Early Childhood Education
(38 semester-hours for certification plus 12 or 15 semester-hours for degree)
The Early Childhood Education Program is designed for individuals who wish to teach young children (ages 0 to grade 3), leads to a master of arts degree, and prepares candidates to pursue an Illinois Type 04 teaching certificate. The program requires successful completion of general education courses, professional education courses, and core courses.
General Education Course Requirements
The general education courses, which address requirements for Illinois certification, may have been met within the candidate's undergraduate studies. A review of the candidate's transcript will indicate if any general education deficiencies exist. Candidates may choose to take the CLEP exam to resolve deficiencies in the areas of fine arts, history or American government, health and nutrition. Deficiencies in the areas of literature, math, and science must be resolved through coursework.
Graduate students seeking an Early Childhood Certificate (Type 04) are required to have one course in each of the following areas:
- Writing or Composition
- Mathematics
- Natural Science, with a lab
- U.S. History or American Government
- Health or Nutrition
- Fine Arts
- Literature
Professional Education Course Requirements
| CSDI 305* | Development of Language in the Young Child | (3) |
| EDUG 413 | Survey of Students with Exceptionalities for the Regular Classroom Teacher | (3) |
| EDUG 425 | Early Childhood Education Practicum (for Certified Teachers Only) | (6) |
| EDUG 426 | History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education | (3) |
| EDUG 427 | Child, Family and Community Relationships | (3) |
| EDUG 429 | Methods and Curriculum of Pre-primary Education | (3) |
| EDUGL 429 | Lab-Pre-Primary Methods | (1) |
| EDUG 430 | Methods and Curriculum of Primary Education | (3) |
| EDUGL 430 | Lab-Primary Methods | (1) |
| EDUG 431 | Methods of Reading with an Emphasis on the Young Child | (3) |
| EDUG 432 | Developmental Assessment of Young Children | (3) |
| EDUG 443 | Directed Teaching - Early Childhood Education | (6) |
| EDUG 445 | Seminar in Teaching and Learning | (2) |
| EDUG 470 | Profession of Teaching | (1) |
| EDUG 506 | Advanced Child Development | (3) |
Core Course Requirements
| EDUG 511 | Foundational Topics in Education: Scholarly Reading and Writing (This course also meets a certification requirement; candidates will not be eligible for the certificate if this course is not successfully completed.) | (3) |
| EDUG 512 | Assessment of Instruction and Learning | (3) |
| EDUG 513 | Educational Research Design and Development | (3) |
| EDUG 514 | Scholarship of Teaching: Finalizing the Inquiry Process | (3) |
*CSDI 305, Development of the Language in the Young Child is a program requirements and does not count toward graduate coursework.
Candidates for a master of arts degree in education must complete EDUG 511, 512, and 513. Candidates who choose to complete the research study enroll in EDUG 514. In lieu of enrolling in EDUG 514 and completing a research study, candidates may enroll in two additional graduate courses in education at Saint Xavier University. The two courses should further the candidate's professional goals, and the courses selected must be approved by the faculty advisor and the director of Graduate Studies.
( ) = credit- hours / / = classroom hours
Saint Xavier University 2008-2009 Catalog
Please visit the SXU Web site for the most recent information.