Education (EDTL)

Early Childhood Education Major

The Early Childhood Education major at the Education, Development, Teaching, and Learning Department is designed to train students to become teaching specialists for children aged birth through third-grade. There are four Early Childhood Education programs available, including two majors and two minors.

Early Childhood Education Program Options

Certification Preparation

• Major-PEP
• Minor -PEP

Non-Certification

• Major
• Minor

 Program Highlights

• Specializes in education for children from birth to grade 3
• Provides certification/initial license in Washington State for Early Childhood Education
• Offers interactive coursework with authentic materials and manipulatives
• Includes early childhood field experiences in daycare and centers
• Focuses on positive and productive parental involvement
• Provides knowledgeable and experienced faculty who concentrate on early childhood learning through play, emergent literacy, and math
• Provides practical classroom management, instructional, and assessment skills for beginning educators
• Emphasizes whole child development and learning

Program Requirements

• As a major, ECE requires a minor or a second major.
• For all double majors, completion of EDEC 492 and EDEC 493 (minimum of 12 credits) is expected before student teaching.
• Students must visit with an ECE advisor, declare a major, and simultaneously complete the Professional Education Program.
  • Students can complete this major without gaining entry into the Teacher Certification Programs or completing the Professional Education Program. However, without certification, an endorsement in Early Childhood will not be granted. Students should discuss their options with an education advisor prior to selecting a major.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for the last 45 credits.
• A minimum grade of "C" is required in all required major, minor, and Professional Education Program courses.

• Students enrolling in any Early Childhood Education Program class with an embedded field experience must have current WSP/FBI fingerprint and background clearance. Please check with Teacher Certification (Black Hall, Room 228; 509-963-2661, teachercertification@cwu.edu) regarding clearance.           

 Advising

To learn more about, or to be advised in the Early Childhood Education Major Program in Ellensburg, contact a CEPS Education Advisor. CEPS Education Advisors are listed below:

Camille Bello

Education Advisor
Black Hall 208-26
509-963-2083
camille.bello@cwu.edu

Tatiana Fox

Education Advisor
Black Hall 204-30
509-963-2082
tatiana.fox@cwu.edu

Transfer Students

The Education, Development, Teaching, and Learning (EDTL) Department Programs accept a maximum of ten (10) credits of Early Childhood Education transfer courses from other accredited colleges.  Please contact our CEPS Educational Advisors (listed above) to discuss, and complete documents for transfer substitution.

• EDEC 306 - Professional Growth and Expectations -2 credits 
• EDEC 307 - Equity, Culture, and Anti-Bias in ECE -3 credits
• EDEC 312 - Childhood Learning-3 credits
• EDEC 313 - Materials and Manipulatives in ECE-3 credits
• EDEC 314 - Learning Through Play-3 credits
• EDEC 321 -  Curriculum I - Infant & Toddler -3 credits
• EDEC 322 - Parent Involvement-3 credits
• EDEC 411 - Curriculum II- Preschool-3 credits
• EDEC 412 - Responsible Childhood Assessment-3 credits
•             OR EFC 315 - Educational Assessment-3 credits
• EDEC 422 -  Classroom Management in an ECE Classroom-3 credits
•             OR      EFC 350 - Classroom Management-3 credits
• EDEC 424 - Curriculum III - Primary-3 credits
• EDEC 432 - Theories of Child Development-3 credits
• EDEC 492 Senior Seminar-3 credits
• EDEC 493 Practicum & Issues in ECE (Application Required) 12 Credits

Total Credits:  50

For additional information:

• Admissions
• Course Equivalencies
• University Catalog