Early Childhood Education (B.S.)

Requirements

The student seeking the licensure of Early Childhood: Teacher of Students with and without Disabilities (PreK-2) is required to maintain a 2.70 cumulative GPA, earn a C or better in education classes, choose core humanities, social science and natural science options which meet licensure requirements as defined by the Department of Education, and complete an acceptable liberal arts major (art, biology, chemistry, English, history, linguistics, mathematics, physics, psychology, Spanish, or French). The student must apply for acceptance into the program during the sophomore year and must meet licensure requirements of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at the time of program completion.✣ In addition to the requirements for an initial teaching license, all students must complete either the ESL licensure program or earn SEI endorsement. See departmental advisor.

✣ The College reserves the right to alter program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education licensure standards.

The following courses are required for an early childhood education major:

• EDU 112 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education Credits: 2
• EDU 221 - Foundations of Early Childhood Education Credits: 2
• EDU 225 - Human Development and Learning Credits: 4
• EDU 231 - Children’s Literature Credits: 2
• EDU 238 - The Exceptional Child Credits: 2
• EDU 270 - Math Methods Credits: 3
• EDU 302 - Disabilities and the Young Child Credits: 2
• EDU 345 - Introduction to Teaching Reading Credits: 2
• EDU 346 - Early Childhood Reading and Language Arts: PreK-Grade 2 Credits: 3
• EDU 348 - Assessment for the Classroom Teacher Credits: 2
• EDU 438 - Classroom Management: Early Childhood Credits: 2
• EDU 440 - Education Methods: Science and Health Early Childhood Credits: 2
• EDU 442 - Education Methods: Social Studies Early Childhood Credits: 2
• EDU 479 - Early Childhood Practicum I Credits: 6
• EDU 480 - Early Childhood Practicum II Credits: 6
• MAT 205 - Concepts of Mathematics I Credits: 4

Core Adjustments for Early Childhood/Elementary Education

Due to licensure requirements, students majoring in early childhood education, elementary education, or elementary art education have specific core requirements in some areas and will receive core adjustments in other areas, regardless of their content-area major.  These requirements are noted here; all other core requirements must be completed as outlined in the Core Curriculum  section of the catalog.

Required:

Natural Science - NSM 220 - Human Biology, Health and Disease  
Literature - ENG 141 - Western Literature  

Adjustments:

Social Science 

• Non-history majors will complete HIS 115 - American History Survey  and  EDU 112 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education  or EDU 113 - Introduction to Elementary Education  
• History majors will complete GEG 210 - Principles of Geography   and  EDU 112 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education  or EDU 113 - Introduction to Elementary Education  

Foreign Language

• The foreign language requirement is waived.  All education majors take either the ESL concentration or the SEI Endorsement course instead.  Students whose second major is a foreign language must still meet prerequisites for 200- and upper-level courses in that major.

Philosophy and Fine Arts

• Philosophy and Fine Arts credits will be reduced by two credits each for students with an additional license in Special Education or ESL.  Art majors will fulfill the Fine Arts requirement in that major.