Nov 13, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Early Childhood Education, B.S.


Advisement for the major is available from the Early and Elementary Education  Department

Early Childhood Education, B.S. Curriculum Guide  (Suggested 4-Year Plan of Study)

Candidates who successfully complete the early childhood education major are eligible to apply for Maryland State Department of Education certification in early childhood education, grades PreK-3.

Transfer Program for A.A.T. Candidates

Candidates who earn an Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) in early childhood education or elementary education from a Maryland community college, or who meet the requirements set with Delaware Technical Community College, are qualified for entry into the Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP). Admission to the Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) is granted based on the completion of your A.A.T. Candidates who earn an A.A.T. in early childhood education who change their major to elementary education will have additional credits to complete. Please read the information below to determine your degree status.

Salisbury University Professional Teacher Education Program admission requirements for A.A.T. candidates include:

  • Verify all A.A.T. requirements have been met and your degree is conferred by providing your most recent official transcript to the Office of Admissions. Submit a copy of the A.A.T. transcript to the Department of Early and Elementary Education.

  • If required by the community college for an A.A.T., students must complete Praxis Core with passing scores and submit an official score report to Salisbury University.

  • Submit a Professional Teacher Education Program A.A.T. application to the Department of Early and Elementary Education by the established deadline. The online application must be submitted prior to the semester the candidate wishes to enroll in professional education courses.

  • Take ELED 202 - Technology in Education   during the first semester of the program. ELED 305 - Learning and Assessment for Diverse Classrooms  is optional, but recommended.

Checklist

This checklist is an unofficial tool for planning. Matriculated students and advisors should consult the Academic Requirements Report in GullNet before and after registering for classes each semester to track academic progress.

University Undergraduate Major Policies


  • Refer to the program page for this major and the Courses  section of this catalog for approved prerequisites and General Education courses.
  • Requirements may not equal 120 credit hours. Students must register for additional electives to complete 120 credits required for graduation.
  • All graduates must have a minimum of 30 credits of 300/400-level courses with C grade or above; at least 15 of those credits must be taken at SU.
  • Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for graduation.
  • Students must complete at least 30 credit hours by direct classroom instruction and/or laboratory experience.
  • Students must take 30 of the last 37 credit hours at SU.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to satisfy graduation requirements. Please refer to the program page of this catalog for detailed major requirements.
  • Students must apply online for graduation by November 15 for May and by May 15 for December.

General Education Requirements


Please Note: Check Major Requirements section below for a list of General Education requirements that are fulfilled by the major.

Group I: English Composition and Literature (2 Courses)


A. C or Better in One of the Following


B. Select One Course From:


Literature course (from either ENGL or MDFL Depts.) 4 Hour(s) Credit:

  • Course:

Group II: History (2 Courses)


A. Select One Course From:


B. Select One Course From:


Group III: Humanities and Social Sciences (3 Courses)


A. Select One Course from One of the Following 7 Areas:


B. Select One Course from One of the Following 10 Areas:


C. Select One Course from Either Group IIIA or IIIB (Course must be from a different area than previously selected)


Group IV: Natural Science, Math and Computer Science (4 courses)


A. Select Courses with Laboratories from at Least Two of the Following Four Areas:


BIOL, CHEM, GEOL or Physical GEOG, PHYS 4 Hour(s) Credit:

  • Course:

  • Course:

B. Select One Course (Need Not be a Lab) from One of the Following Areas:


C. Select One Course From:


MATH 3-4 Hour(s) Credit:

  • Course:

Group V: Health Fitness (1 Course)


Major Requirements


General Education Requirements Fulfilled by Major


IA (Composition), IB (Literature), IIA (World History), IIB (History), IIIB (Social Science), IVA (Lab Science), IVB (Non Lab Science), IVC (Mathematics)

Pre-Professional Requirements


  • Complete a minimum of 49 hours in the early childhood education program with an overall GPA 2.50 or higher (including transfer courses). Any courses older than seven years are subject to review for acceptance toward fulfilling degree requirements.
  • Maintain a 2.75 GPA or greater in the required pre-professional courses. The Praxis Core is no longer required by the State of Maryland for admittance in the teacher education program. However, the Maryland State Department of Education requires teacher candidates who graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater to take the Praxis Core or submit other qualifying scores.
  • Exhibit appropriate professional program candidate dispositions. Professional dispositions are the values, commitments and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues and communities and affect student learning, motivation and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth.
  • The online application must be submitted prior to the semester the candidate wishes to enroll in professional education courses.

Earn a GPA of 2.75 or Higher with Grades of C or Better in the Following:


Professional Program Requirements


Admission to Clinical Practice


In order to be accepted and remain in good standing in the PTEP, candidates must:

  • Complete all required coursework or receive a formal waiver for a math or science course issued by the department.
  • Earn an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher including transfer courses that fulfill General Education program requirements.
  • Complete and maintain a professional education course GPA of 2.75 with no grade below C.
  • Successfully complete all professional education courses within 2 attempts (only 1 retake is permitted for professional education coursework).
  • Demonstrate professional dispositions in keeping with the Seidel School of Education Professional Dispositions Policy.

Clinical Practice Requirements


  • Complete a 100-day clinical experience in an assigned Professional Development School (PDS) field placement. Follow the school district and the University calendars to complete requirements.

  • Requirements to education programs may change due to accreditation requirements. Information about program changes can be verified with the assigned academic advisor.

  • Complete the following professional education courses with grades of Pass in the Clinical Practice and C or better in the seminar (internship courses may be repeated only once):

Graduation Requirements


  • Scores on the edTPA must be among those sent to the University before graduation. Documentation of submission of the edTPA can be accepted in lieu of official scores on it. An official, numeric score must be among those sent to the University before graduation. Some programs may require a cutoff score to be reached before graduation. 

  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits.