Major in Early Childhood Education

In collaboration with Educator Preparation within the School of Education (SOE), the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) provides an Early Childhood Education Major with teacher licensure (ECE-L).  

The ECE-L degree enables students to apply for Early Childhood with teacher licensure and Director Qualification in the state of Colorado and will qualify students to engage in a number of early childhood professions including teaching grades Pre-K to 3rd in public or private schools in Colorado, teaching in Head Start or other preschool or child care programs, providing infant and toddler programming, establishing a business as a family child care center or child care provider, and serving as director of a child care center. An understanding of human development and family studies provides a strong foundation for students desiring a license to teach young children between the ages of 0 and 8. Knowledge of lifespan developmental processes and family systems prepares future teachers to work in partnership with families in educating children. Students who earn the ECE-L degree also earn a minor in HDFS without taking additional coursework.

Students are encouraged to declare the ECE major during their freshman or sophomore years and are required to meet with their HDFS advisor during the first semester of their sophomore year. Following a review process, ECE students will transition into the formal teacher licensure program in semester 4, when the ECE-L designation will be added to their academic record. Students are also encouraged to carefully review the program of study as some program requirements must be completed before beginning teacher licensure coursework (e.g., the EDUC sequence). Students move through licensure coursework as a cohort, starting fall semester of junior year. Students in the ECE-L major achieve both Early Childhood Education core learning outcomes obtained through HDFS and EDUC courses, and the educator competencies required by the Colorado Department of Education for Early Childhood Education teacher licensure.

Learning Objectives

Students will demonstrate:

1. Content knowledge and understanding of theory, research, and practice relevant to optimizing the development, health, and well-being of children and families in the context of the larger social environment.
2. Effective written and oral communication skills appropriate for early childhood educators interfacing with colleagues, children, and parents/guardians.
3. The ability to access, critically evaluate, and apply multiple forms of information related to children and families.
4. Professional and leadership skills with individuals and families, including ethical and culturally sensitive conduct.
5. Knowledge and skill in teaching and assessing literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, music, art, and physical education in early childhood.

Learn more about the Early Childhood Education major on the Department of Human Development and Family Studies website.

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
Students seeking admission to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Major with teacher licensure must formally apply and be accepted. The admission process into the program takes place once a year in the spring with the admitted candidates starting the program the following fall. All coursework within the Center for Educator Preparation (CEP) requires a 4 semester (or 2 year) consecutive commitment to complete, therefore EDUC subject code courses must be taken in the semester indicated. Requirements for applying to the ECE major: 1) Must have a 2.75 GPA or better, 2) Suggested to have completed 60 credits (or more) by the end of the semester in which the student is applying (typically students apply their second semester sophomore year), 3) Must have 20 hours of volunteer or work service with children ages 0‐8 years (experience must have been within the last 5 years), 4) Must have 3 references. All HDFS subject code courses and EDUC subject code courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.000) or higher. Students will be required to pass a criminal arrest record background check prior to participating in field placement courses. Students will complete a graduation contract with an HDFS Academic Advisor during the first two weeks of the semester in which they are graduating.