Program Overview

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Early Childhood Development and Education (BS) Early Childhood Development

Program at a Glance

The Early Childhood Development and Education (BS) program with a focus on Early Childhood Development is designed to prepare students to work with children, parents, and families in various settings. This degree culminates in a semester-long practicum.

Admission Requirements

• Complete the University General Education requirements or its equivalent, i.e., an AA degree from an approved Florida College System or State University System institution.
• Have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA, with provisional acceptance for one semester if GPA is 2.5 (GPA must be 2.75 by the second semester).
• Complete Child Development Common Program Prerequisite courses with a minimum letter grade of "C" (2.0) or better.
• Meet the State Writing and Math Requirement.
• Meet Foreign Language Admission Requirement.

Degree Requirements

• Students must seek advising through the Early Childhood Development and Education staff prior to registering for classes.
• The courses designated in 1. (General Education) and 2. (Prerequisites) should be completed prior to admission to the major and upper division education courses.
• Students must earn a "C" (2.0) or better in each required Early Childhood Development and Education course. However, a minimum overall 2.75 GPA in all courses within the major is required.

Core Requirements: Basic Level

15 Total Credits

• Complete all of the following:
  • EEC2732 - Health, Safety, and Nutrition for Young Children (3)
  • MAE3310 - Elementary Mathematics for Teaching I (3)
  • EDF2005 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession (3)
  • EDF2130 - Child and Adolescent Development for Educators (3)
• Complete at least 1 of the following:
  • MUE2211 - Early Childhood Music and Movement (3)
  • ARE2000 - Early Childhood Art and Creativity (3)

Core Requirements: Advanced Level

0 Total Credits

• All methods/specialization/foundations courses must be completed with a letter grade of "C" (2.0) or better before registering for Practicum: Early Childhood Development.

Semester I

15 Total Credits

• Complete the following:
  • EEC3700 - Social and Emotional Development of Young Children (3)
  • EEC4303 - Planning Creative Activities in Early Childhood Education (3)
  • EEC3008 - Early Childhood Children's Literature (3)
  • EEC4661 - Early Childhood Education Theory and Practice: (3)
  • EEX3450 - Young Children With Special Needs (3)

Semester II

15 Total Credits

• Complete the following:
  • EEC4604 - Classroom Management and Guidance of Young Children (3)
  • RED3310 - Early Reading, Writing and Language Arts (3)
  • TSL4240 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition (3)
  • EEC4268 - Curriculum Activities in Early Childhood (3)
  • EEX4751 - Parent Involvement in Education (3)

Semester III

0 Total Credits

• Complete the following:

Semester IV

15 - 18 Total Credits

• Complete all of the following:
  • EEC3214 - Child Development (3)
  • EEC4528 - Infant/Toddler Care and Education (3)
  • EEC4940 - Practicum: Early Childhood Development (3 - 6)
• Note: Students must consult with their advisor regarding approval for other elective options.

Semester V

15 - 18 Total Credits

• Complete the following:
  • EEC3613 - Observation and Assessment of Young Children (3)
  • EEC4402 - Cultural and Family Systems (3)
  • EEC4940 - Practicum: Early Childhood Development (3 - 6)

Grand Total Credits: 75 - 81

ECDE Career Pathways

1. RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) /ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)
2. Assessment and Data Analysis
3. Child Life
4. Curriculum and Programming
5. Exceptional Education Specialization
6. Human Services
7. Language Development and Disorders
8. Legal Studies
9. Non-Profit Management

Specialization Details

Applied Behavior Analysis (Registered Behavior Technician)

• Required Course Work:
  • Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Course (Approved by ABA-I)
  • ABA Exam
  • ABA Practicum
• Recommended Electives (3 electives)
  • EEX4601 - Introduction to Behavior Management
  • EEX3221 - Assessment of Exceptional Students
  • EEX 4763 - Technology for Classroom Teachers of Students with Special Needs

Assessment and Data Analysis

• Required: Electives (Choose four courses)
  • EEX3221 - Assessment of Exceptional Students
  • RED4519 - Diagnostic and Corrective Reading Strategies
  • EDF4467 - Learning Theory and Assessment
  • RED4942 - Practicum for Assessment and Instruction of Reading

Child Life

• Child Life Course Taught by a CCLS (1 course):
  • EEC 4744: Child Life: Psychosocial Care of Children in Health Settings
• Child Development (Min. 2 courses covering birth-age 18)
• Loss/Bereavement (1 course) OR Death/Dying Course:
• Research Course (1 course)

Curriculum and Programming

• Choose 4 courses:
  • TSL 4080 - Theory and Practice of Teaching ESOL Students in Schools
  • RED 3012 - Basic Foundations of Reading
  • RED 4519 - Diagnostic and Corrective Reading Strategies
  • TSL 4240 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition

Exceptional Education Specialization

• Choose 4 courses:
  • EEX4601 - Introduction to Behavior Management
  • EEX3221 - Assessment of Exceptional Students
  • EEX 4763 - Technology for Classroom Teachers of Students with Special Needs
  • EEX 3241 - Methods for Academic Skills for Exceptional Students

