Elementary Education

Are you interested in a career teaching children in the elementary grades? Undergraduates who successfully complete the elementary education program and the specified Praxis II examination(s) are eligible, on recommendation of the University, for Connecticut certification to teach kindergarten through sixth grade.

Elementary education students complete a subject major. You may select any discipline offered by the University of Hartford or an interdisciplinary behavioral studies major. The principal feature in your preparation, however, is the professional core. This comprises two full semesters of integrated professional practicum experience and one full semester of student teaching in public school settings. If you are preparing for elementary certification, you have the option to enroll in a program that integrates a special education core and leads to a dual certificate. This would be recommended in order to include special education students in a regular classroom.

You may be interested in a  master's degree in elementary education with a Montessori concentration. Montessori teachers and those currently enrolled in the Montessori Training Center of New England may also complete a master's degree in elementary education with a Montessori concentration.

Accreditation and State of Connecticut Certification  Certification programs in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, including our elementary education program, are approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) as well as the State of Connecticut Department of Education. The Educational Testing Service's Praxis II exam is utilized for certification of teachers in Connecticut.  See pass rate report.