You may choose to earn either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in this program. Refer to the WSU Course Catalog for course descriptions.

Program Prerequisite

Complete at least 40 credit hours of general education and relevant prerequisite courses and meet the teacher education admission and licensure requirements.

Minor/Concentration

Not required.

Grade Requirements

Maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher in major courses in addition to an overall GPA of 3.00 for all courses or a minimum GPA of 3.25 on the last 30 credit hours taken.

General Education Requirements

ChFam SS 1500 (Human Development) is a prerequisite to most Child and Family Studies courses and will fulfill a general education requirement. Comm HU 1020 (Principles of Public Speaking) may be taken to fulfill both a support course and general education requirement. A science class with a lab is a requirement for Teacher Education.

Course Requirements

For Early Childhood Education majors, there are four areas of required course work:

1. General education requirements
2. Support course requirements
3. Child and Family Studies requirements
4. Elementary teacher education requirements

See details for each of these required areas below.

General Education Requirements for BS and BA Degrees
(verify these requirements in the WSU Course Catalog) 

Communications: 6 credits

 ENGL 1010, ENGL 2010   

Quantitative Literacy:  3 credits

Math QL 1050*, QL 1080

 or any math requiring 1050 as prerequisite

American Institutions:   3 credits

POLS AI1100, HIST AI1700, ECON AI1740

Computer Literacy

(Successful completion of approved proficiency exam or approved course(s) for credit.)  2-5  credits

Humanities/Creative Arts:  9 credits

    COMM HU1020 recommended 

Social Sciences:  9 credits

    CHF SS1500 recommended

Physical and Life Sciences: 9 credits

  LS 1370, PS 1350, PS 1360

 (select at least one of the three courses listed

  above. Students must have a lab science.)

Bachelor of Science Requirement

 *See WSU Course Catalog for the requirement in science/math for the BS degree   6 credits

Bachelor of Arts Requirement Foreign Language   42-45 credits for the BS 52-55  for the BA

Double Counting: Courses and credit hours used to fill the above requirements will not count as support or concentration courses. (Exceptions: Foreign language classes may count toward a concentration; ChFam SS1500 and Comm HU1020 may count as support courses, but will not double the credit hours.)

Additional Requirements for BS and BA Degrees

Meeting university general education science requirements may not meet elementary education science requirements. Following the suggested guidelines will assure that you meet both university general education and elementary education requirements:

Students pursuing a BS or BA degree must take 9 credit hours, with at least one course from a life science group and at least one course from a physical science group. One of the courses must be PS 1350 (Principles of Earth Science), PS 1360 (Principle of Physical Science), or LS 1370 (Principles of Life Science), or at least one science lab course.

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree: The BS degree must include two or more courses that emphasize scientific inquiry through either experimental, analytical or statistical methods. The courses must total a minimum of six credit hours over and above general education requirements. Check the WSU Course Catalog for a current list of courses that fulfill this requirement.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree: The BA degree requires a minimum of 16 credit hours in a foreign language and demonstrated proficiency. See the WSU Course Catalog or the foreign language department for further information.

Support Course Requirements

Support courses may not be used for concentrations by dual majors. Support courses may be taken prior to admission to the Teacher Education program and must be taken prior to enrolling in corresponding methods courses (as indicated in parentheses below).

SUPPORT COURSE REQUIREMENTS (23 CREDIT HOURS)

COMM HU1020 Principles of Public Speaking    3 credits

or HU3070 Performance Studies 3 credits

or HU2110 Introduction to Interpersonal and Small Group Communication 3 credits

MATH 2010 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers  3  credits

MATH 2020 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers  3 credits

     (prior to EDUC 4300) 

EDUC 2000 Social Studies Concepts  3 credits

     (prior to EDUC 3280)

EDUC 1010 Exploring Teaching  3 credits (must have prior to Level 1 coursework by Fall 2008)

ENGL 3300 Children's  Literature 3 credits

PEP 3630 Physical Education K-6  3 credits

HLTH 4300 Health Ed in the Elementary School  2 credits

SUPPORT COURSE ELECTIVES (2-4 CREDIT HOURS)

One of the following:

ART *CA1030 Studio Art for the Non-Art Major  3 credits

DANC 3640  Creative Movement in Elem School   2  credits

EDUC 3430 Creative Processes in Elem School  3 credits

MUSC 3824 Music for the Elementary Teacher  4  credits

THEA 4603 Creative Drama  3 credits

Child and Family Studies Requirements

CHF SS1500 and CHF 2500 are offered through WSU distance learning.

A grade of "B-" or above is required in all CHF courses, and CHF SS1500 (Human Development) is a prerequisite to all child and family studies courses. These courses may be taken prior to admission to the Teacher Education Program.

**You are encouraged to apply two semesters prior to teaching in the Melba S. Lehner Children's School.

Before enrolling in CHF 2600 (Introduction to Early Childhood Education), CHF 2610 (Guidance Based on Developmental Theory) or CHF 2620 (Planning Creative Experiences for Young Children), you must be fingerprinted and have a background check.  If the background check reveals misconduct, you will not be allowed to enroll in these courses or any others which include field experiences, practica or student teaching.

This is in compliance with Utah State Law. Allow for an eight-week response time from the state.

TEACHER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Note: All 3000, 4000 level EDUC courses are open only to studdents who have been ADMITTED TO THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM. (See teach education admission requirements.)

It is highly recommended that you concurrently register for all courses in a level.  Additional information is available in the Teacher Education Advisement Center, Education Building, Room 230.

Professional Education Courses Required
EDUC 3390 Literacy in the Primary Grades  2 credits

Level 1 (Core)
EDUC 3100  Instructional Planning and Assessment  3 credits

EDUC 3110  Instructional Technology  1 credit

Level 2 (Learners and Literacy)
EDUC 3200  Foundations in Multicultural/Bilingual Eduction  3 credits
EDUC 3240 Foundations and Methods of Elementary Reading  and Language Arts  3 credits

CHF 3500* Young Children at Risk  3 credits
or EDUC 3260 The Exceptional Student  3 credits
EDUC 3280 Elementary Social Studies Methods  3 credits

Level 3 (Interdisciplinary Methods)

EDUC 4300 Elementary Mathematics Methods  3 credits
EDUC 4320 Elementary Language Arts Methods  3 credits
EDUC 4330 Elementary Science Methods  3 credits
 EDUC 4340 Elementary Art/Music Methods 3 credits
**The Praxis II Test is required between Level 3 and Level 4

Level 4 (Synthesis)
EDUC 4840 Student Teaching in the Elementary School CHF 4980 Early Childhood Senior Synthesis Seminar  1
TOTAL  39

*Either course fulfills both the child and family studies requirements and elementary teacher education requirement (Level 2 Learners and Literacy)  If choosing the dual major, students need EDUC 3260.