Early Childhood Education Licensure Track, BA
Introduction
Please click here to see School of Education & Human Development information.
The ECE track has two options: Licensure and Non-licensure. Information regarding the Non-licensure track can be found here.
The Early Childhood Education (ECE) track in the Education and Human Development major has a strong focus on engaging Colorado's rapidly diversifying student and family population. It combines research with contextually relevant classroom experiences. Together with your peers and professors, you will critically explore the robust and evolving knowledge base relevant to the field of early care and education as you engage with experiences that elevate your understanding of children's thinking, culturally sustaining pedagogy, inclusive curricular and environmental design, and assessment and documentation of children's learning. Our program's history of deeply responsive community partnerships creates compelling and supportive opportunities for students to fully experience, and become inspired, by the daily life of Colorado educators. All ECE track students have the opportunity to take all required courses to fulfill the State of Colorado's Director qualifications and become leaders in the field of early learning.
Licensure Track
Students who select the 126 credit hour licensure track fulfill all requirements for a license to teach children Birth-Age 8 in Colorado's school districts and community-based early childhood centers. This track prepares students to become teachers of children up through third grade. Field-based experiences take place in the School of Education's Professional Development network of partner schools.
Students in this track have the opportunity to apply for the Bachelors to Masters Program (BAMA) during their junior year. The BAMA allows students to take 9 credits of their professional year program at the graduate level and apply them to one of 8 MA degrees in the SEHD.
Program Delivery
- This is an on-campus program with a variety of delivery options for many of our courses including hybrid, evening, weekend and online courses.
Declaring This Major
- Click here to go to information about declaring a major.
General Requirements
To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.
- CU Denver Graduation Requirements
- CU Denver Undergraduate Core Curriculum
- School of Education & Human Development Graduation Requirements
- Click here for information about Academic Policies
Program Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum total of 126 semester hours for the EDHD Early Childhood Education Track.
- Students must pass the appropriate Praxis Exam or demonstrate competency through another option as outlined by the Colorado Department of Education in order to be licensed.
- Application to the last year of the program, the Professional Year, is required. After successfully completing all other Core, major, and elective courses, all students must apply for admission into the Professional Year. Requirements for admission include a 3.0 GPA, positive letters of recommendation, successful evaluations of earlier clinical experiences, and a successful interview. (Students with a lower GPA may be considered under certain conditions. Please see SEHD website.)
- A minimum GPA of 2.0, grade of C or better, is required for all major courses applying to EDHD - Early Childhood Education requirements unless otherwise specified.
- Students must complete and maintain a 3.0 minimum grade point average in Professional Year coursework to complete licensure requirements. Please see an advisor for more information on this requirement.
- Transfer courses must be approved by faculty and/or advisor to apply to the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses | ||
| CLDE 2000 | CLDE Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ECED 4650 | Dual Language Learners Learning and Development | 3 |
| ECED 4060 | Working with Families, Professionals, and Communities | 3 |
| EDFN 1000 | Equality, Rights & Education | 3 |
| or LCRT 2000 | Rebels, Villains, & Superheroes: How Children's Literature Shapes Our Identities | |
| or LCRT 3815 | Once Upon a Time: Family Literacies in Culturally Diverse Communities | |
| EDFN 4010 | Social Foundations and Cultural Diversity in Urban Education 1 | 3 |
| HDFR 2110 | Child Ecology | 3 |
| or HDFR 3050 | Children's Thinking and Assessment | |
| or HDFR 1010 | Life Span Development in Ecological Settings | |
| INTE 2000 | Digital Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| LCRT 3720 | Introduction to Writing Development and Teaching | 3 |
| LCRT 4710 | Inclusive Early Literacy Development and Instruction | 3 |
| MTED 3040 | Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 1 | 3 |
| ECED 2000 | Early Childhood Education as a Profession | 3 |
| ECED 4030 | Nutrition, Health, and Safety | 3 |
| ECED 4102 | Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Methods and Techniques | 3 |
| ECED 4040 | Administrative Seminar | 3 |
| ECED 4070 | Development and Education of Infant and Toddlers | 3 |
| ECED 4200 | Assessment for Early Childhood Classrooms | 3 |
| ECED 4202 | Child Guidance and Classroom Community 1 | 3 |
| EDHD 1930 | Community Based Field Experience & Seminar 1 | 3 |
| ECED 2930 | Infant & Toddler Field Experience & Seminar 1 | 3 |
| EDHD 2930 | Learning & Development Field Experience & Seminar 1 | 3 |
| Professional Year Courses | ||
| A minimum grade of B- is required in each course. | ||
| LCRT 4000 | Elementary Literacy Instruction and Assessment Part 1 1 | 3 |
| SPED 4030 | Understanding (dis)Ability in Contemporary Classrooms 1 | 3 |
| UEDU 4040 | Planning for Learning 1 | 3 |
| UEDU 4050 | Capstone: Planning, Instruction & Assessment 1 | 3 |
| SCED 4004 | Elementary Science Teaching 1 | 3 |
| MTED 4002 | Elementary Mathematics Teaching I 1 | 3 |
| ECED 4931 | Internship I & Collaborative Learning Community 1 | 2 |
| ECED 4932 | Internship II & Collaborative Learning Community 1 | 2 |
| ECED 4933 | Internship III & Collaborative Learning Community 1 | 6 |
| General Electives | ||
Additional General Electives hours may be needed to reach the required hours for the BA | ||
| Total Hours | 88 | |
- 1
Courses require a grade of B- or better; all other courses require a grade of C or better.
Non-Licensure Track
A 120 credit hour track is ideal for students who currently and/or intend to work in community-based early childhood environments that serve children from infancy-age five years is also available.
To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.