Early Childhood Education: Bachelor of Arts, Option 2 – Director Credential (Non-Licensure)

Introductory Courses (12 hours)

• ● EDUC 2310: Foundations of Education (3)


• ● EDUC 2330: Educational Psychology I - Child Growth and Development (3)


• ● SPED 2100: Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)


• ● EDCP 2101: Introduction to Educational Technology (3)


• ● ENGL 2131: Children’s Literature (3) *part of GenEds

Professional Education (42 hours)

• ● EDEC 3099: Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Education (4)


• ● EDUC 3410: Classroom Management (1)


• ● EDUC 3440: Educational Psychology II - Learning, Assessment, Classroom Management (3)


• ● EDEC 3570: Assessment & Differentiated Instruction in Early Childhood (3)


• ● EDEC 3590: STEAM in Education (3)


• ● EDEC 4550: Family, Community, and Culture (3)


• ● EDEC 4551: Field Experience 1 - Infants, Toddlers, and Families (1)


• ● EDEC 4560: Curriculum, Literacy, & Exceptional Learners in Preprimary Grades (3)


• ● EDEC 4561: Field Experience 2 - Preprimary (1)


• ● EDEC 4570: Literacy in Early Childhood Education (3)


• ● EDEC 4571: Field Experience 3 - Literacy in Primary Grades (1)


• ● EDEC 4580: Math, Science, and Social Studies in Early Childhood Education (3)


• ● EDEC 4581: Field Experience 4 - Math, Science, and Social Studies in Primary Grades (1)


• ● EDEC 4820: Leadership and Management in Early Childhood Education (3)


• ● EDEC 4899: Practicum in Early Childhood Education (9)

*Field experiences must be taken at the same time as their corresponding methods course (co-requisite)

Teaching Specialization - ESL Certificate (18 hours)

• ● BBED 4501 Teaching English as a Second Language (3)


• ● BBED 4520 Foundations of Bilingual and ESL Education (3)


• ● BBED 4525 Assessment of Language of Minority Students (3)


• ● BBED 4530 Methods and Materials for Teaching in Bilingual Programs (3)


• ● BBED 4538 Cross Cultural Education (3)


• ● BBED 4977 Reading Strategies in the Bilingual and ESL Classroom (3)

Gen Eds (49 - 52 hours)

• ● Math: (6)


• ● Science: (10)


• o 3 life


• o 3 earth


• o 3 physical


• o 1 lab


• ● Written communication: (6)


• ● Oral communication/speech: (3)


• ● Health: (3)


• ● World Geography: (3)


• ● Psychology: (3)


• ● American Government: (3)


• ● U.S. History: (3)


• ● Humanities: (3)


• ● ENGL 2131, Children’s Literature: (3)


• ● Fine Arts: (3)


• ● Non-Western Humanities or Third World Culture: (3) *only if art does not count

Total Hours: 121

Candidates engage with children and families in a variety of diverse settings from birth to 2nd grade in clinical field experiences and observations prior to student teaching. These experiences include observing, engaging, and teaching lessons with infants/toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, and primary classrooms in multiple settings across the region.

Support is provided and scaffolded throughout the program for field experiences prior to practicum. Instructors and qualified mentor teachers in the field guide students to build their confidence and gradually increase their responsibilities as a classroom teacher.

Partner districts are selected for their commitment to a team approach in creating an inclusive culture focused on responsiveness to the educational needs of racially, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students.These placements are made to such districts as New Lenox, Harvey, Homewood, Tinley Park, Chicago, Kankakee, Oak Lawn, and Dolton.

Practicum placement is based upon candidate selection across Chicagoland districts. Candidates work with quality mentor teachers who serve as models, offer opportunities to teach and practice skills, and provide guidance and feedback. Practicum for this program is 8 hours per day, 4 days per week for 12 weeks.

• ● Requirements:


• ○ Be admitted to Governors State University and be in good academic standing


• ○ Must have a grade of “B-” or better in all general education courses used for program requirements


• ○ Freshman students:


• ■ Earned fewer than 24 semester hours of college credit to start GSU as a freshman


• ■ Must have a minimum of 2.0 unweighted high school GPA on a 4.0 scale


• ○ Transfer students:


• ■ 24 or more semester credit hours of college coursework


• ■ A 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA (2.3 or higher GPA may be accepted with conditions)


• ● To apply, candidates must submit all of the following:


• ○ Application


• ○ Resume


• ○ Official transcripts


• ○ Test scores (optional)


• ○ Fee

For more information regarding admission to this program and university, visit the GSU Undergraduate Admissions webpages for freshman and transfer students. Additionally, visit the Admissions Resources and FAQs webpage.

For questions or help with admissions and application process, set up a virtual appointment to speak with someone or email the Admissions Office, admission@govst.edu.

• ● Attain a GPA of 2.75 or better in all General Education coursework, earning a grade of “B-” or better in all courses


• ● Attain a GPA of 3.0 or better in all Professional Education coursework, earning a grade of ‘B-’ or better in all courses


• ● Attain a GPA of 3.0 or better in all Teaching Specialization coursework, earning a grade of ‘B-’ or better in all courses


• ● Complete all coursework at Governors State University within five calendar years


• ● Be in good standing with the university and program


• ● Earn satisfactory scores on assessments of professional dispositions and exhibit expected dispositions


• ● Maintain satisfactory candidate progress as defined in the Early Childhood Education Program Handbook


• ● Successfully complete all key assessments and field placements, including student teaching