Early Childhood Education (Bachelor of Science in Education, B.S.E.)

The Department of Education faculty is committed to the professional preparation of teachers for employment in early childhood education programs. The goals are to prepare teachers who are:

  • Classroom leaders, professionally prepared to accept responsibility for student learning (MWSU Conceptual Framework);
  • Highly knowledgeable in their cognitive areas (MoSPE/MWSU/INTASC Standards);
  • Skilled in the techniques and methods of teaching across a diverse student population (MoSPE/MWSU/INTASC Standards);
  • Practiced in the application of six domains of positive teacher dispositions (MWSU Disposition).

Admission Requirements

  • ACT composite score of 20 or higher or successful completion of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA)
  • Overall GPA of 2.50
  • Professional GPA of 3.0
  • Content GPA of 3.0
  • Satisfactory completion of EDU 202/203

*Alternative avenues to Teacher Education available for recruitment of historically under-served populations.  Contact the Department Chairperson for guidelines and procedures.

Students who choose this bachelor degree program will have no more than 6 years from admission or subsequent declaration to meet the requirements listed below. If certification, accreditation or statutory requirements change and additional requirements become effective during this time, the new requirements take precedence. 

Note: Students pre-admitted into the bachelor degree program (pre-major) have three years to meet admission requirements before moving to the overall 6 year time-frame allowed to complete the program requirements. 
General Studies
Students must complete General Studies courses42
Major Requirements
EDU 150Psychological Development for Children & Adolescents for Educators3
EDU 202Introduction to Education3
EDU 203Participation in Teaching I1
EDU 225Educational Psychology3
EDU 300Introduction to Early Childhood Education3
EDU 308Multicultural Education3
EDU 313Family, Community, and Schools: Partnering for Young Children3
EDU 314Issues & Trends in the Education of Young Children and the Management of Programs for Young Children3
EDU 315Psychology and Education of the Exceptional Child3
EDU 316Organizing, Developing, and Managing Environments for Young Children3
EDU 325Introduction to Reading and Language Arts Methods5
EDU 332Teaching in the Integrated Areas3
EDU 333Science and Mathematics for Young Children3
EDU 334Play-Based Instruction3
EDU 344Early Childhood Assessment3
EDU 348Language Development for Educators3
EDU 351Mathematics Methods for Early Childhood and Elementary Educators3
EDU 360Assessing and Individualizing Reading3
EDU 370Behavior Management3
EDU 374Literacy Development in Early Childhood3
EDU 376Applied Teaching Methods and Management3
EDU 377School Experience in Teaching2
EDU 400Seminar in Early Childhood Education and Human Relations3
EDU 462Early Childhood Student Teaching III9
SWK 410Family and Child Welfare3

 NOTE: In addition to the above major coursework, students may be required to take an Orientation Workshop, EDU 110. Also, upon Education Department determination, some students will be required to enroll in EDU 200 for state certification requirements.

The Professional Semester - Early Childhood

A student enrolled in Early Childhood Student Teaching will assume the daily teaching schedule of the cooperating teacher.

Early Childhood Student Teaching (EDU 462 Early Childhood Student Teaching III) is to be taken during the student’s senior year. Seminar in Early Childhood Education & Human Relations (EDU 400 Seminar in Early Childhood Education and Human Relations) is to be taken concurrently with Early Childhood Student Teaching. A passing score on the appropriate Content Area Assessment is required before enrollment in EDU 400 Seminar in Early Childhood Education and Human Relations and EDU 462 Early Childhood Student Teaching III.

Course work during the professional education semester is usually limited to EDU 400 Seminar in Early Childhood Education and Human Relations and EDU 462 Early Childhood Student Teaching III. Petition for any additional course work must be submitted to the Education Department in the semester prior to Student Teaching.

Program Graduation Requirements

  1. Earn an overall GPA of at least 2.50 and a major GPA of 3.0.
  2. Earn a grade of C or higher in all major coursework.

University Graduation Requirements 

  1. Earn a minimum of 120 credit hours (100 level and higher, maximum of 6 CED credit hours applicable).
  2. Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper-division courses.  Lower-division transfer courses accepted as meeting upper-division departmental course requirements cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
  3. Earn 30 of the last 45 credit hours at MWSU in institutional coursework (exclusive of credit by examination).
  4. Participate in required departmental and campus wide assessments. 
  5. Fulfill the Missouri Constitution requirement.
  6. Successfully pass the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement exam.