2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Early Childhood Education General Education

The 120 credit-hour minimum is achievable by using specific courses that meet both general education requirements and the Early Childhood Education major curriculum requirements. We recommend students work with their academic advisors.

The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree leads to the state of Illinois Educator Licensure in Early Childhood Education (birth – Grade 2) with an English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement. Early Childhood Education Majors must complete all requirements of the College of Education to be eligible for licensure.

Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) are general education courses Concordia-Chicago agrees to accept in lieu of comparable, lower-division general education requirements. For more information regarding IAI transfer credit, please see the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s iTransfer website at www.itransfer.org.

Early Childhood Program General Education Requirements (48 hours) Including University Requirements 

All methods courses in the Illinois approved program must have the grade C or higher, with the exception of student teaching, courses in the approved program may not be taken on the Pass/Fail grade option. Students must earn a C or higher in all courses applied to licensure.

Courses listed below with an (*) per College of Education requirements must earn a C or higher. 

University Requirement ( Freshman only, transfer students are exempt)

COL-1995Vocation and College Success1

Additional University Requirements 

Theology – Public Teacher Education (6 Hours)

Biblical Studies Course
THY-1100The Bible (B)3
Theological Studies Course
THY-1210Introduction to Christianity (S)3

General Education Requirements 

Communication (9 Hours)

ENG-1100English Composition3
ENG-2000Writing About Literature3
The above courses must pass with a C or higher per IAI requirements.
COM-1100Speech Communication3

Humanities (9 Hours)

Required Course
Humanities6
Both of the HIS courses listed below require a grade of C or higher
History of the American People to 1877 (*)
History of the American People since 1877
Literature for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
Fine Arts- select one course from either Fine Arts section or the Fine Arts and Humanities section 3
Introduction to the Visual Arts
Two-Dimensional Basic Studio
Three-Dimensional Basic Studio
Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance
Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary
Non-Western Art
Introduction to Film Studies
Global Documentary
Exploration of Music
Survey of Western Music
Music of World Cultures
History of Jazz
Introduction to Theater
Humanities or Fine Arts
Introduction to the Visual Arts
Two-Dimensional Basic Studio
Three-Dimensional Basic Studio
Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance
Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary
Non-Western Art
American Sign Language I
American Sign Language II
Introduction to Film Studies
Global Documentary
Non-Western Literature
U.S. Latina/o Literature(s)
Greek & Roman Mythology
African American Literature
Classical World Literature
Modern World Literature
German for Reading I
German for Reading II
Greek I
Greek II
Hebrew I
Hebrew II
Survey of Early Modern Europe, 1350-1815
Survey of Modern Europe Since 1815
Survey of World History to 1350
Survey of the World Since 1350
U.S. Women's History
African American History
Hispanic and Latino American History
Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations
A History of Illinois
Arts and Ideas
Intro to American Cultural Studies
Latin I
Latin II
Exploration of Music
Survey of Western Music
Music of World Cultures
History of Jazz
Primer in Philosophy
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
Introduction to Logic
Social and Political Philosophy
Elementary Spanish I
Elementary Spanish II
Intermediate Spanish I
Intermediate Spanish II
Introduction to Theater

Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 Hours)

Required Courses
EDUC-2020Human and Cognitive Development (This course is an ISBE requirement *)3
GEO-1200World Geography: Culture Patterns (*)3
POS-1100American Government and Politics (*)3

Physical and Life Sciences (7-8 Hours)

All College of Education students must complete coursework in the following areas: biology, chemistry or earth science. At least one of the transfer courses in science must include a lab. 

Physical and Life Science Course.
Required Course
NSCI-1200Concepts in Life and Physical Science (With Lab) (*)4
Select one additional physical science or life science from list below3-4
Physical Science courses
Consumer Chemistry (With Lab)
Chemistry in the World Today
Health Science Applications in Chemistry
Fundamentals of Chemistry (With Lab)
General Chemistry I (With Lab)
General Chemistry II (With Lab)
Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (With Lab)
Elements of Earth Science (With Lab)
Medical Terminology
Energy and Our Environment (With Lab)
Introduction to Sustainability (With Lab)
Physics of Things We Use (With Lab)
Life Science course list
Biology in the World Today (With Lab)
Medical Terminology
General Biology I (With Lab)
General Biology II (With Lab)
Anatomy and Physiology I (With Lab)
Anatomy and Physiology II (With Lab)
Fundamentals of Microbiology (With Lab)

Mathematics (3 Hours)

MAT-1412Mathematics for Early Childhood Teachers: Geometry, Statistics, Functions (or MAT-1812 or higher)3

Students must also take Theology – Church Worker Studies Minor for  (21 Hours)

For more information click below:

Church Worker Studies