Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education curriculum prepares individuals to work with children from infancy through middle childhood in diverse learning environments. Students will combine learned theories with practice in actual settings with young children under the supervision of qualified teachers.

Course work includes child growth and development, physical/nutritional needs of children, care and guidance of children, assessment-based curriculum planning, and building positive relationships with children and families. Students will learn to teach developmentally appropriate academic content while promoting the cognitive/language, physical/motor, social/emotional, and creative development of young children.

Graduates are prepared to follow the ethical and professional standards required of early childhood professionals and to plan and implement developmentally appropriate programs in early childhood settings. Employment opportunities include child development and child care programs, preschools, public and private schools, recreational centers, Head Start Programs, and school-age programs.

Students who take Early Childhood Education courses online must be able to locate an elementary school classroom (PreK - 3) or a classroom in a 3-Star or higher licensed child care facility and obtain permission to volunteer in that classroom in order to fulfill the requirements for observing and/or working with children for some early childhood courses.