Elementary Education K-6 Certificate online
Become a certified teacher on an accelerated timeline. Build your classroom confidence during an on-site clinical internship.
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Program Overview
Meet the need for quality educators with the online Elementary Education K-6 Certificate
$18,736.50
Total Tuition
As few as 12 months
Duration
30*
Credit Hours
Build credentials to guide and nurture young students with the Elementary Education K-6 Certificate from William Paterson University online. Through this CAEP-accredited program, you will learn to create a positive learning environment, deliver effective lessons, and design learner assessments that meet NJSLS standards for students with various backgrounds and learning needs. Gain hands-on classroom experience during a year-long student-teaching internship. Our expert faculty will provide you with frequent observations and ongoing feedback to help strengthen your skills.
Begin this 100 percent online program with your liberal arts bachelor's degree and complete it holding a New Jersey teaching certification. Plus, WP requires the completion of only two additional courses if you choose to earn a master’s degree following this program.
As a graduate of this program, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of learner development and diverse learning needs
- Plan differentiated instruction to address student learning needs
- Apply strategies to establish a positive learning environment
- Engage in culturally responsive educational practices with diverse learners
- Demonstrate knowledge of content, pedagogy, and resources for instruction in elementary classrooms
- Plan for research-based literacy instruction to support students’ development in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing text for different purposes
- Plan for research-based mathematics instruction to support students’ development in problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency
- Develop learning objectives and opportunities that align to learning standards
- Engage learners in inquiry-based learning and academic discourse
- Analyze and design learner assessments to support learning
- Develop success criteria based on learning objectives and engage learners in analyzing their development
- Use assessment data to inform instructional practices
- Reflect on and analyze teaching effectiveness
- Collaborate with families, colleagues, and the professional community
- Demonstrate professional ethics and dispositions
- Demonstrate knowledge of learner development and diverse learning needs
- Plan differentiated instruction to address student learning needs
- Apply strategies to establish a positive learning environment
- Engage in culturally responsive educational practices with diverse learners
- Demonstrate knowledge of content, pedagogy, and resources for instruction in elementary classrooms
- Plan for research-based literacy instruction to support students’ development in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing text for different purposes
- Plan for research-based mathematics instruction to support students’ development in problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency
- Develop learning objectives and opportunities that align to learning standards
- Engage learners in inquiry-based learning and academic discourse
- Analyze and design learner assessments to support learning
- Develop success criteria based on learning objectives and engage learners in analyzing their development
- Use assessment data to inform instructional practices
- Reflect on and analyze teaching effectiveness
- Collaborate with families, colleagues, and the professional community
- Demonstrate professional ethics and dispositions
Also available:
Already working as a teacher but still need your teaching credentials? Individuals who have a CE or Limited CE and are the teacher of record in a classroom should pursue our alternate route Elementary Education K-6 Certificate program.
$18,736.50
Total Tuition
As few as 12 months
Duration
30
Credit Hours
The College of Education at William Paterson University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
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Tuition
Make a financial plan for your online Elementary Education K-6 Certificate program
Online education programs from William Paterson University offer affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition. All fees are included in the total tuition.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Education K-6 Certificate | $624.55 | $1,873.65 | $18,736.50 |
Tuition breakdown:
$18,736.50
Total Tuition
$624.55
Per Credit Hour
Calendar
Keep these critical program dates and deadlines in mind
William Paterson University online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.
| Term | Start Date | App Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Class End Date | Term Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall I | 9/8/25 | 8/17/25 | 8/20/25 | 8/29/25 | 9/3/25 | 10/26/25 | 7 weeks |
Now enrolling:
8/17/25
Apply Date
9/8/25
Class Starts
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Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?
Admissions
Keep these critical program dates and deadlines in mind
At William Paterson University, we’ve streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the Elementary Education K-6 Certificate program, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them. Review the Program Map to determine eligibility of this program in your state. Already working as a teacher? Individuals who have a CE or Limited CE and are the teacher of record in a classroom should consider our Elementary Education K-6 Certificate, Alternate Route program.
The requirements include:
- Bachelor’s degree
- GPA 3.0 or higher
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment
- Resume with contact information of two references
- Submit online application and $50 application fee
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 60 credits in Liberal Arts
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (basic skills requirements) test – Limited CEAS candidates only
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment aligned with the student’s desired area of teaching
- Resume with names and contact information of two references
Note: Admission is open to NJ residents as well as individuals who plan to become NJ-certified teachers and work in NJ schools.
Official transcripts and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to:
Email address: [email protected]
Mail address:
Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services
William Paterson University
Morrison Hall 102
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
Courses
Coursework specifics for the online Elementary Education K-6 Certificate program
For the Elementary Education K-6 Certificate online program, you must complete a total of 30 credit hours of core courses.
