Primary Education (Grades P-5)
Program Details
Everyone has a favorite teacher from childhood, that special person who encouraged and motivated you to do your best. As a student in the Primary Education major, you'll gain the skills needed to teach preschool through grade five in public and private schools. And, because Xavier uses a holistic approach that emphasizes care for the whole person, you could become that special teacher for someone you have yet to meet.
Xavier University is ranked #2 in Ohio for ‘Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs’ by U.S. News & World Report (2024). Additionally, 99% of students in Xavier’s education majors pass state licensure exams.
Xavier University’s education programs are designed to prepare students for licensure and/or certification in the state of Ohio. Xavier’s School of Education is fully accredited by the Ohio Department of Education and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Science in Primary Education
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Primary Education (Grades P-5) major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- CORE 100 First-Year Seminar............ 3cr.
- Biology 130/131............ 3cr.
- Second Language I............ 3cr.
- ENGLISH 100/115 English Composition/Rhetoric ............ 3cr.
- EDFD 110 Human Development and Learning............ 3cr.
- CORE 101 Goa: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program I............ 0cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 100 Intro to Education............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Physics 114/115 ............ 3cr.
- THEOLOGY 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- Second Language II ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- CORE 101 Goa: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program II............ 0cr.
Fall
- PHILOSOPHY 100 Intro to Ethics............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 210 Early Childhood Development............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 251 Instructional Technology............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 260 Cultural Diversity in Education............ 3cr.
- MATH I............ 3cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 205 Found in Early Child Special Ed............. 3cr.
- EDUCATION 324 Children's Literature for EC............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 269 Phonics and Foundation of Literacy............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 312 Reading Methods for Early Childhood ............ 3cr.
- MATH II............ 3cr.
- EDME 359 Community and Advocacy in Ed............. 3cr.
Fall
- ENGLISH 205 Literature & Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
- ARTS 222 Art in Early Childhood Education............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 325 Methods of Observation/Collaboration ............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 330 Math/Science Early Childhood ............ 6cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 471 Content Area Literacy............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 230 Play in Early Childhood............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 335 Lang. Arts/ Soc. Studies in EC............ 6cr.
- EDUCATION 351 Instructional Strategies for ELL............ 3cr.
Fall
- EDUCATION 450 Student Teaching EC............ 9cr.
- EDUCATION 451 Seminar: Current Issues in EC Educ............. 1cr.
Spring
- PHILOSOPHY 200 Philosophical Perspective............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 478 Diagnosis/Correction of Reading Dis............. 3cr.
- E/RS Focus Elective............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
- Introduction To Education (EDEL 100) - This course provides an introduction to the foundational, philosophical and organizational patterns of United States education. Topics include the review of history, philosophy, societal impact, and school culture. Lesson planning introduced. Required field experience.
- Play in Early Childhood Education (EDEC 230) - This course provides an overview of the theory and practice concerning developmental aspects of play, creativity, imagination and their relationship to music, movement and creative drama. The teacher’s role in preparation of the play environment is covered, including issues of special needs children.
- Phonics and the Foundation of Literature (EDRE 269) - This course covers the history of the English language, linguistics and the use of phonetics as it relates to the reading process. Phonics and phonemic awareness as major strategies in comprehension for emergent readers. Holistic philosophy and teaching. A minimum of 15 hours of field work is required.
- Intermediate Math Methods (EDEL 441) - This course examines the discipline of math as it relates the content and practices in grades 4-6 based on the Ohio Learning Standards for Mathematics, (revised 2017). It is designed to prepare classroom teachers with an early childhood background to teach inquiry based mathematics at the intermediate level.
Career Outcomes
99% of Xavier students, including those in the primary education major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2022). Additionally, 99% of students in Xavier’s education majors pass state licensure exams. Explore our Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Alumni of Xavier’s education programs have gone on to work at:
- Cincinnati Public Schools
- Deer Park Community City Schools
- Hamilton County Educational Service Center
- Lakota School District
- Lockland Local Schools
- Princeton School District
- Reading Community School District
- Roger Bacon High School
- Sacred Heart of Jesus School
- St. Bernard School District
- Sycamore City School District
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops and maintaining an employer database. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for open positions.
Student Clubs
- Educators for Justice- Educators for Justice is the club for all education majors. It meets in the spirit of St. Ignatius and exists to form solidarity with each other and with the communities surrounding our campus and the school districts our majors are interfacing with. It includes the Xavier Leadership Initiative, which holds events and an annual retreat targeting future leaders in education. We meet once a month and also plans multiple service projects throughout the year. Dr. Knestrict and Dr. Bender-Slack are the faculty leaders of this dynamic club.
- Kappa Delta Pi- Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is an international honors society for education students. Its purpose is to foster professional fellowship and professional development and to honor achievement. This club works to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of education students, provide professional development opportunities and create community. Kappa Delta Pi exists to support Xavier's future educators and help them become men and women for others in their future careers.
- A Xavier Christmas- Members of this group work together to provide a meaningful Christmas experience for underprivileged elementary children in schools in the areas surrounding campus.
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Request InformationKickstart Your Teaching Career in Cincinnati, Ohio
Xavier has long-term partnerships with over 50 regional school districts where students are placed for classroom observations and student teaching. These partnerships provide you with invaluable hands-on teaching experiences and networking opportunities.
Elevate Your Teaching Potential with our Latino Focus Program
As the Hispanic population increases throughout the greater Cincinnati area, the need for teachers who speak Spanish is unmatched. Gain a competitive edge in our exclusive Latino Focus program, which includes interdisciplinary courses, selected field assignments a 10-day study abroad experience in Peru where you'll work with children ages 6-12 at a school in Lima, Peru.
Xavier School of Education Graduate Programs
More than a quarter of Xavier education graduates stay for graduate degrees in education including the 30-credit hour program for the MEd in Secondary Education. Students may add coursework for licensure concentrations as part of the degree program.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Primary Education (Grades P-5) Major at Xavier University
The P-5 Primary Education program at Xavier University prepares graduates for careers as teachers in public and private schools. Many graduates also work in other educational settings such as hospitals and child care centers, or outdoor education and nature centers. The program has relationships with over 50 Cincinnati area schools to provide students with multiple options for required student-teaching experiences that often lead to full-time teaching jobs. About a quarter of graduates go on to earn master’s degrees, including at Xavier, leading to more job opportunities.
Xavier University's College of Professional Sciences prepares undergraduate and graduate students intellectually, morally and spiritually for careers and professions of service. CPS challenges students to strive for academic excellence and life-long learning through promoting collaboration and community partnerships, and incorporating research, scholarship and innovation.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."