Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (B.A.)

National Louis University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is for students who would like to earn their degree in order to achieve Type 03 certification.

Consider getting your Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education degree at National Louis University (NLU) if you:

  • Want to teach kindergarten through 9th grade
  • Are looking for a well-established and highly regarded program
  • Would like to study with a group of students who will work together and support one another throughout the program
  • Need flexible learning options

Why NLU for Teaching Elementary Education

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and teacher training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Since 1886, we've trained thousands of Chicago-area teachers, and continue to graduate the majority of Illinois' Golden Apple Award winners—one of the most prestigious teacher honors in the state. Our instructors bring both academic skills and practical experience to the classroom, offering the best in elementary education. As a result, we're well known for preparing educators who can meet the demands of today’s diverse classrooms and become leaders in the education profession.

What You Will Learn

  • How to strengthen your oral, written and presentation skills
  • How to write and evaluate lesson plans
  • How to assess and evaluate student performance
  • How to adjust teaching methods to address student needs
  • How to best use technology in the elementary curriculum

Career Outlook

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, employment for teachers is projected to grow about 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. Many job openings will continue to result from the need to replace the large number of teachers expected to retire during this same period. Currently, our country's education schools don't graduate an adequate number of qualified teachers to meet the demand, and job prospects are best in areas including urban and rural school districts.[1]

Concentration Options

You can tailor your Elementary Education program to meet your interests by selecting a specific 30 quarter hour teaching concentration in one of the following areas: English, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Psychology, Science, or Sociology/Anthropology.

NLU has excellent placement rates for our education students, helping them find opportunities through the university's Office of Career Services.. NLU students are recognized by school principals as teachers who are comfortable in the classroom and work in collaboration with their colleagues.

Program Requirements

Total quarter hours for the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is 180. The program requires a minimum of 71 quarter hours or the equivalent in General Education coursework. This includes demonstration of competence in all general education areas, as well as INTASC Standards and Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The Elementary Teacher Education Program accepts the following types of equivalent work: transfer of courses with a "C" or higher from approved and accredited institutions, appropriate scores on advanced placement tests, and passing scores on CLEP and DANTES examinations. Contact your Academic Advisor for information.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet NLU's general admission requirements. Refer to the appropriate application checklist available online at www.nl.edu/applyonline.

Students may apply to the program and begin the general education and prerequisite coursework, however upon completion of that criteria, applicants to the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and a passing score on the Illinois Basic Skills Test before beginning core coursework.

[1] Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition

Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    800.443.5522

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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    800.443.5522

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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    800.443.5522

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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    800.443.5522

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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    800.443.5522

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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of the city's major business districts, NLU's Tampa campus serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to six classrooms, the campus features a conference room, a computer lab with high-speed Internet access, an extensive research library and comfortable student lounges.

    4950 West Kennedy Blvd. #300
    Tampa, FL 33609
    800.366.6581 | www.nl.edu/florida

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  • WISCONSIN

    NLU's Milwaukee campus has a proud history of serving graduate students in education in southeastern Wisconsin. Nearly one in five certified Wisconsin teachers looks to NLU for graduate education programs – more than any other university in the state. In addition to classrooms with high-tech media equipment, the campus offers a state-of-the-art computer lab with wireless Internet access and an extensive IDS research library.

    12000 West Park Place, Suite 100
    Milwaukee, WI 53224-3007
    414.577.2658

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