Early Childhood Education with Licensure
Bachelor of Science | COLLEGE FOR ADULTS
About the program
Are you interested in changing the lives of young children?
Enroll in the early childhood education bachelor’s degree program from St. Kate’s College for Adults, where you will study online and launch a new career. This program prepares graduates for licensure to teach children from birth to eight years old.
This program’s mission is to develop socially aware, critically informed, and innovative teachers from diverse backgrounds who effectively teach using a holistic, anti-bias, anti-racist approach influenced by Montessori philosophy.
What can I do with a degree in early childhood education?
You will be prepared to work in public and private schools, early childhood education centers, and other organizations as an early childhood educator. With the expansion of early childhood programs, demand for early childhood educators is expected to grow.
What will I study?
Our program focuses on personal, social, and institutional transformation. You will be mentored and supported by experienced early childhood and Montessori faculty who have a passion for working with adult students and preparing the next generation of educators. You will:
• Become a socially aware, critically informed, and innovative educator
• Learn in a supportive environment that nurtures mind, body, and spirit
• Focus on social justice build skills in antibias and anti-racist (ABAR) teaching strategies
• Ground your teaching in Montessori methods, with a focus on the whole child
• Meet the needs of diverse learners
• Develop an understanding of ways to integrate technology into teaching and learning
• Develop awareness and skills for leadership, communication, ethics, and social justice
Optional Montessori credential
You have the option of completing an additional practicum to meet requirements for a Montessori early childhood (3–6 years) credential
Fieldwork experiences
Hands-on learning includes 100 hours of field experience throughout the program. You’ll also complete a final student teaching experience a full-time immersion in teaching at a school in or near your community.
Class scheduling / time to completion
You will take fully online courses in fall, January, and spring terms; in summer, you will take methods courses.
For each methods course, you will participate in hybrid summer courses with one week of intensive face-to-face meetings on the St. Paul campus, and the remaining five weeks of the course online.
The early childhood education major may be completed in 3+ years. You may take longer to complete liberal arts and elective courses.
Admission Process
To be eligible to begin Early Childhood Major courses 2200 and above, you must have:
• Completed ECED 1000 and ECED 2040 with a grade of “C” or better
• Completed the ECE Program Application during ECED 2040 (includes entrance survey, essay, and resume)
• Earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher
• Met with your academic advisor to create a program of study
Program Accreditation
This St. Catherine's teaching program is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). The program fulfills requirements for teacher certification or licensure in most states.
Your program of study
Prerequisite courses
• ECED 1000: Introduction to Early Childhood Education (4 credits)
• ECED 2040W: Historical, Cultural, and Social Foundations of Early Childhood Education* (4 credits)
Supporting courses
• FACS 3350: Child in the Family (4 credits)
• HHS 4100: Holistic Health in Communities of Practice (4 credits)
• INDI 3400: Implementing Critical Literacy in Early Childhood Education (4 credits)
• PSYC 1000: General Psychology (4 credits)
• PSYC 2025: Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4 credits) or PSYC 2026: Lifespan Development: Theory and Methods, Conception/Prenatal Development to Middle Childhood (2 credits)
Major courses
• ECED 2200: The Art of Classroom Management and Assessment (4 credits)
• ECED 2300: Early Childhood Education Accreditation and Standards (1 credit)
• ECED 2400: Effective Practice in Early Childhood Education (4 credits)
• ECED 2500: Technology in Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education (1 credit)
• ECED 2600: Health, Wellness and Nutrition in Early Childhood Education (1 credit)
• ECED 3280: Infant and Toddler Methods and Materials (4 credits)
• ECED 3350: Understanding of Diverse Family Experiences and Student Exceptionalities in Early Childhood (4 credits)
• ECED 3560: Emergent Literacy in the Content Areas (2 credits)
• ECED 3600: Teaching and Learning in the Lower Elementary Classroom (3 credits)
• ECED 4105: Early Childhood Practical Life (2 credits)
• ECED 4155: Early Childhood Sensorial (2 credits)
• ECED 4265: Creative Expression in Early Childhood (2 credits)
• ECED 4275: Early Childhood Science (2 credits)
• ECED 4365: Early Childhood Mathematics (2 credits)
School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences
Early Childhood Education is a major in the University’s School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, offering bachelor’s and master’s programs through the College for Adults, College for Women, and Graduate College
All information is subject to change
The information in this document applies to students entering the College for Adults in Fall 2023 or later. Provisions in this document are subject to change at any time. Consult the St. Catherine University Undergraduate Catalog for official requirements.
• ECED 4375: Early Childhood Language (2 credits)
• ECED 4385: Early Childhood Social and Cultural Studies (2 credits)
• ECED 4710: Early Childhood Practicum II (5 credits)
• ECED 4807: Early Childhood Student Teaching (7 credits)
Core liberal arts courses
• CORE 1000W: The Reflective Woman: The Reflective Practitioner (4 credits)
• CORE 3990W: Global Search for Justice (4 credits)
• Behavioral and Social Sciences: choose one from communication studies, economics, political science, psychology or sociology (except ECON 1080, 1090, or PSYC 1090)
• Mathematics or Logical Reasoning: choose one from ECON 1080, ECON 1090, HLTH 1090, PSYC 1090, PHIL 2150, STAT 1089, STAT 1090, or any four-credit MATH course numbered 1000 or higher, except MATH 2500 and MATH 2510
• Natural Sciences: choose one course with a laboratory and/or field component in biology, chemistry, or physics
• Arts and Humanities: choose two courses from different disciplines: philosophy (except PHIL 2150), literature, history, foreign language, studio art, art history, creative writing, classics.
• Theology: choose one 1000 or any 2000-level theology course (except 2994 Topics)
Electives
Additional courses, as needed, to accumulate a minimum of 120 semester credits required for your bachelor’s degree
CORE course exemptions
Students seeking a B.A., B.S. or B.S.N. degree who have completed a previous bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to enrollment at St. Catherine University are exempt from the LIFE core curriculum requirement
Students seeking a B.A., B.S. or B.S.N. degree who have completed an A.A. degree from a regionally accredited institution or the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum can satisfy the LIFE core curriculum requirement by taking CORE 3990
Next steps
• Contact your admission counselor
• Ask for a free transfer evaluation
• Apply to start in fall, spring, or summer
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