AND ELE 411 K-4 Field Experience
Laboratory Course (1 course required): Approved Natural Sciences Course with Lab

* Pre-requisite for all courses marked with an asterisk is Admission to Teacher Education.

Program Notes:

All courses required for certification must earn C or better.
CHD 200 and ELE 220 require current clearances and minimum 2.0 GPA to register for courses.
ALL other EDU, ELE, ESP and CHD courses require current clearances and minimum 2.5 GPA to register for courses.
Candidates must follow policies for Admission to Teacher Education as stated in the Teacher Education Handbook.
Pre-requisites for ELE 221 and all 300 level ELE and CHD courses are ELE 200 and ELE 220.
State licensure exams must be passed before student teaching.
Current clearances are required prior to enrolling in program courses.
Undergraduate students must achieve at least junior standing to take graduate-level coursework.
Approved American/British Literature Courses are: ENG 107, 125, 127, 148, 150, 155, 160, 203, 301, 302, 337, 338 and HON 250. (HON 250 has a pre-requisite of HON 150; the 300-level ENG courses have pre-requisites of ENG 101 and 102.)

Early Childhood Education

Bachelor's Degree

Professional Studies in Education Bachelor's Degree
A four-year Bachelor of Education degree for students who are interested in childhood education opportunities but are not seeking Pennsylvania teaching certification.

Grades PreK-4 Education Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) With Grades PreK-4 Certification and STEM Endorsement

Grades PreK-4 Education