Academic Programs

Did you have a first-grade teacher who inspired a lifelong love of reading? A third-grade teacher who recognized your math talents? Or a fifth-grade teacher who ignited a fascination with history?

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Elementary Education major will prepare you to be that K-6 grade school teacher who inspires children to discover and develop their gifts.

Grounded in evidence-based best practices, your program is designed to help you grow into a highly effective elementary teacher. Working with some of the best teachers and schools in the Denver area, you will develop a theoretical background in class and then apply those theories through hundreds of hours of field experiences prior to even beginning your student teaching residencies, which now span one semester part-time and one full-time semester.

Ultimately, MSU Denver’s Elementary Education program will give you the background and classroom experience necessary to obtain initial Elementary Education licensure in Colorado. Plus, you will have the choice of five concentrations, so you can develop expertise relevant to Colorado’s diverse classrooms.

Learn more about MSU Denver School of Education scholarships.

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Program Options

B.A. in Elementary Education with Licensure and a Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology

B.A. in Elementary Education with Licensure and a Concentration in Chicana/o Studies

B.A. in Elementary Education with Licensure and a Concentration in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education

B.A. in Elementary Education with Licensure and a Concentration in Literacy

B.A. in Elementary Education with Licensure and a Concentration in Mathematics

Post Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure in Elementary Education

Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education

Elementary Education Minor (Non-licensure)

Benefits of Earning Your Degree at MSU Denver

MSU Denver’s Elementary Education major requires a full-year residency (one semester part-time and one semester full-time) in a single school rather than the traditional one-semester student teaching opportunity. MSU Denver's full-year residency gives you a deeper experience and allows you time to develop your teaching skills before taking on a classroom of your own.

Career Opportunities for Our Graduates

four images: Kindergarten through sixth grade

Elementary Education degree program graduates go to work as teachers at all levels from Kindergarten through sixth grade in schools all over the country.

The median salary for Denver elementary school teachers in 2017 was $56,823.

Faculty

Krista Griffin

Assistant Professor Krista Griffin is a former director of a nonprofit child care center and previous primary and multi-age classroom teacher. She serves on national committees for the International Literacy Association and is the author of “Listening to the Voices of Boys: Exploring the Motivation of Primary Boys to Engage in Reading”.

Lupe Martinez

Associate Professor Lupe Martinez is an expert the characteristics of a 21st-century educator, diversity and partnerships for teacher preparation throughout the United States and in Singapore, Beijing China and Barcelona, Spain. He continues his field placement partnership with the Denver Public School’s Math Science Leadership Academy, which serves Denver’s Latino population.

Learn more about MSU Denver Elementary Education faculty.

Alumni at Work

MSU Denver Elementary Education graduates have been hired by many of the Denver area’s major urban and suburban school districts.

Sample Classes

Multicultural education class w/ Lupe Martinez

Perspectives in Education for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners

Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching

Becoming an Elementary Teacher

Education in Diverse Communities

Developing Differentiated Learning Environments and Field Experience: Developing Differentiated Learning Environments

Learn more about Elementary Education courses.

Facilities and Resources

MSU Denver is located on the Auraria Campus just west of downtown Denver. MSU Denver’s proximity to the city offers numerous opportunities for fieldwork and student teaching placements in urban and suburban schools with diverse elementary school populations.

Program Accreditation

MSU Denver’s teacher Licensure programs are approved by the Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

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Elementary Education Major, B.A.