Early Childhood Studies


Early Childhood StudiesBegin, change, or advance. Whether you seek to enhance your current career or to begin a new one, UI&U’s Early Childhood Studies major helps you build a solid foundation for careers in today’s complex early childhood environment.  This program is especially suited for those with an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or other related fields of study.

With a UI&U Early Childhood Studies major, you are better equipped to help shape our children’s future.  Gain knowledge relevant to this major, as well as the critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills necessary for your successful career—in a program flexible enough to accommodate your family and work commitments.  You may also opt to select either a direct service classroom track or an administration track.

 

 

The program is designed for adults who seek a career in:

  • Head Start programs
  • Private school settings
  • Non-profit agencies
  • Government agencies

Learners in the UI&U Early Childhood Studies program benefit from:

  • Meetings with instructors when you need assistance at times convenient  to you
  • Receiving personal attention from faculty and staff who understand your academic and scheduling needs
  • Designing an individualized program of study tailored to meet your career goals
  • Preparing for the option of graduate studies in this or a related field

Accelerate completion of your degree by:

  • Transferring credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities
  • Requesting credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work or professional experience
  • Successfully completing CLEP or DANTES tests

 

Curriculum

Core Courses

  • ECS 310 Professional Ethics for Early Childhood Studies
  • ECS 315 Multicultural Issues in ECE Today  
  • ECS 320 The Exceptional Child 
  • ECS 410 Working with Interdisciplinary Teams in the Early Childhood Setting
  • ECS 420 Intervention Strategies    

 

Elective Courses

  • ECS  280  Infant Toddler Programming    
  • ECS  309  Basic Professional Practices Orientation in Early Childhood Studies
  • ECS  325  Language, Arts, and Literacy in Early Childhood Education        
  • ECS  330  Effective Mechanisms for Working with Families, Communities and
  • ECS  405  Curriculum Development for Early childhood Education
  • ECS  411  Classroom Management and Organization
  • ECS  412  Observation and Planning          
  • ECS  430  Multicultural Education and Administration
  • ECS  440  Policy and Administrative Issues for Child Care Administrators
  • PSY  349  Cognition and Learning in Early Childhood Organizations
  • ECH 490  Special Topics