Program Overview

Early Childhood and Elementary Education

The Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) program focuses on a child-centered approach to educating preschool children aged three to grade five. Throughout the program, students engage in coursework that promotes the importance of nurturing young minds and helping them reach their full potential.

Program Overview

Ohio University's five regional campuses, as well as the Athens campus, offer B.S.Ed. in ECEE programs. Students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood enter their 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, students can begin the professional sequence of courses leading to a teaching license.

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student to faculty ratio for classroom instruction at OHIO Zanesville is 16:1.

Financial Aid

99% of OHIO Zanesville first-year students received financial aid in Fall 2021.

Program Courses

The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education includes courses in teaching methods, English, mathematics, and the sciences.

Suggested Schedule of Classes

Year 1

• FALL
  • EDTE 1000: Introduction to Teaching - 3 credit hours
  • EDEC 1600: Introduction to Child Development - 3 credit hours
  • Humanities: Arts - 3 credit hours
  • ENG 1510: Writing and Rhetoric WC - 3 credit hours
  • GEOL 1010 (Geology)/PSC 1010 (Physical World)/BIOL 1010 (Biology) - 3 or 4 credit hours
  • UC 1500: Student Transition Seminar – Teacher Education (optional) - 1 credit hour
• SPRING
  • MATH 1101: Elementary Topics in Mathematics - 4 credit hours
  • Humanities: Texts - 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 2001: Sophomore Clinical Experience - 1 credit hour
  • 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
  • MATH 1102: Elementary Topics in Mathematics II- 4 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
• 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

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, graduates can also teach in pre-primary programs, such as public school preschools, private pre-kindergarten schools, childcare centers, and Head Start programs.

• Elementary school teachers earn an annual median wage of $63,680 as of May 2023.

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 is available in the form of scholarships, grants, and student loans.

Learning Environment

Before successfully graduating from the ECEE program, students 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.

Program Admission Requirements

First-Year Students

Freshmen 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:

1. 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
2. Personal Essay Statement
3. Tuberculosis Test
4. BCI and FBI background checks

Transfer and Current OHIO Students

If 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.

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

• Middle Childhood Education