Elementary Education (K-6) (BSE)
Instill a love of learning.
- Available as
- Major
- Degrees/Options
- Bachelor of Science in Education
- Length
- 4 years
- Locations
- Fort Wayne
Why Study Elementary Education?
When you become an elementary teacher, you can instill a love of learning early in a child’s life. Teaching kindergarten through sixth-grade students also gives you variety and flexibility throughout the school day: You might cover multiple subject areas in one classroom or focus on one area and see different faces throughout the day. You might also oversee student activities, lead special programs, or help run school-wide events.
98%
Career success rate for our elementary education graduates over the past five graduating classes (2018-2022)
$63,670
Median national annual salary for elementary school teachers in 2023
BLS.gov
1,548,400
Number of jobs for elementary school teachers in 2022
BLS.gov
Why Saint Francis for Elementary Education?
As an elementary education major at the University of Saint Francis, you will learn how to create an inclusive learning environment and meet the needs of all young students. Our curriculum covers teaching strategies and assessment methods and prepares you for the array of subjects you’d cover in the K-6 classroom.
At Saint Francis, you also will develop expertise in a content area of your choice through a required minor, such as science, English, or math. You can also fulfill this graduation requirement—and enhance your career opportunities with an additional teaching license — by adding a special education concentration.
Our nationally accredited program prepares you for the Indiana licensure exams, which are requirements to become an elementary teacher in Indiana.
Hands-On Learning: Student Teaching and Field Experience
Begin working with elementary school students from your first semester at Saint Francis. By the time you start student teaching, you will have already gained over 300 hours of field experience in schools and classrooms of all kinds: public, private, charter, and religious, and in urban, suburban, and rural settings.
For your student-teaching semester, you will be paired with a professional educator who will offer mentorship in their classroom. During this experience, one of your final steps to becoming an elementary teacher, you’ll put everything you’ve learned into action and further develop your skills and confidence.
“I was hired as a classroom teacher right after I graduated, which is a testament to Saint Francis’ program. I felt very well prepared due to the course content, the diverse field experiences, and the faculty support.”
Claudia Alcala ’15 Kindergarten Teacher
Harrison Elementary School
“The Saint Francis Elementary Education program has helped me further my love for education and has provided me with so many resources both in and out of the classroom. My professors also provide lots of encouragement and are always available when I need help. “
Gwendolyn Jakway ’26 Elementary Education major
“Every professor is deeply invested in your personal success and make large efforts to prepare you for field placements, professional development, and post graduate opportunities, as well as ensuring you succeed through the course content.”
Tommy O’Neil ’22, ’27 Educational Studies major
“Saint Francis has provided me with the opportunity to learn from veteran teachers each semester, placing me in ten K-12 schools in four different districts. Completing 300+ hours of field experience, I have gained invaluable knowledge making me feel both qualified and prepared to become an educator.”
Grace Newell ’25 Elementary Education major
“I’ve wanted be a teacher since I was in 4th grade. It’s my passion and calling. I love the education program at Saint Francis, especially the fact that we get so much experience. We start in the field during our first year. I’m a freshman, and I’ve already been in a fifth-grade classroom and a fourth-grade classroom, in both a public and private school. The experience is diverse.”
Grace Warner ’27 Elementary Education major
Faculty and Facilities
At Saint Francis, you will learn in small classes from faculty mentors who are experts in their field of education. And you will find everything you’ll need to create lesson plans and prepare for student teaching in the Antoinette V. Murray Cougar Classroom, a learning lab filled with technology, resources, and materials.
Campus and Community
As you prepare to become an elementary teacher, you can gain experience teaching and leading others through campus ministries, student groups, and service-learning projects. A few clubs and activities of interest to elementary education majors are:
- Educators in Action
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Alpha Theta Epsilon (honor society)
Where You’ll Find Our Elementary Education Graduates
Saint Francis graduates are teaching in elementary school classrooms and making a difference in communities across Indiana and beyond:
- Bishop Noll Institute
- DeKalb County Central United School District
- Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Schools
- Fort Wayne Community Schools
- Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative
- Prairie Heights School Corporation
- Prince Chapman Academy
- Smith Academy for Excellence (SAFE) Boy’s School
- West Noble School Corporation
- Edgerton Local Schools
Graduate School and Other Opportunities
Teachers are lifelong learners. Throughout their careers, Saint Francis elementary education majors may return to the classroom for continuing education credits, graduate certificates, additional licensures, and even master’s degrees. These additional credentials not only help fulfill your school’s professional development requirements, but they can also prepare you to move into education administration.
Saint Francis offers graduate programs in education, special education, school psychology, and school counseling.
Accreditation
The Division of Teacher Education is accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
The Division of Teacher Education at the University of Saint Francis is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on March 25-27, 2024. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present, or former faculty member, employer of graduates).
We invite you to submit written testimony to:
CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org
