Interested in an elementary education degree? There’s more than one way to make it happen!
Interested in an elementary education degree? There’s more than one way to make it happen!
There isn’t a one-size-fits all degree to make a teaching career happen. There are more options than ever to make sure you get the degree you’re wanting with the pace and type of delivery that best works for you. Let’s break down some of your choices for earning an elementary education bachelor’s degree!
Traditional elementary education degree programs
Of course, you can go the straightforward route if you want to major in elementary education by enrolling in an on-campus, four-year degree program. Here you get a combination of core professional courses, content courses (like math, social studies); methods courses or the “how to teach” courses, like classroom management and assessment; and clinical experience in the field.
As a future educator, one of the most important things to look for in degree programs is the time spent inside real school classrooms with young learners leading up to student teaching. At the University of Northern Iowa, the required 120 credit hours for graduation includes getting every future educator into a variety of classrooms early and often. You’ll work toward becoming a teacher with 725+ hours of hands-on experience in the classroom. This is fantastic because the more prepared a teacher is before starting their career, the more likely they are to stay in the profession.
Accelerated teaching degree options
If you’d like to start earning a teaching salary as soon as possible, there’s an option for you! UNI’s Degree in 3 allows you to earn your elementary education degree through an accelerated pathway that’s tailored to highly-motivated future teachers. Not only does this year-round option mean you start earning a salary faster, but it also decreases costs with up to $5,600 for scholarships during the summer term and student teaching stipends. Graduates will get a head start to earn first-year teaching salaries in Iowa beginning at $50,000.
As an accelerated teaching program, students still receive the same rigorous education they are used to from the University of Northern Iowa, proving you can get a degree faster without compromising on quality. You will graduate feeling prepared and confident!
Degree in 3, which is one of UNI’s newest offerings, was developed in direct response to teaching shortages facing Iowa and seen across the country. If you feel the calling to make sure youth are receiving a high-quality education from a teacher who cares, this is the perfect route to go. You get to start making a difference faster! Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort, which begins in fall 2026.
Online transfer programs
If you’re a working professional who needs to blend coursework with job and family responsibilities, an online program will likely be your best bet. These programs are designed for individuals who already have obtained an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s in another field.
UNI’s Elementary Education Online Transfer program is fully online with some virtual classes in the evening. You can begin this highly flexible program in the spring, summer or fall. Begun in 1996 as a partnership between Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and UNI, this program is the oldest partnership between a university and community college in Iowa! Today, placebound students who have gone to any community college in Iowa can take advantage of this option.
Online students are still required to complete an in-person internship and student teaching to prepare for having your own classroom following graduation. Throughout every step of your program, you'll have a dedicated team of support staff and advisors ready to assist you.
Apprenticeship programs
If you already have some experience in the classroom, there are also opportunities to leverage that experience toward degree completion. UNI’s Purple Pathway for Paraeducators was specifically designed for paraeducators who want to become teachers. The program itself is an accelerated, online option that will take two years to complete.
Because you stay with the same paraeducators throughout the program, you’ll build a strong network you can reach out to once you have a classroom of your own. You’ll also have the support of a trained mentor at your worksite. At the end of the program, you’ll have earned a Special Education Strategist I Iowa endorsement along with your K-6 Iowa teaching endorsement.
Enroll in the elementary education degree program that’s best for you!
The key to remember: there is a pathway for you!
Many students today bring in college credits that get you a step ahead, giving you flexibility to add courses or push your completion date. If that’s you, UNI has options. But if you’re interested in a structured, on-campus accelerated year-round teaching program or a traditional or online elementary education degree, you can also be confident you’re in good hands at the University of Northern Iowa. No matter what route you choose, you’ll graduate ready to tackle the unique challenges of teaching, and you’ll find great fulfillment in your career.
“We have a plan to meet a student wherever they're at in life,” said Jenny Connolly, UNI’s director of advising for the College of Education and Teacher Education Success, “whatever path they want to take.”
As a top producer of teachers nationwide, UNI’s expertise speaks for itself. We have a long history of shaping students into successful educators who make a real difference in their classrooms and throughout their communities.
To find out more about all our teaching degrees, visit degrees.uni.edu/teaching.