CMAT 5150: Educational Perspectives and Practices in Inclusive Environments
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a knowledge base in teacher dispositions, national and state standards, pedagogical content knowledge, and learning theory to provide the framework for lesson plan development, differentiated teaching strategies, family/school connections, learning environment, and classroom management. The influence of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity upon learning is explored, as are learner characteristics in the social, behavioral, and academic domains. The course will introduce planning, conducting, and assessing learning experiences. It will also cover Autism, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), and Child Abuse Recognition.
CMAT 5200: Foundations of Literacy Development
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will introduce candidates to designing school curricula (goals, method, materials, and assessments) that are flexible enough to accommodate the individual learning needs of all learners within general education classrooms. Using the model of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), candidates will learn to develop curriculum, instruction, assessments, and classroom environments that are accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with differing abilities, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
CMAT 5250: Methods of Teaching English Language Arts in the Elementary Classroom
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, Teacher Candidates explore methods for assessing learners, planning instruction, and appropriately incorporating technology to teach reading comprehension, writing, speaking, and listening to elementary students. The course includes an overview of selected research-based English language arts instructional approaches and models used in elementary classrooms. Teacher candidates study current research and theoretical rationales for different approaches and examine key components of literacy instruction in the different models. Methods to engage families in home-school literacy practices are included.
CMAT 5300: Interdisciplinary Literacy for Social Justice
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed for pre-service teacher-candidates who are working with or will be working with students in an elementary classroom setting. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to literacy, focusing on content areas including social studies, science, and the arts. Students explore frameworks for understanding interlocking systems of social oppression, including race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, disability, and others, as these systems relate to teaching and learning in today’s schools. Students actively practice pedagogical approaches that support social justice by developing, implementing, and analyzing curriculum and instruction through a social justice lens.
CMAT 5350: Mathematical Content Knowledge: Teaching Diverse Learners in the Elementary Grades
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The purpose of this course is to develop teacher candidate competence in planning, conducting, and assessing mathematics learning experiences with children from kindergarten through sixth grade to ensure the success of all children in meeting the standards. The course makes use of relevant readings and video to show the experiences of diverse children to enable teachers to interpret children’s mathematical behavior in meaningful ways. Students explore assessment of, and remediation for difficulties in mathematics. It considers mathematical thinking as part of a developmental process and explores the use of mathematical practices in instruction. The content of the course follows the recommendations for the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, principles and standards for school mathematics developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, (NCTM, 2000, 2002, 2014).
CMAT 5400: Mathematics Pedagogy in the Elementary Classroom
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the understanding and application of learning and assessment of mathematics at the elementary school levels, according to the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000, 2002, 2014) and New Jersey Learning Standards (2020). Strategies of teaching whole class and small groups hands-on problem solving and posing, integrating mathematics across and within the curriculum, technology applications in mathematics, analysis of current mathematics curriculums and standards, and applications of mathematics in the real world are explored in depth. Candidates’ knowledge, understanding, and application of elementary mathematics curriculum, standards, and technology are expanded by building the underlying mathematical conceptual knowledge of educators, exploring the integration of literacy skills in mathematics and in-depth analysis of student thinking and teacher decisions during planning, implementation and assessment.
EDUC 5110: Pre-Clinical Experience
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will consist of a combination of reflection on online teaching videos and a minimum of 50 hours in a face-to-face clinical experience in a school setting for students with disabilities.
EDUC 5450: K-6 Clinical Internship and Seminar 1
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is the first of two seminars which accompany the year-long Clinical Practice Internship. In their clinical placement internship, candidates work with an experienced teacher to develop professional knowledge, including identifying and meeting major goals in assessment, instruction, reflection and classroom management skills. Students are formally observed a minimum of four times during the semester by a University Supervisor. Teacher candidates will receive pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. They explore issues such as the context for learning, student factors, and characteristics of students with whom they work. Teacher candidates examine the procedures for identifying, assessing, and providing special education services for P-12 students with disabilities. They investigate methods for professional collaboration and co-teaching models which will allow them to support students with disabilities in classrooms. Seminar sessions are held online asynchronously using Blackboard technology.
EDUC 5500: K-6 Clinical Internship and Seminar 2
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is the second of two seminars which accompany the year-long Clinical Practice Internship. In their clinical placement internship, candidates work with an experienced teacher to develop professional knowledge, including identifying and meeting major goals in assessment, instruction, reflection and classroom management skills. Students are formally observed a minimum of seven times during the semester by a University Supervisor. Teacher candidates will receive pre and post lesson feedback from the university supervisor and classroom teacher. They explore issues such as the context for learning, student factors, and characteristics of students with whom they work. Teacher candidates examine the procedures for identifying, assessing, and providing special education services for P-12 students with disabilities. They investigate methods for professional collaboration and co-teaching models which will allow them to support students with disabilities in classrooms. Seminar sessions are held online asynchronously using Blackboard technology.
SPED 6430: Curriculum Design for All Learners
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will introduce candidates to designing school curricula (goals, method, materials, and assessments) that are flexible enough to accommodate the individual learning needs of all learners within general education classrooms. Using the model of Universal Design for Learning, candidates will learn to develop curriculum, instruction, assessments, and classroom environments that are accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with differing abilities, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
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