BS in Elementary Education

About the Major

The BS in Elementary Education uses university-wide resources to prepare fully qualified teachers at the primary education levels. Primary teacher certification options include:

    • Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 4
    • Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 4 & Special Education
    • Middle Level (grades 4-8) Mathematics and Science
    • Middle Level (grades 4-8) Science and English
    • Middle Level (grades 4-8) Mathematics and English

Students may acquire certification in more than one subject area.

The program requires that students have a B average (3.0 GPA) in content courses needed for teacher certification in addition to the grade of B or better in each EDUC course throughout their time in the program. These requirements must be satisfied in order for Drexel to recommend the student for teacher certification upon graduation and/or be considered to have completed the program.

A benchmark to assist students in meeting the GPA and B grade requirements is the formal review of each student’s content and pedagogy coursework at the end of the sophomore year. Students who meet these requirements, as well as pass the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST Reading, PPST Writing, PPST Mathematics) of the ETS Praxis Exams according to Pennsylvania standards at that time, are officially accepted into Drexel’s Teacher Preparation Program. Students who do not meet the requirements work with their academic advisor to develop a plan of action to work toward meeting the requirements, continue in the program to work toward the BS degree without being recommended for a teaching certificate, or explore another major.

Students participate in classroom observations and limited direct teaching experiences as a component of many of their pedagogy courses beginning in their freshman year. Students have the option of the following teacher certification/concentration tracks within their major which determines their individual program of study:

Elementary Education, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4: focused study to work with children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1-4 across subject areas (ages 3-9). The competencies for this concentration include child development (birth through age 5), language development, early literacy and math foundations for preschool years, early intervention, integrating the arts for the developing child and family and community partnerships.

Elementary Education, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4 and Special Education: focused study to work with children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1-4 across subject areas (ages 3-9) within the competencies listed previously as well as working with students with disabilities in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1-8 (ages 3-14). The special education competencies emphasize the Response to Intervention process, working with students at risk for and with/without disabilities, progress monitoring techniques, research-based instructional practices and interventions.

Elementary Education, Middle Level: focused study to work with students in grades 4-6 across subjects and with students in grades 7-8 in two core academic subject(s) the teacher education candidate chooses to pursue:

  • Middle School Mathematics & English
  • Middle School Science & English
  • Middle School Science & Math

In the senior year, students who are officially accepted into the Teacher Preparation Program and maintain the GPA and grade requirements, enroll and complete the 12-week, full-time, student-teaching experience (EDUC 410 WI) in their primary area of certification. Students must receive a grade of at least B in EDUC 410 (and EDUC 414 if applicable) and in all pedagogy (EDUC) coursework, as well as maintain an overall 3.0 GPA to be recommended for teacher certification.

Students who were not officially accepted into the Teacher Preparation Program and/or do not maintain the GPA and grade requirements but who are working towards the BS degree without being recommended for teacher certification take other courses as assigned by the Teacher Education Program Director and/or academic advisor to fulfill needed credits for the degree in lieu of student teaching.

Students pursuing the appropriate majors in the College of Arts and Sciences may also complete the requirements for certification within their area of study. For more information, contact the Program Coordinator for the School of Education at 215-895-6770.


Additional information is available at the School of Education's web site.