College of Education

Early Childhood Education B.S.Ed. ( GSU @ GPC - Newton Campus )

Application for Admission
Tort Liability Form
Criminal Background Consent Form
GSU@ GPC Brochure

Program Offered:
Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education

The B.S.Ed. major in Early Childhood Education prepares teachers to work in classrooms with children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The program reflects research and best practice in the field of early childhood education and teacher education. Candidates receive content and pedagogy in all academic disciplines taught in the early childhood classroom. The program further provides integration of the visual and musical arts within the context of specific content area methods courses. The broad and extensive field-based experiences effectively develop candidates’ knowledge and ability to select and implement developmentally appropriate resources and activities for teaching and learning in diverse settings. Successful completion of this program leads to a recommendation for P-5 licensure.

Program Admission
Students are required to meet all University and College admission requirements. In addition, students must apply for teacher education prior to beginning coursework in Area G of the program.

To apply for the B.S.Ed. Early Childhood Program:

• students must have a minimum 2.75 composite grade point average on all undergraduate coursework previously completed
• students who seek certification in Georgia must pass the GACE Basic Skills Assessment (see http://www.gace.nesinc.com/ for more information) or present official scores to demonstrate exemption upon application to the teacher education program
• students must have passed the Regents’ Test
• students must have successfully completed all courses in Area A - F
• students must consent to a criminal background check
• students must submit proof of tort liability
• students must complete a writing sample and participate in an interview with program faculty.

Please note that the completion of the writing sample and participation in the interview does not guarantee admission to the B.S.Ed. program.

Additional Teacher Education information is found in section 1600 of the catalog. For a detailed description of departmental requirements, please refer to the B.S.Ed. Program Manual available from the Department of Early Childhood Education or at the bottom of this web page.

Program Financial Information
B.S.E majors must pay all tuition and fees charged by the University and the College. A lab fee of $125 will be charged at the time students register for the student teaching experience. Educator preparation students must be aware that extra cost such as tort liability, criminal background check, and transportation will be incurred at various times during the completion of various teacher education field experiences, particularly during the students’ senior year.

Program Academic Regulations
Program of Study: Students must complete Areas A-E of the undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with “C” or higher grades. All courses listed below in Areas F-G must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher unless otherwise noted. Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.

Students must successfully complete a technology course that meets the requirements for the Georgia 2006 Technology Proficiency Requirement (ATEC 1201 and ATEC 1203 and hold an Associate Degree in Teacher Education).

Program Degree Requirements

B.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

Students seeking certification from the State of Georgia Professional Standards Commission are required to pass the GACE Basic Skills Assessment (or provide an exemption) and GACE Content Assessment in Early Childhood Education. Students must pass the appropriate GACE Content Assessment prior to graduation (see http://www.gace.nesinc.com/ for more information).

Areas A-E: Core Curriculum Recommendations
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with “C” or higher grades.

Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry. 

Area F. Courses Appropriate for a Major (18)
Students must complete coursework with a grade of “C” or higher in Area F prior to admission to teacher education.

Required (18):
EDUC 2110 Investigating Critical & Contemporary Issues in Education (3)
EDUC 2120 Exploring Socio Cultural Perspectives on Diversity (3)
EDUC 2130 Exploring Teaching & Learning (3)
ISCI 2001 Life/Earth Science (3)
ISCI 2002 Physical Science (3)
MATH 2008 Foundations of Numbers and Operations (3) 

Area G. Major Courses (54)
Students must complete all courses listed below in Areas G with a grade of “C” or higher unless otherwise noted. Students begin Area G of their programs as a cohort and must take courses in the sequence specified. The Department of Early Childhood Education provides a program manual describing course requirements and expectations.

Semester I (to be taken concurrently in Fall Semester 2009)

Semester II (to be taken concurrently in Spring Semester 2010)

Summer 2010

Semester III (to be taken concurrently in Fall Semester 2010)

Area H. Student Teaching (12)
All program requirements must be satisfactorily completed before students are authorized to enroll in student teaching. Students must complete student teaching coursework in Area H with a grade of “C” or higher.

ECE 4661 Student Teaching (12)  To be completed Spring Semester 2011

Students must pass the appropriate GACE Content Assessment prior to graduation (see http://www.gace.nesinc.com/ for more information).

Area I. Minor
Students majoring in Early Childhood Education do not have the option to take a minor.

Total Program: minimum of 126 semester hours