Major Requirements
Modality: Face-to-Face
The 125 credit-hour minimum requirements are achievable by using specific courses that meet both general education requirements and the Early Childhood major curriculum requirements. We recommend students work with their academic advisors. A course in the approved program must have the grade C or higher. No course in the approved program may be taken on the Pass/Fail grade option with the exception of the student teaching internship.
The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree leads to the state of Illinois Educator Licensure in Early Childhood Education (birth to 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 https://itransfer.org/. If you want information on the available endorsements, click here.
This major requires a grade of C or higher for all courses (including general education)
University Requirement (Freshman only, transfer students are exempt)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COL-1995 | Vocation and College Success | 1 |
Additional University Requirements
Theology -Public Teacher Education (6 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biblical Studies Course | ||
| THY-1100 | The Bible (B) | 3 |
| Theological Studies Course | ||
| THY-1210 | Introduction to Christianity (S) | 3 |
General Education Requirements
Communications (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENG-1100 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENG-2000 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
| The above courses must pass with a C or higher per IAI requirements. | ||
| COM-1100 | Speech Communication | 3 |
Humanities (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | 3 | |
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
or HIS-1250 | History of the American People since 1877 | |
| Humanities or Fine Arts (Select 2 courses from list below) | 6 | |
| 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 | ||
| World Perspectives Through 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 | ||
| History of Modern Europe Since 1815 | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Hispanic and Latino American History | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations | ||
| 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 | ||
| Elementary Spanish I | ||
| Elementary Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
Social and Behavioral Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 9 | |
| Human and Cognitive Development | ||
| World Geography: Culture Patterns | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
Physical and Life Science Courses (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 courses must include a lab.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Life Science Courses | ||
| Select one Physical science course from list below | 3-4 | |
| 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 | 3-4 | |
| 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) | ||
Mathematics (3 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | 3 | |
| Math for Teachers: Geometry, Statistics, Function | ||
Student must also take the Theology-Church Worker Studies Minor (21 Hours).
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Methods Course | 3 | |
| Lutheran Teacher: Vocation and Methods | ||
| Theology Courses (2.75 GPA is Required) | ||
| Required courses | 12 | |
| Introduction to the Old Testament (B) | ||
| Martin Luther's Small and Large Catechisms (S) | ||
| Introduction to the New Testament (B) | ||
| Survey of Church History (H) | ||
| Select two courses from list below: | 6 | |
| The Augsburg Confession and its Apology (S) | ||
| The Ancient Creeds, the Smalcald Articles, and the Treaties (S) | ||
| The Formula of Concord (S) | ||
Major Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Courses in Education | ||
| EDUC-1050 | Introduction to American Education 1 | 3 |
| EDUC-1070 | Media and Technology in the Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC-2020 | Human and Cognitive Development (HUMN requirement ) | 3 |
| EDUC-2050 | Teaching in Diverse Classrooms | 3 |
| EDUC-2090 | Characteristics and Instruction of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education Courses | ||
| EDEC-3000 | Curriculum Instruction - Early Childhood | 3 |
| EDEC-3200 | Home, School and Community Relations (May be applied to SBS requirement in General Education) | 3 |
| EDUC-2300 | Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL Students | 3 |
| EDUC-2500 | Foundations of Literacy | 3 |
| EDUC-2700 | Linguistics and Language Development for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDUC-2400 | Literature for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults | 3 |
| MAT-1411 | Mathematics for Teachers: Number and Measurement | 3 |
| Professional Education Courses for Teacher Candidacy in Early Childhood Education 2 | ||
| Early Childhood Methods Block I 3 | ||
| EDEC-3500 | Emergent Literacy | 3 |
| EDEC-4800 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Movement | 2 |
| EDEC-4801 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Art | 2 |
| EDEC-4802 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Music | 2 |
| EDEC-4803 | Content and Methods of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom | 3 |
| EDEC-4804 | Content and Methods of Teaching ESL | 3 |
| Early Childhood Methods Block II 3 | ||
| EDEC-4805 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Social Studies | 3 |
| EDEC-4806 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Math | 3 |
| EDEC-4300 | Management and Assessment in Classrooms with Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| EDEC-4807 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Science | 3 |
| EDEC-4808 | Content and Methods of Caring for Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| Student Teaching Internship Semester | ||
| EDEC-4910 | Student Teaching Internship: Early Childhood Education | 15 |
| EDUC-4985 | Student Teaching Seminar | 0 |
| Electives | ||
| As needed to meet the 125-hour degree requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 81 | |
- 1
LTE Candidates should take EDUC-1060 Intro to American Education for Public & Lutheran Teachers.
- 2
Must be admitted to Teacher Candidacy to enroll in the professional methods coursework. The professional coursework sequence focuses on the professional formation of the teacher.
- 3
Blocks I and II contain coursework required to be taken together in the same semester.
- 4
At least one course in science must include a lab.
- 5
Course meets general education requirements and major requirements. While fulfilling two requirements, course credit is only counted once. Course credit is included in the general education credit total.
The College of Education Manual provides details and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License.
Major Requirements
Modality: Face-to-Face
The 125 credit-hour minimum is achievable by using specific courses that meet both general education requirements and the Early Childhood major curriculum requirements. We recommend students work with their academic advisors. A course in the approved program must have the grade C or higher with the exception of student teaching. No course in the approved program may be taken on the Pass/Fail grade option with the exception of the student teaching internship. If you want information on the available endorsements, click here.
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 https://itransfer.org/. If you want information on the available endorsements, click here.
