This program is designed for undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina who are interested in a career as an early childhood teacher, serving children birth through age 8.  Students who successfully complete the degree and licensure requirements and have a positive recommendation by the faculty will be recommended for teacher certification for prekindergarten through grade 3.

Learning Outcomes

1. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge base. They use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.
2. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with children’s families and communities. They know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning.
3. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.
4. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.
5. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.
6. Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Admissions

Admission to the Professional Program

All University teacher education students must apply and be admitted to Professional Program/Internship at mid-point(s) in their programs prior to final internship (i.e.student teaching). Requirements for admission vary by program, but for undergraduate students include 60 credit hours with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75, successful completion of a state-approved basic skills examination, and courses as specified by program area.

Students should contact their program area or the College of Education Office of Student Affairs for specific requirements and application deadlines.

Degree Requirements (122 hours)

See College of Education for certification requirements and other academic opportunities.

Program of Study

Founding Documents Requirement

All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers.  This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective.  Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.

1. Carolina Core Requirements (31-43 hours)

CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)

Must be passed with a grade of C or higher​.

• any CC-CMW courses

ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours) 

• any CC-ARP courses

SCI – Scientific Literacy (7-8 hours)

Life Science from the following (3-4 hours):

• BIOL 110
• BIOL 120 & BIOL 120L 
• BIOL 220

Physical Science/Earth Science from the following (3-4 hours):

• ASTR 101
• CHEM 101
• CHEM 102
• CHEM 105
• CHEM 107
• CHEM 111
• CHEM 111L
• PHYS 101 & PHYS 101L 
• PHYS 201 & PHYS 201L
• GEOG 104
• GEOG 202
• GEOL 101
• GEOL 103
• MSCI 101
• MSCI 210
• MSCI 215
• ENVR 101
• ENVR 101L
• ENVR 200

GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language  (0-6 hours)

Complete the Carolina Core approved courses in Foreign Language (GFL) or by achieving a score of 2 or better on a USC foreign language placement test.

• CC-GFL courses

GHS – ​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours) 

• any CC-GHS courses

GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours) 

• any CC-GSS courses

AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)

• any CC-AIU course

CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component¹ (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course

INF – Information Literacy¹ (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course

VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility¹ (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course

¹

Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

2. College Requirements (0 hours)

No college-required courses for this program.

3. Program Requirements (15-21 hours)

Supporting Courses (15 hours)

The following courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher 

Minor (0-18 hours) optional

A student may choose to complete a minor consisting of 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Electives (0-6 hours) 

The number of elective hours required depends upon the number of hours used to fulfill other degree requirements.  Minimum degree requirements must equal 122 hours.

4. Major Requirements (70 hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

Education Core (14 hours)

¹

By special permission of early childhood faculty, see advisor.

Early Childhood Core (42 hours)

¹

By special permission of early childhood faculty, see advisor.

Practicum and Internship Experience (14 hours)

Note: A grade of B or better in either EDEC 342P or EDEC 443 is required to meet the dispositions requirement for admission to Internship II. Students making below a grade of B in both these courses are not eligible to progress. An action plan is required for students who make a grade of C or C+ in either EDEC 342P or EDEC 443.

Major Map

A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.

Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters. 

Early Childhood Education, B.A.

¹

Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA.   

²

Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses.  

³

The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.  Although students may take up to 43 hours to meet all Carolina Core requirements, students in the Early Childhood Education program must complete two Carolina Core approved “overlay-eligible” courses in order to graduate on time and avoid summer courses or taking more than five courses in some semesters. 

⁴

One Life Science and one Physical/Earth Science are required (at least one must be four credit hours with a lab).

1. For Life Science, choose from the following: BIOL 110, BIOL 120 & 120L, BIOL 220.
2. For Physical/Earth Science, choose from the following: ASTR 101 (4), CHEM 101 (4), CHEM 102 (4), CHEM 105 (4), CHEM 107 (3), CHEM 111 & 111L (4), ENVR 101 & 101L (4), ENVR 200 (4), GEOG 104 (3), GEOG 202 (4), GEOL 101 (4), GEOL 103 (4), MSCI 101 (4), MSCI 210 (3), MSCI 215 (3), PHYS 101 & 101L (4), PHYS 201 & 201L (4). 

⁵

The Carolina Core requires either two approved courses in one foreign language or a score of two or higher on the foreign language placement test.  If a student in the Early Childhood Education program is not exempted from the foreign language requirement through the foreign language placement test, additional courses may be required to meet all Carolina Core components. 

⁶

Information for the Praxis Core exam can be found on the College of Education, Office of Student Services website. 

⁷

EDEX 530, EDEX 643, and EDEX 692 may be taken with special permission of early childhood faculty, see advisor. 

⁸

Must meet all professional program and internship admissions requirements by set deadlines prior to participation in these courses.  Professional program and internship admission requirements can be found on the Bulletin. 

⁹

A grade of B or better in EDEC 443 is required to meet the dispositions requirement for admission to Internship II.  Students making below a grade of B in this course is not eligible to progress.  An action plan is required for students who make a grade of C or C+ in EDEC 443.  For all internship admission requirements, please visit the Bulletin. 

Program Notes:

• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
• Upon completion of 60 hours of course work, including courses specified by the Early Childhood Program, the candidate may apply for admission to the Professional Program in Early Childhood Education.  For admission requirements to the Professional Program, please visit the Bulletin.
• Students in the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education will be allowed to repeat one time only, one course offered through a department in the College of Education for which an unsatisfactory grade was earned.  If after the first unsatisfactory grade, a student makes an unsatisfactory grade in the repeated course or any other College of Education course, he/she will no longer be eligible to progress in the program.
• All initial teacher licensure programs in the College of Education require extensive field experiences in P-12 schools.  All students must read and understand the rules and expectations outlined in the Preservice Teacher Education Clinical Experiences Manual.  Prior to participating in school field experiences, students must have been cleared through a criminal background check and must have a negative test for TB on file with the College of Education.