New Elementary Education program offers opportunity for adults seeking career change

Friends University is adding a new Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree program this summer, designed to meet the needs of adults interested in pursuing a career in education. The program will be offered on-campus and online by Friends University’s College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) and was recently approved by the Kansas State Board of Education.

“Our innovative degree program is ideal for adult students who want to change their careers and enter the rewarding field of teaching elementary-age children,” said Dr. David Hofmeister, dean of CAPS and the Graduate School. “The degree can be completed in 13 months, and the courses fit well into adults’ busy schedules.”

The Elementary Education degree program prepares students to effectively teach students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The program is strongly influenced by practitioners, Kansas State Department of Education elementary education standards and Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium professional education standards.

To be admitted into the program, students must have already earned a bachelor’s degree or have completed 90 credit hours from two- and four-year regionally accredited institutions with a 3.0 GPA minimum. Courses will prepare students to pass the state licensure examinations (the Principles of Learning and Teaching and the Praxis content exam). The program includes instruction in reading, science, social studies, diversity, math, kinesthetic learning, technology, classroom management and professionalism, special education, and fine arts.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment for elementary school teachers will increase by 6 percent from 2014 to 2024.

For more information on this program, contact adultrecruitment@friends.edu or visit the Elementary Education webpage.

Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.