Early Childhood Education Licensure Major
Liberal Studies (Education), BA
Licensure: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
The licensure program in Early Childhood Education when combined with the liberal studies major, lead toward initial licensure as a public school teacher with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and, subsequently, with other states that negotiate through the Interstate Agreement. The liberal arts major helps prepare the student in subjects that they will teach, including English, history, mathematics, science, government, and geography. In addition to electing liberal arts courses, the student elects a sequence of education courses that prepares themselves to teach using the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards. Students are required to take the Bay Path University core, a liberal studies core, and an early childhood education core. In their last year of study, the student enters the Senior year experience in Education which consists of two intensive field experiences: pre-practicum and practicum (student teaching).
This program has been approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students earn an initial license, grades PreK-2, issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The PreK-2 teaching license qualifies for reciprocity with states that participate in the Interstate Agreement and endorse similar licensure. This allows Bay Path University education graduates to teach in states other than Massachusetts, pending meeting specific requirements of the state.
The early childhood courses meet the content requirements for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
Degree requirements for the Early Childhood Education Licensure major are as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Core | ||
| Behavioral/Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| BUS 204 | Financial Wellness | 1 |
| ENG 114 | Critical Reading and Response | 3 |
| ENG 124 | Research and Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| ENG 134 | Literary Genres | 3 |
| Humanities Electives | 6 | |
| MAT 161 | Numbers and Operations | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology I | 3 |
| PSY 205 | Child Development | 3 |
| Science Electives (lab required) | 7 | |
| WEL 100 | Empowered as Learners and Leaders | 3 |
| or WEL 220 | Empowered as Learners and Leaders | |
| WEL 350 | Strategies for Career and Personal Growth | 2 |
| Major Requirements | ||
| EDU 110 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| EDU 211 | Methods and Approaches in Teaching Children I | 3 |
| EDU 212 | Methods and Approaches in Teaching Children II | 3 |
| EDU 250 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| EDU 300 | Reading and Early Literacy | 3 |
| EDU 323 | Reading and Language Arts for Elementary School | 3 |
| EDU 330 | Fundamentals of Instruction and Classroom Management | 3 |
| EDU 348 | Reading and Language for English Language Learners | 3 |
| EDU 350 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 441P | Early Childhood Pre-Practicum | 1 |
| EDU 490 | Pre-Practicum Seminar | 1 |
| EDU 491 | Practicum Seminar | 1 |
| EDU 497 | Early Childhood Practicum | 12 |
| ENG 210 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| ENG 221 | American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 311 | World Literature | 3 |
| GEO 102 | Introduction to Geography | 3 |
| GOV 100 | American Government | 3 |
| HIS 114 | The United States to 1877 | 3 |
| HIS 115 | The United States Since 1877 | 3 |
| HIS 202 | Global History to 1500 | 3 |
| HIS 203 | Global History since 1500 | 3 |
| MAT 162 | Functions and Algebra | 3 |
| MAT 163 | Geometry and Statistics | 3 |
| General Electives | ||
| General Electives | 5 | |
| Total Credits Required | 120 | |