BS in Early Childhood Education

Effective fall 2022, undergraduate students interested in applying to Wheelock College will be admitted to its BS in Education & Human Development and will no longer be admitted to the BS in Early Childhood Education program. Continuing students will continue to complete the degree program that they entered.

The Early Childhood Education program prepares students to teach preschool through second grade.

All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. Students majoring in Early Childhood Education will ordinarily, through coursework taken in the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Global Citizenship; Communication; and some elements of the Intellectual Toolkit, essential for early childhood educators working with other professionals and families. Additional requirements may be satisfied through required Arts and Sciences coursework, and it is important that students keep Hub requirements in mind when selecting these courses. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences.

BU students specializing in Early Childhood Education engage in a comprehensive course of study that includes a strong base in the arts and sciences, with coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and math and science, as well as in education, in general, and in Early Childhood Education.

A sequence of three field-based courses provides students with the opportunity to put course content into practice. All students in the Early Childhood Education program complete fieldwork in diverse early childhood settings—such as preschools, childcare centers, and public schools—located in the Greater Boston area. Field placements are supervised by Wheelock Early Childhood Education faculty who work in partnership with carefully selected classroom teachers.

Students must be approved to proceed in the licensure course sequence. This approval is at the program faculty’s discretion and is based on performance in field-based courses and meeting GPA requirements.

The program of study for each student is carefully designed to enable the student to meet both the BU Hub capacities and the requirements that enable Boston University to recommend students to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for licensure as an Early Childhood Teacher of Students at the Initial level. Fulfillment of licensure requirements in the program can lead to licensure in states with which the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has reciprocity.

Learning Outcomes

  • Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment: Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high-quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an ongoing basis, and continuously refining learning objectives. (Well-Structured Lessons; Adjustments to Practice; Reflective Practice)
  • Teaching All Students: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency. (High Expectations; Meeting Diverse Needs; Safe Learning Environment)
  • Family and Community Engagement: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
  • Professional Culture: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice. (Meeting Diverse Needs)
  • Demonstrates Subject Matter Knowledge: Demonstrates depth and breadth of knowledge needed to teach the subject matter to students as evidenced by lesson planning and implementation.

Early Childhood Program Requirements (Total Credits: 129)

BU Hub Requirements or Electives Outside the Major (28 cr)

Electives should be selected carefully, with an academic advisor, to meet BU Hub requirements not fulfilled though other required Subject Matter and Professional Studies Requirements.

Subject Matter Requirements (32 cr)

  • CAS MA 107 Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Number Systems (4 cr)
  • CAS PS 101 General Psychology (4 cr)
  • One CAS history course (4 cr)
  • Twenty credits in CAS social science courses, chosen from offerings in the departments of African American Studies, American & New England Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology, Earth & Environment, Economics, History, International Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies. Work with an advisor to select courses.

Professional Studies Requirements (69 cr)

  • CAS SO 210 Confronting Persistent Social Inequalities in American Schools: Educational and Sociological Perspectives (2 cr)
  • CAS SO 211 Confronting Racial, Cultural, Gender, and Social Identities in Urban Classrooms: Educational and Sociological Perspectives (2 cr)
  • SED EC 305 Child Development and Education (4 cr)
  • SED EC 350 Introduction to Early Childhood Education (4 cr)
  • SED EC 405 Curriculum and Fieldwork: Preschool (8 cr)
  • SED EC 453 Curriculum and Practicum: Kindergarten (8 cr)**
  • SED EC 507 Role of Play in Early Childhood Education (4 cr)
  • SED EC 553 Early Childhood Seminar and Practicum: Grades 1/2 (10 cr)**
  • SED EC 559 Classroom-Based Assessment of Young Children (4 cr)
  • SED ED 110 Introduction to Education (4 cr)
  • SED ED 111 Educational Technology (1 cr)
  • SED ED 412 Social and Civic Context of Education (2 cr)
  • SED LR 501 Teaching of Reading (4 cr)
  • SED LS 560 Language Acquisition (4 cr)
  • SED SE 250 Disability, Education, and Public Policy (4 cr)
  • SED TL 520 Teaching English Language Learners (4 cr)

*Advisor’s approval needed
**EC 405, 453, and EC 553 are restricted to students following the licensure sequence. Students following the non-licensure sequence must enroll in EC 510 and EC 511 in place of EC 405 and EC 453.

Pre-Practicum and Practicum Requirements

To enroll in the pre-practicum EC 405, students must:

  • Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA in all coursework
  • Earn a B– or higher in ED 100/101 and SE 250
  • Have a 2.5 GPA in ED 100, SE 250, EC 350, and EC 305
  • Complete a CORI/SORI and fingerprinting and receive approval

To enroll in the practicum EC 453, student must:

  • Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA in all coursework with no “I” (Incomplete) grades*
  • Earn a B– or higher in ED 110/111 and SE 250
  • Have a 2.5 GPA in ED 110/111, SE 250, EC 350, EC 305, and EC 405
  • Complete a CORI/SORI and fingerprinting and receive approval
  • Demonstrate professional behavior in person and in written communication—indicators will be provided to all students
  • Qualify to be on the licensure track. During EC 405, faculty evaluation will determine whether students qualify to be on the licensure track. As stated in the Wheelock Bulletin, “The faculty of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development reserves the right to be selective in admitting students and in permitting them to continue in the professional programs and the final practicum experiences.”

To enroll in the practicum EC 553, students must:

  • Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA in all coursework with no “I” (Incomplete) grades
  • Earn a B– or higher in ED 110/111 and SE 250
  • Have a 2.5 GPA in ED 110/111, SE 250, EC 350, EC 305, EC 405, and EC 453
  • Complete a CORI/SORI and fingerprinting and receive approval
  • Demonstrate professional behavior in person and in written communication—indicators will be provided to all students
  • Qualify to proceed on the licensure track. During EC 453, faculty evaluation will determine whether students will continue on the licensure track.

Students may retake SED ED 110/111 and SED SE 250 up to one additional time to achieve a B– or higher.

Students may decide not to pursue licensure (e.g., for example, if they plan to teach internationally) or faculty members may determine that students do not qualify to be on or continue on the licensure track. When these situations occur, students will be on a “non-licensure track”—they take a different sequence of courses planned with their advisors. Being on the “non-licensure” track means that students will graduate from Boston University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and will not be endorsed for licensure.

*Students must complete all “Incompletes” one month prior to the end of the semester prior to practicum. Note: Exceptions can be made for those with extenuating circumstances (e.g., sudden illness).