Human Services Minor

• Required Courses (15 credits)
  • MHS2090 - Introduction to Human Services (3)
  • MHS2330 - Career Planning I (3)
  • MHS2441 - Couples, Families and Intimate Relationships (3)
  • MHS3052 - Helping Skills for Human Service Providers (3)
  • MHS3426 - Diversity Issues in Human Services (3)

Language Development and Disorders

• Required Course Work (12 Credits)
  • SPA3002 - Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • LIN3713 - Language Science (3)
  • LIN3716 - Language Development (3)
  • SPA4400 - Language Disorders Across the Life Span (3)

Legal Studies

• Required Courses:
  • PLA 3014 Law and Legal System
  • PLA 4024 Poverty Law and Community Advocacy
• Choose 2 courses (6 credits)
  • PLA 4807 Adoption Law
  • PLA 4806 Domestic Relations Law
  • PLA 4813 Juvenile Law and Procedure
  • PLA 4843 Immigration Law and Policy

Non-Profit Management

• Prerequisite:
  • Complete at least 1 of the following:
    • ECO2013 - Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
    • ECO2023 - Principles of Microeconomics (3)
• Required:
  • PAD4104 - Administrative Theory (3)
  • PAD4144 - Nonprofit Organizations (3)
• Choose one:
  • PAD4147 - Resource Development in the Nonprofit Sector (3)
  • PAD4148 - Volunteer Management (3)
  • PAD4153 - Planning and Improvement for Public Organizations (3)
  • PAD4204 - Fiscal Management (3)
  • PAD4325 - Program Evaluation for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3)

Foreign Language Requirements

Admissions

• State University System foreign language admission requirement: Two years in high school or one year of college instruction in a single foreign language.

Graduation

• None

Additional Requirements

• None

Required Minors

• None

Departmental Exit Requirements

• Achieve a minimum overall 2.75 GPA in all courses within the major.
• Achieve a minimum 2.75 GPA in the education core coursework.
• Achieve a minimum 2.75 GPA in the specialization coursework.
• Achieve a minimum overall 2.75 GPA
• You must upload key assignments using the Via by Watermark platform.

University Minimum Exit Requirements

• A 2.0 UCF GPA
• 42 semester hours of upper division credit completed
• 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
• A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
• Complete the General Education Program, the State Writing and Math Requirement, and nine hours of Summer credit.

Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required

120

Additional Information

Honors In Major

• None

Related Programs

• None

Certificates

• None

Related Minors

• None

Advising Notes

• A minimum of 6 hours with an international or diversity focus is required.
• Students interested in a Child Life Specialist Certification should seek advising from the ECDE program faculty for electives selection.

Transfer Notes

• Courses taken at Florida College System institutions may substitute for select courses in prerequisites with the permission of the department.

Acceptable Substitutes for Transfer Courses

• None

Program Academic Learning Compacts

• Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at:

Plan of Study

Freshman Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)

• EDF 2005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession
• ENC 1101 - Composition I
• MGF 1106 - Finite Mathematics
• PSY 2012 - General Psychology

Freshman Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)

• ENC 1102 - Composition II
• MAE 3310 - Elementary Mathematics for Teaching I
• PSC 1121 - Physical Science
• EDF 2130 Child and Adolescent Development

Freshman Year - Summer (Select one - 3 Credit Hours)

• ARE 2000 - Early Childhood Art and Creativity
• MUE 2211 - Early Childhood Music and Movement

Sophomore Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)

• SPC 1608 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication
• BSC 1005 - Biological Principles
• Humanities Foundation, elective
• Restricted Elective with Advisor approval
• STA 2014 - Principles of Statistics

Sophomore Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)

• POS 2041 - American National Government
• Humanities Foundation, Elective
• Restricted Elective with Advisor approval
• EDF 2130 - Child and Adolescent Development for Educators
• SOW 3104 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I

Junior Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)

• EEC 3008 - Early Childhood Children's Literature
• EEC 3700 - Social and Emotional Development of Young Children
• EEC 4303 - Planning Creative Activities in Early Childhood Education
• EEC 4661 - Early Childhood Education Theory and Practice:
• EEX 3450 - Young Children With Special Needs

Junior Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)

• EEC 4604 - Classroom Management and Guidance of Young Children
• EEC 4268 - Curriculum Activities in Early Childhood
• EEX 4751 - Parent Involvement
• RED 3310 - Early Reading, Writing and Language Arts
• TSL 4240 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition

Junior Year - Summer (6 Credit Hours)

• Electives

Senior Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)

• EEC 3214 - Child Development
• EEC 4528 - Infant/Toddler Care and Education
• EEC 4940 - Practicum: Early Childhood Development
• Elective
• Elective

Senior Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)

• EEC 3613 - Observation and Assessment of Young Children
• EEC 4402 - Cultural and Family Systems
• EEC 4940 - Practicum: Early Childhood Development
• Elective
• Elective