Early Childhood Education (BA)

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Offered by the School of Education , the undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education is designed for students who wish to obtain teaching credentials in early childhood education. The major in early childhood education offers a licensure specialization that meets certification requirements in the District of Columbia and establishes eligibility for certification in over 40 states. The major in early childhood education also offers a non-licensure specialization. Students should consult with the director of Teacher Education to coordinate their general and subject-area certification requirements with other university and major requirements.

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the program requires a grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and departmental approval.

Requirements for Teacher Certification: Early Childhood Education

To qualify for teacher certification, students must have completed all of the requirements for the specific curricular area listed below. This requirement may overlap with university requirements. Consult a School of Education advisor for more information.

United States History: 3 credit hours

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2)
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9)

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6)
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7)
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11)

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum.

Major Requirements

62 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level
Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA
Licensure Specialization: Completion of Praxis Content Knowledge Exam prior to graduation
Specializations: Licensure; Non-licensure

Course Requirements

Required (44 credit hours)

Foundations of Special Education (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Practicum (3 credit hours)

EDU-498 Practicum Field Experience with Seminar (3)

Specialization (12 credit hours)

Complete 12 credit hours from one of the following specializations:

Licensure

Capstone (12 credit hours)

EDU-499 Student Teaching Seminar in Professional Practice (12)

Non-Licensure

Electives (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following, or other education-focused course approved by School of Education advisor:

Capstone (3 credit hours)

EDU-438 Social Movements and Education Change (3)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.