This major requires a grade of C or higher for all courses (including general education)
University Requirement (Freshman only, transfer students are exempt)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COL-1995 | Vocation and College Success | 1 |
Additional University Requirements
Theology -Public Teacher Education (6 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biblical Studies Course | ||
| THY-1100 | The Bible (B) | 3 |
| Theological Studies Course | ||
| THY-1210 | Introduction to Christianity (S) | 3 |
General Education Requirements
Communications (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENG-1100 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENG-2000 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
| The above courses must pass with a C or higher per IAI requirements. | ||
| COM-1100 | Speech Communication | 3 |
Humanities (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | 3 | |
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
or HIS-1250 | History of the American People since 1877 | |
| Humanities or Fine Arts (Select 2 courses from list below) | 6 | |
| 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 | ||
| World Perspectives Through 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 | ||
| History of Modern Europe Since 1815 | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Hispanic and Latino American History | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations | ||
| 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 | ||
| Elementary Spanish I | ||
| Elementary Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
Social and Behavioral Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 9 | |
| Human and Cognitive Development | ||
| World Geography: Culture Patterns | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
Physical and Life Science Courses (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 courses must include a lab.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Life Science Courses | ||
| Select one Physical science course from list below | 3-4 | |
| 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 | 3-4 | |
| 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) | ||
Mathematics (3 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | 3 | |
| Math for Teachers: Geometry, Statistics, Function | ||
Student must also take the Theology-Church Worker Studies Minor (21 Hours).
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Methods Course | 3 | |
| Lutheran Teacher: Vocation and Methods | ||
| Theology Courses (2.75 GPA is Required) | ||
| Required courses | 12 | |
| Introduction to the Old Testament (B) | ||
| Martin Luther's Small and Large Catechisms (S) | ||
| Introduction to the New Testament (B) | ||
| Survey of Church History (H) | ||
| Select two courses from list below: | 6 | |
| The Augsburg Confession and its Apology (S) | ||
| The Ancient Creeds, the Smalcald Articles, and the Treaties (S) | ||
| The Formula of Concord (S) | ||
Major Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Courses in Education | ||
| EDUC-1050 | Introduction to American Education 1 | 3 |
| EDUC-1070 | Media and Technology in the Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC-2020 | Human and Cognitive Development (HUMN requirement) | 3 |
| EDUC-2050 | Teaching in Diverse Classrooms | 3 |
| EDUC-2090 | Characteristics and Instruction of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education Courses | ||
| EDEC-3000 | Curriculum Instruction - Early Childhood | 3 |
| EDEC-3200 | Home, School and Community Relations (May be applied to SBS requirements in General Education) | 3 |
| EDUC-2300 | Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL Students | 3 |
| EDUC-2400 | Literature for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults (May satisfy a General Education requirement) | 3 |
| EDUC-2500 | Foundations of Literacy | 3 |
| EDUC-2700 | Linguistics and Language Development for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| MAT-1411 | Mathematics for Teachers: Number and Measurement | 3 |
| Professional Education Course for Teaching in Early Childhood Education 2 | ||
| Early Childhood Methods Block ! 3 | ||
| EDEC-3500 | Emergent Literacy | 3 |
| EDEC-4800 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Movement | 2 |
| EDEC-4801 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Art | 2 |
| EDEC-4802 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Music | 2 |
| EDEC-4803 | Content and Methods of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom | 3 |
| EDEC-4804 | Content and Methods of Teaching ESL | 3 |
| Early Childhood Methods Block 11 3 | ||
| EDEC-4300 | Management and Assessment in Classrooms with Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| EDEC-4805 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Social Studies | 3 |
| EDEC-4806 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Math | 3 |
| EDEC-4807 | Content and Methods of Early Childhood Science | 3 |
| EDEC-4808 | Content and Methods of Caring for Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| As needed to met the 125 hour degree requirement | ||
- 1
LTE Candidates should take EDUC-1060 Intro to American Education for Public & Lutheran Teachers.
- 2
Must be admitted to Teacher Candidacy to enroll in the professional methods coursework. The professional coursework sequence focuses on the professional formation of the teacher.
- 3
Blocks I and II contain coursework required to be taken together in the same semester.
- 4
At least one course in science must include a lab.
- 5
Course meets general education requirements and major requirements. While fulfilling two requirements, course credit is only counted once. Course credit is included in the general education credit total.
The total hours for the program is 125 credits. This includes general education, electives and major requirements above.
The College of Education Manual provides details and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License.
Graduation Requirements
Students in the College of Education must meet all University requirements found in the Academic Information section of this catalog. Specific requirements of the College of Education include the following:
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for all college-level coursework completed at CUC.
- A minimum grade of C or higher is required for all courses taken in a CUC COE program. This includes all General education and transfer credit courses.
Students in the Education Studies program follow CUC's minimum standards of a 2.0 GPA and in General Education a D- or above is acceptable.
The College of Education Initial Licensure Program has a stipulation indicating that students in the COE may not take any course as Pass/Fail without permission of the Division Chair or College Dean. Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail, including courses with the following course codes - EDEC, EDEL, EDMG, EDSC, EDSP, EDKS and EDUC. The student teaching internship course and the edTPA course are excluded from this policy because they are automatically Pass/Fail. General education courses outside of the required licensure programs may be taken as Pass/Fail if they are in alignment with the University policy.
In addition to the overall minimum credits for the degree major, minor, endorsement, and special programs (Honors Program for example) requirements are also necessary if they have been declared. Deficiency in any area of the program will delay awarding of the degree and will require filing of a new intent to graduate. Students may elect to drop minors, additional endorsements, or other special programs if they present an obstacle to graduation.
General Undergraduate Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the general admission requirements for Concordia University Chicago undergraduate programs as published in the Concordia University Chicago academic catalog.
New students are accepted into undergraduate degree-seeking programs for online (ADP) and on-campus (Traditional) study in the fall and spring semesters. If you have any questions please work with your admissions advisors.