Elementary Education

A degree in Elementary Education offers you the chance to mentor children in grades K–6 and help shape the rest of their lives. Its core tenets are subject knowledge; methodology; a belief that diversity—in all its forms—is a strength; leadership development; professional self-reflection; caring; and technological proficiency.

• Over the next several years, more than 2,000,000 new teachers will be needed to meet rising enrollment demands and to replace retirees.
• One of Wake Forest’s most important contributions to the Winston-Salem community is Freedom School, a six-week summer academic program hosted by the Education department that enhances literacy skills for dozens of local children.  
• The department is a partner with the Office of Civic and Community Engagement in the Virtual Tutoring program, through which 164 Wake Forest students mentored and tutored 200 local elementary, middle and high school students in 2024-25.

The Elementary Education degree is offered as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).

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Our model and curriculum educate the whole person and often help students discover interests they had never previously discovered. Students generally take 100-200 level courses during their first year of college, while registering for higher level courses as upperclassmen.

Sample courses that you may take as a Elementary Education student include:

* Courses listed above are offered during the current academic year. Course availability and offerings can change at any time. Refer to the Academic Bulletin to view all major requirements.

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The Elementary Education major offers two unique pathways: a professional licensure pathway that includes a full-semester student teaching internship and a non-licensure pathway where students substitute fewer elective courses in lieu of the student teaching internship.

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Joining a club or organization is a great way to get involved and do more with your major. Our Elementary Education students participate in the following programs:

• Best Buddies
• Project Launch
• STEM Academy
• Freedom School
• Discovering Education Through Student Knowledge
• Center for Learning, Access and Student Success

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Careers that often interest Elementary Education majors, and fields our graduates work in, include:

• Academic Teacher
• Athletic Coach
• Child Life Specialist
• Educational Materials Coordinator
• Executive Trainer
• Grant Writer
• Principal
• Professor
• Religious Education Coordinator
• School Administrator
• School Counselor
• School Media Specialist

Recent graduates are teaching in more than 25 states and six foreign countries.