In the Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) program, you will learn a child-centered approach to educating preschool children age three to grade five. Throughout the program, you will engage in coursework that promotes the importance of nurturing young minds and helping them reach their full potential.
Ohio University’s five regional campuses, as well as Athens campus, offer B.S.Ed. in ECEE programs. If you’re interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood, you will enter your program of study as Pre-Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Acceptance into the program is selective. Upon meeting criteria for teacher candidacy into the ECEE program, you can begin the professional sequence of courses leading to a teaching license.
Early Childhood and Elementary Education Courses
The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education includes courses in teaching methods, English, mathematics and the sciences. Visit the B.S.Ed. undergraduate catalog page to see the complete major requirements.
Suggested Schedule of Classes
Year 1
FALL
- EDTE 1000: Introduction to Teaching - 3 credit hours
- Humanities: Texts - 3 credit hours
- MATH 1101: Elementary Topics in Mathematics - 4 credit hours
- GEOL 1010 (Geology)/PSC 1010 (Physical World)/BIOL 1010 (Biology) - 3 or 4 credit hours
- ENG 1510: Writing and Rhetoric WC - 3 credit hours
SPRING
- MATH 1102: Elementary Topics in Mathematics II- 4 credit hours
- EDEC 1600: Introduction to Child Development - 3 credit hours
- GEOL 1010 (Geology)/PSC 1010 (Physical World)/BIOL 1010 (Biology) - 3 or 4 credit hours
- HIST 2000/2010 (U.S History) OR POLS 1010 (Political Science) - 3 credit hours
Year 2
FALL
- ECEE 2400: Infant/Toddler Mental Health and Development - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 2500: Learning to Read – Theory and Practice - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 2301: Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood Education - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3801: Creativity and Play in Early Childhood & Elementary Ed. - 3 credit hours
- GEOL 1010 (Geology)/PSC 1010 (Physical World)/BIOL 1010 (Biology) - 3 or 4 credit hours
SPRING
- EDPL 2910: Pre-Kindergarten Internship - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 2701: Diversity & Awareness in ECEE- 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3610: Guidance and Classroom Management- 3 credit hours
- Humanities: Arts - 3 credit hours
- EDPL 3920: Partnership Practicum (optional)- 1-3 credit hours
Year 3 FALL
- EDTE 2000: Learning & Human Development- 3 credit hours
- EDTE 2010: Characteristics of Learners with Exceptionalities- 3 credit hours
- EDTE 2020: Field Experience in Education (grades K-3)- 1 credit hour
- EDTE 2200: Phonics & Structure of Language - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3110: Reading to Learn: Content- 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3300: Methods of Teaching Mathematics for ECEE- 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3001: Combined Junior Clinical Experience in Elementary Settings - 1 credit hour
SPRING
- ECEE 3002: Junior Clinical Experience (grades 4-5) - 1 credit hour
- ECEE 3500: Methods of Teaching Social Studies - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 3400: Methods of Teaching Science - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 4300: Authentic Assessment for ECEE - 3 credit hours
- EDTE 3000 (Teaching Ohio History) or HIST 3170 (Survey of Ohio Hist.) - 3 credit hours
- EDTE 3710: Instructional Adaptations - 3 credit hours
Year 4
FALL
- ECEE 3003: Senior Clinical Experience (grades K-3) - 1 credit hour
- ECEE 3120: Using Reading Assessments - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 4100: Family, School, Community - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 4200: Philosophy and Theories of Child Development - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 4400: Actively Engaging & Teaching with Literature & Storytelling - 3 credit hours
- ECEE 4500: Principles of Curriculum AW - 3 credit hours
SPRING*
- EDPL 4580: Internship Early Childhood - 6 credit hours
- EDPL 4590: Professional Internship - 6 credit hours
- EDPL 4650: Internship Seminar - 3 credit hours
*Students must pay Athens fees
Program Progression
The senior-level practice sequence is designed to provide students with field experience in an agency setting in conjunction with a practice class and a field seminar. The field practicum provides an opportunity for the student to apply his or her social work education and training, while utilizing professional supervision, and is a significant part of the senior year in social work. A student seeking to enroll in the senior-level practice sequence must be admitted to the major by the end of the seventh week of the spring semester of their junior year.
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Potential Careers
The early childhood and elementary education major prepares students to teach children three years old through fifth grade in preschool and elementary settings. In addition to being qualified to teach in primary grades, you can also teach in pre-primary programs, such as public school preschools, private pre-kindergarten schools, childcare centers and Head Start programs.
- As of May 2023, elementary school teachers earn an annual median wage of $63,680.
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Tuition and Fees
The OHIO Guarantee takes the guesswork out of budgeting for college and provides a fixed rate table for tuition and most fees for four years (or 12 consecutive semesters).
Financial aid for undergraduate students (regardless of discipline) is available in the form of scholarships, grants and student loans.
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West Virginia and Kentucky Residents
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Learning Environment
Before successfully graduating from the ECEE program, you will complete early-field and clinical-field placements and professional internships in classrooms and programs for children ages three through grade five. Public and private area schools and agencies partner with OHIO campuses to mentor ECEE students enrolled in methods of teaching in a variety of content areas. During your junior year as a teacher candidate, you will participate in the Rural-Urban Collaborative, which is a distinctive program preparing teacher candidates across all OHIO campuses for working with students in urban areas. Professional interns complete a 15-week pre-primary professional internship in a pre-kindergarten settings for one semester, and a 15-week primary professional internship in a Kindergarten through grade five school in one semester.
Program Admission Requirements
First-Year Students
Freshman or those wishing to enroll in the program should designate ECEE pre-major code, ND8929. Students can apply to the major after completing specific program prerequisites. After the selective admissions process, successful students will be accepted into the ECEE program major.
Requirements for selective admissions are as follows:
- Admission to Teacher Candidacy:
- Earn at least 30 hours and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
- Complete EDTE 1000 and ECEE 1600 with a “C” or better grade in each
- Complete ENG 1510 with a “C” or better grade
- Complete HIST 2010, HIST 2000, or POLS 1010 with a “C” or better grade
- Complete one math requirement, taking MATH 1101 or Math 1102 with a “C” or better grade
- Complete two of three science courses, a minimum of one with a lab with a “C” or better grade from the approved courses listed on your DARS
- Submission of test scores on one of the following assessments. Admission will be determined holistically in tandem with other requirements and supplementary materials. Students only need to take and submit scores for one of the following tests, not all three.
- Praxis Core (Academic Skills for Educators)
- ACT
- SAT
- Personal Essay Statement
- Tuberculosis Test
- BCI and FBI background checks
Transfer and Current OHIO Students
lf you are enrolled in a different major or college at Ohio University and wish to transfer into this major, you must either declare the ECEE pre-major code, if you don’t meet the admission criteria, or apply for selective admissions if you do meet them. To be admitted to the major, you must apply and be accepted after the successful completion of the admission criteria.
The ECEE program will follow the protocol as outlined in the OHIO catalog for transferring credit from other colleges and universities and in accordance with the Ohio Department of Higher Education Articulation and Transfer Policy.
Bailie Ray, Early Childhood Education. ‘21
Accreditation Information
The program is accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) . The program aligns to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation’s K-6 standards and is also guided by recommendations from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Related Programs
Contact Us
Kim Ciroli
Associate Professor of Instruction ciroli@ohio.edu
740.699.2325
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* Includes scholarships, grants, loans, federal work student and CARES/HEERF funding.