Elementary School

Elementary school teachers (kindergarten through 5th grade) provide lead instruction in multiple subjects to their classes. They are generalists and need to know a little bit of everything rather than being experts in one particular subject. Elementary teachers will typically work with one classroom of students for the whole academic year.

Majors

To become an elementary school teacher, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education or Special Education. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to apply to a master’s program.

A group of grade school children sit around their teacher on the floor for story time.

Elementary Education Bachelor’s

In this program, you’ll work with students in kindergarten to fifth grade; learning how to take an anti-racist approach to teaching. You’ll develop specialized expertise in social-emotional learning, the science of reading, and working with multilingual learners. The program prepares you with the skills and knowledge needed to enter the education field and be successful leading in the classroom.

Elementary Education Major

A Black male teacher in a salmon button-down and khaki slacks assists a student with her classwork.

Special Education Bachelor’s

This comprehensive program prepares you to work with students of all ages – from kindergarten to high school. Through rigorous lessons and hands-on practice, you’ll gain the specialized skills needed to effectively teach students with a wide range of support needs. This includes people with complex disabilities as well as with targeted support needs in academics, behavior, and social skills.

Special Education Major

Bilingual Teacher Pathway for Undergraduates

This pathway prepares bilingual and bicultural individuals to become licensed teachers. Students earn a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and apply for admission to the BTP program as a junior.

If you are bilingual and interested in this program, contact Tatiana Nochevnaya at askcoe@pdx.edu.

Master’s Programs

A white and teal classroom is full of students with their hands raised.

Elementary Education Master’s

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, earn your master’s degree and Oregon Teaching License. This comprehensive program prepares you to work with students in kindergarten through fifth grade. We take an anti-racist approach to teaching and all of our students also earn their endorsement to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). You’ll develop specialized expertise in social-emotional learning, the science of reading, and working with multilingual learners.

Elementary Education

A teacher in a plaid shirt and glasses shows students how to complete an assignment.

Bilingual Teacher Pathway Master’s

If you are bilingual, bicultural, and want to teach elementary school, this is the pathway for you! You’ll learn to integrate language and culture into all aspects of your classroom, leveraging your students’ linguistic and cultural capital as assets in the learning process. You’ll be prepared to work in any elementary classroom, though many students go to work in dual-immersion classroom settings where they teach in multiple languages.

Bilingual Teacher Pathway

A group of teenagers are gathered together on laptops and tablets.

Special Education License

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, this program’s graduate coursework prepares you to earn your Oregon Teaching License and a master’s degree. You will learn to effectively teach students with a wide range of support needs from complex disabilities to those who need targeted support with behavior, social, or academic skills. Special education teachers work in a variety of settings, including regular classrooms, resource rooms, co-teaching roles, and transition spaces.

Special Education

A Caucasian teacher with dark brown hair pulled back assists two students with their classwork.

Inclusive Elementary Educator Master’s

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, earn your master’s degree and Oregon Teaching License through this comprehensive dual-endorsement program. You will earn endorsements in elementary and special education, allowing you to work in any elementary setting. Through this program, you will learn to work with all students in your classroom, creating a more equitable learning environment. With our focus on integrating special education in a general education classroom setting, you will learn to teach by the core principles that all students deserve to learn, it is the responsibility of the teacher to educate all students, and collaboration between special and general education best serves students.

Inclusive Elementary Educator

A teacher stands at the front of a math class teaching the order of operations.

International Teacher Education Master’s or License

If you earned your teaching credential outside of the United States, this program provides you with an abbreviated and customized path to earn an Oregon Teaching License. The coursework is focused on classes that prepare you to work specifically with children in U.S. public schools.

International Teacher Ed

Graduate Certificates & Endorsements

If you are a teacher candidate or already a licensed teacher, you may wish to add a specialization. The following graduate certificates and endorsements meet the requirements for the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), Oregon's education licensing board.

Added Elementary Graduate Certificate/Endorsement: Design, plan, and implement effective, engaging, culturally sustaining instruction for individual students, small groups, and whole classrooms. Learn how to support each student’s progress and growth in an equitable setting. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.

Added Special Education (AddSPED) Graduate Certificate/Endorsement: Bring inclusion to your own classroom and create a space where all students can learn and thrive; blend evidence-based research with creative classroom practices; and expand your opportunities to work with students ages 3–21 who have a range of support needs. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement: The 21st-century classroom is diverse, and must be inclusive and equitable. Help today’s students succeed in an ever-changing landscape. Strengthen your professional practice by adding an ESOL endorsement that will help you serve your students, their families, and their communities as a whole. This endorsement is included in the Elementary Education Master’s curriculum. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.

ReadOregon Endorsement: This endorsement is designed for licensed PreK-12 teachers who want to develop literacy instructional practices for all learners. ReadOregon is fully online and integrates research, emerging technologies, and best practices for reading and writing across all courses. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.

Deepening Understanding of Mathematics Teaching, Learning, and Leading Certificate of Completion: This certificate program is for teachers, teacher leaders, and coaches who seek a deeper understanding of the mathematics they teach. Learn how to implement effective and equitable practices proven to make a difference in mathematics learning. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.