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**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Early Childhood B.A. – Liberal Arts Concentration

Program Overview

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

School of Teacher Education

McKee 216, Greeley, CO 80639

Telephone: 970-351-2098

Fax: 970-351-1877

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/teacher-education/

Center for Urban Education

1059 Alton Way #758, Denver, CO 80230

Telephone: 303-637-4334

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/urban-education/

Online Degree Completion Program

For more details please click the website link below

Website: https://extended.unco.edu/programs/early-childhood-education-bachelors-degree-completion/

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

The Early Childhood Education Liberal Arts Education Program is offered at the Greeley campus and the Center for Urban Education (CUE) in Denver.  It is also offered online as a degree completion program through Extended Campus. More information on the online degree completion program can be found on the Extended Campus website.  In addition to engaging coursework, students complete over 800 hours of fieldwork in a variety of birth through third grade settings.

Graduates possess a broad background of knowledge within liberal arts areas and the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to be successful in a variety of early childhood settings. Upon graduation, students are eligible for a Birth through Age Eight State of Colorado Teacher License that includes the right to teach grades kindergarten through age eight and Director Qualification.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

ELIT 290 is recommended to fulfill Arts & Humanities and U.S. Multicultural Studies requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

SOC 120 is recommended, but not required by the major.

Note: Additional family courses in Social and Behavioral Science can be approved and substituted by advisor.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 62 credits

Take all of the following courses:

ECLD 350Teaching Young Bilingual Children

3

EDEC 101Introduction to Early Childhood Education

3

EDEC 102Introduction to Early Childhood Education Lab

3

EDEC 103Guidance Strategies and Trauma Informed Practices for Children

3

EDEC 104Child Development in Context

3

EDEC 205Nutrition, Health, and Safety

3

EDEC 220Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques

3

EDEC 240Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Program

3

EDEC 241Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood

3

EDEC 250Diverse Early Language and Literacy

3

EDEC 330Development and Education of Infants and Toddlers

3

EDEC 450Family Diversity and Engagement Early Childhood Education

3

EDEC 455Creative Expression and Play in Early Childhood

3

EDEC 475Assessment for Primary Classrooms

3

EDEL 220Teaching with Writing

3

EDEL 310Reading Assessment Informs Teaching

3

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

EDSE 431Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education

3

ELIT 290Survey of Culturally Diverse Literature for ChildrenLAA2LAMS

3

ET 240Integration of Technology into Content and Pedagogy

3

Additional Main Campus Requirements

Take the following course:

EDEC 262ECE Practicum Field Experience I

2

Additional Urban Education Requirements

Take the following course:

EDEC 361School Programs for Young Children (CUE)

2

3. University-Wide Credits — 27 credits

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 27 credits.

Program Notes

Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.

Four Year Plan

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

EDEC 101Introduction to Early Childhood Education

3

EDEC 103Guidance Strategies and Trauma Informed Practices for Children

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC MathematicsLAX1

3

LAC Written CommunicationLAW1LAW2LAW3

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

EDEC 102Introduction to Early Childhood Education Lab

3

EDEC 104Child Development in Context

3

EDEC 330Development and Education of Infants and Toddlers

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC Written CommunicationLAW1LAW2LAW3

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 2 – 29 credits

Fall Semester

EDEC 205Nutrition, Health, and Safety

3

EDEC 250Diverse Early Language and Literacy

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

Main Campus students take the following:

EDEC 262ECE Practicum Field Experience I

2

Center for Urban Education students take the following:

EDEC 361School Programs for Young Children (CUE)

2

Total Credit Hours:14

Spring Semester

EDEC 220Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques

3

EDEC 240Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Program

3

EDEC 475Assessment for Primary Classrooms

3

EDEL 220Teaching with Writing

3

ELIT 290Survey of Culturally Diverse Literature for ChildrenLAA2LAMS

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 3 – 33 credits

Fall Semester

EDEC 241Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood

3

EDEL 310Reading Assessment Informs Teaching

3

ET 240Integration of Technology into Content and Pedagogy

3

LAC Natural and Physical Sciences without LabLAS1

3

LAC Natural and Physical Sciences with LabLAS1LASL

4

University-Wide Elective

2

Total Credit Hours:18

Spring Semester

ECLD 350Teaching Young Bilingual Children

3

EDEC 450Family Diversity and Engagement Early Childhood Education

3

EDEC 455Creative Expression and Play in Early Childhood

3

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

EDSE 431Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 – 28 credits

Fall Semester

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

University-Wide Elective

1

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:13

Advising Notes –

  • This is a sample 4-year plan. Courses could be taken in a different order and students should speak with an advisor each semester for direction.

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