Early Childhood Education
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
In the Early Childhood Education program, students explore various careers in working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-grade children. Students are immersed in the culture of teaching and learning as they better understand how to educate young minds full of potential. Through course work and corresponding firsthand teaching experiences, students learn to support the development and learning of children from birth through elementary school in a caring manner.
The Early Childhood Comprehensive major program leads to eligibility for certification to teach in early childhood (birth-grade 3) and to teach elementary school (grades 1-6). Early Childhood Education majors participate in practicum experiences with infants and toddlers, preschoolers, early childhood special education classrooms, and primary-grade and upper-elementary students.
After completing all major requirements with a qualifying GPA, students will participate in a full-time student teaching experience for one semester before their degree requirements are completed.
Graduates of this program have many career options, including early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher, elementary school teacher in a private or public school setting, child care center director, parent educator, curriculum coordinator in a hospital, missionary associate, or children's pastor.
All of Evangel's teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and are approved by the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Program Plan (pdf)
|Want to see exactly what classes you will take? The Program Plan (sometimes called a degree sheet) includes all specific requirements - including University proficiencies, Frameworks courses and degree requirements.|
Each of Evangel's academic programs is made up of a set of core curriculum, program requirements and electives. The courses listed below are just a small sample of courses that might be taken as a part of this specific program.
|Curriculum Methods and Materials in Early Childhood||Study of historical perspectives, philosophies, and specific curriculum methods and materials relating to children ages birth through age 8.|
|Administration of Early Childhood Programs||Overview of the types and functions of various early childhood programs. Emphasis on the mechanics of setting up a high quality daycare/preschool program in compliance with state licensing regulations.|
|Language Development||Acquaints the prospective teacher with normal, delayed, and disabled language development.|
|Perceptual-Motor Development||Assists the Early Childhood major in developing a knowledge base in normal perceptual motor development of the child (birth through age 8). Assessment of children with and without disability and development of curricula commensurate with developmental levels. Review of research and theories in the field of perceptual motor development.|
|Child Psychology||Childhood development from conception to adolescence. Emphasis on the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of children.|
Evangel University's world-class faculty is made up of caring, Christian professionals who are distinguished in their fields and dedicated to the development of tomorrow's Christian leaders.
Just one glance at the multitude of children’s characters that decorate Dr. Peggy Reed’s office shows that she knows how to embrace the fun side of learning. Originally from Allen Park, Michigan, Dr. Reed began teaching at Evangel in 1985, and she has been bestowing her contagious love for early childhood education on Evangel Education […] read more
Dr. Colleen Hardy graduated from Evangel University in 1985 and went on to teach elementary school in the Willard (Missouri) School District for 15 years. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Dr. Hardy worked with the state Department of Education, writing standardized tests and participating in the training and professional development for teachers in […] read more
Evangel's academic programs are designed specifically to prepare you for a career in the real world. But it's more than just job preparation; it's preparing you to make a full impact in your profession through the unique combination of faith and learning. Here are some of the professions this degree would prepare you for:
- Pre-K – 6th grade teacher in private or public school setting
- Early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher
- Child care center director
- Parent educator
- Curriculum coordinator in a hospital or crisis nursery
- Missionary associate
- Children’s pastor
|GPA||Achieve a 3.0 grade point average in content area and professional education courses, while maintaining a 2.75 cumulative grade point average across all courses.|
|Admittance to Program||Application for provisional admittance to teacher education is made in EDUC 219-Foundations of Education. This class is prerequisite to all teacher certification courses unless an equivalent course has been transferred from another college. Applications for admittance are available in the Department of Education office.|
|Recommendations||Satisfactory recommendations from all university supervisors of practica.|
General Undergraduate Requirements
The following are general requirements for all students beginning an undergraduate program at Evangel. For more information visit Undergraduate Admissions Requirements.
|Faith||As a boldly Christian university, all of our students have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.|
|Diploma||Graduation from high school, or having the equivalent of a high school diploma such as the General Education Development (GED) examination.|
|Core Subjects||A minimum of a 2.0 GPA in core college prep classes (English, math, social sciences and science with a lab)|
|Grade Average||A "C" average. However, in some cases, a student with a weak academic record may be considered. To remain at Evangel, however, the student must meet scholastic requirements.|
|Standardized Tests||>Entering freshmen should take the ACT or SAT test. The codes for Evangel are as follows: SAT: 6198. ACT: 2296.|
When it comes to life at Evangel, there's always something happening on campus and there are always new lessons to learn, even outside of the classroom...Learn More