Additional Teacher Education information is found in section 1600 of the catalog.
Department of Early Childhood Education
550 College of Education Building
404/413-8020
ecemail@langate.gsu.edu
Barbara Meyers, Chair
Program Theme: Educator as Facilitator
The B.S.E. major in Early Childhood Education prepares teachers to work in classrooms with children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The program reflects research and best practice in the field of early childhood education and teacher education. Candidates receive content and pedagogy in all academic disciplines taught in the early childhood classroom. The program further provides integration of the visual and musical arts within the context of specific content area methods courses. The broad and extensive field-based experiences effectively develop candidates' knowledge and ability to select and implement developmentally appropriate resources and activities for teaching and learning in diverse settings. Successful completion of this program leads to a recommendation for P-5 licensure and an endorsement to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or dual certification in P-5 and Special Education.
Students are required to meet all University and College admission requirements. In addition, students must apply for teacher education prior to beginning coursework in Area G of the program.
To apply for the B.S.E. Early Childhood Education program:
B.S.E majors must pay all tuition and fees charged by the University and the College. A lab fee of $125 will be charged at the time students register for the student teaching experience. Educator preparation students must be aware that extra cost such as tort liability, criminal background check, and transportation will be incurred at various times during the completion of various teacher education field experiences, particularly during the students' senior year.
Program of Study: Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with "C" or higher grades. All courses listed below in Areas F-G must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher unless otherwise noted. Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.
Tort liability and criminal background check requirement: all students must show proof of tort liability insurance and consent to a criminal background investigation prior to any field experience.
B.S.E. students are required to meet the Georgia 2006 Technology Proficiency Requirement. Students enrolled in the Department of Early Childhood Education Teacher Education Programs at Georgia State University will complete this graduation and certification requirement by demonstrating competency on designated assignments embedded in the four semester course sequence.
Students seeking certification from the State of Georgia Professional Standards Commission are required to pass the GACE Basic Skills Assessment (or provide an exemption) and GACE Content Assessment in Early Childhood Education. The current options for satisfying the Basic Skills Assessment, including the exemptions, are outlined at www.gapsc.com/documentation/basicskillsinfo.asp. Under "Basic Skills Testing," go to "Options to Satisfy the Basic Skills Requirement."
Students must post passing scores on the appropriate GACE Content Assessment in order to be recommended by Georgia State University for clear, renewable certification. There are two program options for completing the B.S.E. Degree in Early Childhood Education: the Initial Certification in PreK-5th grades with an endorsement to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and the Dual Certification in Early Childhood and Special Education.
Areas A-E: Core Curriculum Recommendations
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with "C" or higher grades.
Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.
Area F. Courses Appropriate for a Major (18)
Students must complete coursework with a grade of "C" or higher in Area F prior to admission to teacher education.
Required (18):
Area G. Major Courses (54)
Students must complete all courses listed below in Areas G with a grade of "C" or higher unless otherwise noted. Students begin Area G of their programs as a cohort and must take courses in the sequence specified. The Department of Early Childhood Education provides a program manual describing course requirements and expectations.
*One asterisk indicates courses required exclusively for the ECE P-5 concentration with an endorsement to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
**Two asterisks indicate courses required exclusively for special education (EXC) concentration
Block 1: Required concurrently (15):
Block 2: Required concurrently (15):
Block 3: Required concurrently (12-15):
Students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in ECE 3663 or EXC 4570)
Required prior to Area H (9 hours of Mathematics Courses):
Students may take any 3000-level or higher MATH-prefix courses, but the department recommends:
Select one (3):
Area H. Student Teaching (12)
All program requirements must be satisfactorily completed before students are authorized to enroll in student teaching. Students must complete student teaching coursework in Area H with a grade of "C" or higher.
Required (12):
Students must post passing scores on the appropriate GACE Content Assessment in order to be recommended by Georgia State University for clear, renewable certification.
Total Program: minimum of 129 semester hours
Areas A-E: Core Curriculum Recommendations
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with "C" or higher grades.
Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.
Area F. Courses Appropriate for a Major (18)
Students must complete coursework with a grade of "C" or higher in Area F prior to admission to teacher education.
Required (18):
Area G. Major Courses (54)
Students must complete all courses listed below in Areas G with a grade of "C" or higher unless otherwise noted. Students begin Area G of their programs as a cohort and must take courses in the sequence specified. The Department of Early Childhood Education provides a program manual describing course requirements and expectations.
BLOCK 1:
Required concurrently (15):
BLOCK 2:
Required concurrently (15):
BLOCK 3:
Required concurrently (12):
Required prior to Area H (9 hours of Mathematics Courses):
Students may take any 3000-level or higher MATH-prefix courses, but the department recommends:
Select one (3):
Area H. Student Teaching (15)
All program requirements must be satisfactorily completed before students are authorized to enroll in student teaching. Students must complete student teaching coursework in Area H with a grade of "C" or higher.
Required (15):
Students must post passing scores on the appropriate GACE Content Assessments in order to be recommended by Georgia State University for clear, renewable certification.
Total Program: minimum of 129 semester hours