Early Childhood Development & Education

The Child Development / Early Childhood Education program prepares students for a variety of professional roles focused on serving the needs of children and their families.  Potential roles include the following:

• Parent educator
• Teaching young children
• Administration of children’s programs
• Work in public and private agencies focused on children and families
• Early childhood intervention
• Child life specialist
• Other roles requiring similar knowledge and skills
• Teach at the college and university level (doctoral graduates)

What our current and former students say about this program:

Kimberly Hunt [video]
Diane Myers [video]

Undergraduate Degree Plans

Admissions Process & Undergraduate Prerequisites

• B.S., Child Development [PDF]
• B.S. Child Development Sequence Sheet [PDF]
• B.S., Child Development: Child Life Emphasis [PDF]
• B.S. Child Development: Child Life Emphasis Sequence Sheet [PDF]
• B.S. to Occupational Therapy Master's [PDF]
• B.S. to Occupational Therapy Master’s Sequence Sheet [PDF]
• B.S. to Doctor of Physical Therapy [PDF]
• B.S. to Doctor of Physical Therapy Sequence Sheet [PDF]
• B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies EC-6 Generalist (visit the Teacher Education department site for more info.)

Graduate Degree Plans

Graduate Prerequisites

• M.S., Child Development [PDF]
• M.Ed., Early Childhood Education [PDF]
• Ph.D. in Early Child Development and Education [PDF]

Undergraduate Program Information

FS 4933/43 Practicum Information

CFLE Application

The Child Development / Early Childhood Education curriculum has been approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) as meeting the Standards and Criteria required for the Professional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation.  Relevant course work for each of the 10 family life substance areas needed for Provisional CFLE designation must be taken and graduates qualify to complete the abbreviated CFLE application process.

Deadline to apply via the abbreviated process is two years after your date of graduation. When applying include the application, course checklist and a transcript.

CFLE Application 
CFLE Graduate Course Checklist
CFLE Undergraduate Course Checklist

Note:  The B.S. in Child Development: Child Life, B.S. in Child Development: Occupational Therapy and B.S. in Child Development: Physical Therapy do not offer courses leading to a Provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation.

Graduate Program Information

Tools for the Portfolio:
Portfolio Guidelines  [Word]
Portfolio Checklist [Word]
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards [Word]

Portfolio Sample Works
Sample 1: Poverty Paper [Word]
Sample 2: Evaluation of Parent Program [Word]
Sample 3: Theory and Infants [Word]
Sample 4: Cochlear Implant Survey and Data Report [Word]