Earn Your Elementary Education Degree

Children spend so much time with their teachers—nearly as much with their family—which gives graduates of AU’s Elementary Education bachelor’s program the opportunity to shape future generations.

With this in mind, our professors prepare AU students not only to teach academic areas of mathematics, science, social studies, language arts and reading, fine arts, physical education, and literature, they’ll also be equipped to nurture their pupils’ intellectual, social, emotional, and cultural development. Our faculty also will show you how to use the latest educational technology for teaching children, such as iPad integration and interactive whiteboards.

Earning Your Degree

You’ll need at least 121 credit hours to earn your Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Anderson’s Academic Success Advisors can help you tailor your class schedule to accommodate your busy life.

We know many of our adult students work during the day, so we offer the flexibility to meet your needs. Our accelerated, seven-week evening classes meet one or two days a week, so you won’t have to come to campus every day. And we offer some courses online, so you can complete your coursework from home.

You’ll get to apply what you’re learning in real-world elementary classrooms through your clinical experiences. Anderson faculty have partnered with local public schools to keep our student’s university experience grounded in authentic elementary learning situations. AU students will spend 115 hours in elementary classrooms teaching a variety of lessons. During senior year, you’ll complete a 12-credit-hour course term in clinical practice—65 days in a public school classroom planning and teaching lessons to elementary schoolchildren.

Choosing AU

The opportunity and ability to influence elementary-age children carries with it a great responsibility. Christian educators recognize that every single child is created with immense value and therefore deserves the best education possible. As a Christ-centered university, AU infuses all its classes with a biblical worldview to prepare students for taking on such an instrumental role in a child’s life.

In addition to the spiritual element, our Elementary Education program is nationally recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and follows the teaching guidelines of the South Carolina State Department of Education.

Your Future

Along with your degree, you’ll be equipped to earn your teaching certification for the state of South Carolina for 2nd through 6th grade. Many other states will also recognize this teaching certification, so if you plan to teach elsewhere, check with that state’s department of education to verify acceptance.

Besides teaching elementary school, you’ll also have other career options. Some of our grads have gone on to work in agencies regarding child development and education advocacy or ministry.

Our professors receive calls every semester from school administrators who want to hire our students because Anderson graduates have become known for their professionalism, competence and desire to shape South Carolina’s elementary schoolchildren.