(Early Intervention, Head Start, Private Preschool, and Group Day Care)

The Early Childhood Education major prepares students to enter the field of Early Education and Care so they can work in areas such as Early Intervention, Head Start, private preschool, and group day care. The program integrates studies in liberal arts and sciences with guidelines and standards presented by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Fieldwork accompanies most education courses and is a necessary component of the program. A course waiver process is available for transfer students and articulation agreements are in place with regional community colleges.

Admission into the Early Education and Care Major

Early Education and Care students progress through a three-stage process. Each stage within this track must be satisfactorily completed before passage to the next stage. 

Stage I: Early Education and Care

1. Students demonstrate competence in communication skills by completing the following course with a grade of C or higher.

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   EN-102	College Writing II (or equivalent)	3

2. Students must submit a CORI application and be approved prior to beginning classroom observations in the Worcester Public Schools. No student is allowed to do fieldwork unless approval of the CORI has been received from the state.

3. Students demonstrate potential for teaching children by completing all of the following courses with a grade of C+ or higher AND earning a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   ED-160	Early Childhood Education Today (5 hours fieldwork)	3
   or ED-150	Introduction to the Teaching Profession
   ED-206	Development and Learning of Typical and Atypical Children Birth to Age 8 (10 hours fieldwork)	3
   ED-211	Integrating Science, Social Studies and the Fine Arts in Early Childhood Curriculum (10 hours fieldwork)	3
   ED-214	Emergent Literacy (10 hours fieldwork)	3

4. Any departure from the prescribed program of study must have Waiver Committee approval prior to advancement to Stage II.

Stage II: Admission into Early Education and Care

1. Upon satisfactory completion of Stage I requirements, the student is eligible to apply for formal admission to the Early Education and Care Program. The application must include transcripts of all previous course work. Approval by the Education Department is necessary for a student to progress to Stage II.
   
   During Stage II, students must complete all of the following courses with a grade of C+ or higher.  Fieldwork accompanies the following methods courses.

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   ED-307	ECE - Science (10 hours fieldwork)	3
   ED-308	ECE - Mathematics (10 hours fieldwork)	3
   ED-340	Language Arts & Literacy for the Primary Grades (10 hours fieldwork)	3
   ED-386	Assessment and Adjustment in Practice In Early Childhood Education (5 hours fieldwork)	3

Stage III: Early Education and Care Practicum

1. Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   ED-313	Practicum in Early Childhood Education: Preschool/Kindergarten	3
   ED-319	Advanced Field Experience in Early Childhood Education 1	3
   ED-400	Inclusive Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Grade 2 1	3

   ¹

   90 credits must be completed prior to taking ED-319. ED-400 should be taken as a corequisite with ED-313.

2. Students must apply for formal admission to ED-313 and ED-319. This application will be reviewed and acted upon by the Licensure Officer. Additional information regarding formal application for the advanced practicum is available from the Education Department.

This program provides preparation for certification through the Department of Early Education and Care as a Lead Teacher for Preschool.

Note: This program does not lead to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education public school licensure. Students who complete this program and apply to the WSU post-baccalaureate non-degree initial licensure program must provide evidence that they have worked in the field for 3 years. Any departure from the prescribed program of study must have approval from the Department Chair or Dean.

Requirements for Early Education and Care:

33 Credits
 

Students are required to take specific liberal arts and science courses to satisfy foundation and distribution requirements. Students can meet with their advisors and/or consult their degree audit through WebAdvisor.

Early Education and Care majors must either complete an academic major in the arts or sciences approved by the Education Department OR complete a cluster of 30 credits of course work which address the MA Department of Early Education and Care's Core Teacher Competencies. A list of possible courses is available in the Education Department.