Education, Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) Licensure, B.A.

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Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 124

Minimum cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum number of credits to complete the major: 82

School: Winston School of Education and Social Policy

Department: Education

Learn more about the program

A co-major in Education consists of courses within the Department of Education and Community Studies as well as a set of additional courses across the arts and sciences to fulfill the Subject Matter Knowledge requirements outlined by DESE. Please refer to each specific program chart to determine the exact set of required courses. All Teacher Education Program students will have an advisor who will work closely with them to identify the best program of study for their licensure concentration.

Practicum Information: In order to be eligible for practicum and complete our Massachusetts state-approved programs, students must have full acceptance to the Teacher Education program by meeting the following requirements:

EDU 2500 Pre-Practicum I
EDU 2510 Pre-Practicum II
EDU 2520 Pre-Practicum III
3.0 GPA in program
Attendance at all orientation and advising sessions
Satisfactory dispositions based on PDQ survey from professors
B- or better in method courses

Ultimately, Massachusetts state licensure depends on completion of aforementioned state-approved programs and passing scores on all MTELs. More information can be found in the Winston School of Education and Social Policy’s Teacher Education Handbook that students receive as part of the Teacher Education orientation and as part of the Teacher Education seminar.

Merrimack College has a Massachusetts DESE state-approved educator preparation program and as such has program and licensure reciprocity as outlined by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (“NASDTEC”) Interstate Agreement. Some states have additional requirements for full licensure.

All students in the Teacher Education Program choose the particular licensure area and the grade level in which they ultimately want to teach. This will become your concentration.

Major Requirements

The following courses are required for licensure in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) per the regulations outlined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Program requirements may change to accommodate updated regulations. Students will be notified by the Winston School of Education and Social Policy when changes are made, and students will work with their academic advisor to modify course sequence when applicable.

Core Courses

Complete the following fourteen required courses:

EDU 2210 - Child Growth and Development Credits: 4
EDU 2310 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education Credits: 4
EDU 2410 - The Exceptional Learner Credits: 4
EDU 3310 - Teaching Reading and Language Arts Credits: 4
EDU 3340 - Teaching Mathematics & Technology Credits: 4
EDU 3360 - Teaching Science, Health & Physical Education Credits: 4
EDU 4220 - Differentiation & Instruction Credits: 2
EDU 4221 - Positive Learning Environments and Behavior Interventions Credits: 2
EDU 4320 - Teaching Social Studies Credits: 2
EDU 4340 - Children’s Literature Credits: 2
EDU 4500 - Language Acquisition and Literacy Development Credits: 4
EDU 4582 - Sheltered English Instruction Credits: 4
HDE 2130 - Diversity, Social Justice, & Ethics Credits: 4
HDE 3210 - Psychology of Learning and Assessment Credits: 4

Practicum Requirements

The following courses are required for students who seek licensure in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2). Please consult with your advisor for sequencing and/or substitutions.

EDU 2500 - Pre-Practicum I Credits: 0
EDU 2510 - Pre-Practicum II Credits: 0
EDU 2520 - Pre-Practicum III Credits: 0
EDU 4905 - Practicum - Early Childhood Education Credits: 12
EDU 4921 - Seminar: Practicum Implementation Credits: 0

Subject Matter Knowledge

Complete six courses from the following:

ENG 2050 - Introduction to Literary Studies Credits: 4
OR
ENG 1550 - Major American Authors Credits: 4
HIS 1119 - The European Experience: Antiquity to the Reformation Credits: 4
OR
POL 1500 - Comparative Politics Credits: 4
MTE 1410 - Foundations of Mathematics I Credits: 4
HIS 1106 - U.S. History: From Pre-Contact through the Civil War and Reconstruction Credits: 4
MTE 1411 - Algebra for Elementary Teachers Credits: 2
STM 1010 - Foundations of STEM Credits: 4

Early Childhood MTELs

Communication and Literacy Skills (01)
- Reading sub-test
- Writing sub-test
Early Childhood (02)
Foundations of Reading (90)

For more information about the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTELs) and the preparation workshops available, please visit www.merrimack.edu/mtel.