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 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. You'll learn with innovative faculty members who are locally and nationally recognized for their research in early childhood education. Together with your peers and professors, you will critically explore the robust and evolving knowledge base relevant to the field of early care and learning as you engage with experiences that elevate your understanding of children's wonderings, culturally sustaining education, inclusive curricular and environmental design, and assessment and documentation of children's thinking and 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 educators in Colorado.
Community-Based Early Childhood Education
The Community-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) track in the Education & Human Development BA focuses on the passion and commitment CU Denver students have to work in diverse community-based early childhood education settings supporting children ages birth-5 and their families. The program is designed for students who currently work in these settings or intend to become employed before they graduate within a community based early childhood context. A core principle of this pathway is accessibility of the BA for working early childhood professionals and those professionals with several years of prior experience in birth-five classrooms.
Program Features
The Community Based ECE BA is 120 credit hours. Unique features include:
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Courses are grounded in real-world ECE contexts and experiences with children and families in culturally, linguistically and racially diverse classroom settings.
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In-depth field-experiences throughout the program that take place in the ECE settings where you work. The intent is to make the program accessible for working early childhood professionals.
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If you are not currently employed, you can enroll in coursework and be placed in volunteer field experiences for the first two clinical field experience blocks (EDHD 1930 and ECED 2930). Students must be employed in an ECE birth-5 context by the time they enroll for EDHD 2930 (typically junior year) and for their final senior year of internships.
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Flexible transfer policies include the opportunity to bring in certificates and competencies that you have already achieved which can be assessed for credit to potentially replace courses within the program.
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High engagement with faculty who have deep experience in local community contexts while also recognized for their work regionally, nationally and internationally in early childhood.
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Opportunity to collaborate with a broader network of Early Childhood educators who serve as coaches and instructors in the program.
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Save money and time by opting into BA to MA (BAMA). In BAMA, three classes you take during your senior year double count towards both your bachelor’s and your master’s degrees and are billed at the undergraduate tuition rate.
Together with your peers and professors, you will critically explore the robust and evolving knowledge base relevant to the field of early care and learning as you take courses and work in ECE contexts that elevate your understanding of children's wonderings, culturally sustaining education, inclusive curricular and environmental design, and assessment and documentation of children's thinking and 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 Early Childhood educators in Colorado.
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.
Program Requirements
- Students must complete 120 credit hours for the BA EDHD - Community-Based Early Childhood Education program.
- Unless otherwise specified, a minimum GPA of 2.0, a grade of C or better, is required for all courses applying to BA EDHD - Community-Based Early Childhood Education requirements.
- Transfer courses must be approved by faculty and/or advisor to apply to the major.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| EDHD 1930 | Community Based Field Experience & Seminar | 3 |
| ECED 2000 | Early Childhood Education as a Profession | 3 |
| ECED 4040 | Leading Early Childhood Programs | 3 |
| ECED 2030 | Nutrition, Health, and Safety | 3 |
| ECED 4060 | Working with Families, Professionals, and Communities | 3 |
| ECED 4102 | Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Methods and Techniques | 3 |
| ECED 4300 | Disability and Inclusion in Early Childhood 1 | 3 |
| or SPED 4030 | Understanding (dis)Ability in Contemporary Classrooms |
| ECED 1202 | Child Guidance and Classroom Community | 3 |
| ECED 4650 | Dual Language Learners Learning and Development | 3 |
| ECED 4010 | Inquiry and the Disciplines | 3 |
| or ECED 4100 | Learning Through Play |
| or ECED 4340 | Messing About with STEM |
| or ECED 4800 | Workshop: Topics in Early Childhood Education |
| ECED 4200 | Observation, Screening and Assessment of Young Children | 3 |
| ECED 3110 | Development and Education of Infant and Toddlers | 3 |
| HDFR 2110 | Child Ecology | 3 |
| or HDFR 1010 | Life Span Development in Ecological Settings |
| or HDFR 3050 | Children's Thinking and Assessment |
| CLDE 2000 | CLDE Foundations 1 | 3 |
| EDHD 2930 | Learning & Development Field Experience & Seminar 1 | 3 |
| LCRT 3815 | Once Upon a Time: Family Literacies in Culturally Diverse Communities | 3 |
| or LCRT 2000 | Rebels, Villains, & Superheroes: How Children's Literature Shapes Our Identities |
| ECED 4933 | Internship III & Collaborative Learning Community 1 | 8 |
| ECED 2935 | Infant & Toddler Field Experience & Seminar | 3 |
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| Total Hours | 59 |
Notes
An ECE Licensure program is also available for students interested in fulfilling the State of Colorado's ECE licensure requirements.
Students who select the 126 credit hour licensure program 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. Please see Early Childhood Education BA - Licensure Track for more information.
To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.
