Early childhood special education (ECSE) program
Admission
Follow the admission link at right for detailed instructions on applying for the program. Deadline for application is April 15.
Program Description
The professional development program in special education specializing in early childhood special education (ECSE) leads to teaching licensure for work with children from birth through age five as well as a M.Ed. This program is designed to prepare teachers to work in a variety of educational settings, including home and school, with children who have a variety of developmental delays and disabilities.
The ECSE program philosophy focuses on cultural and social diversity and meeting the needs of individual children who have disabilities. Further, the ECSE program emphasizes the delivery of evidence-based practices within the natural routines of families and preschools when addressing the individualized needs of children. Graduates are prepared to assess, analyze, monitor, and problem solve the developmental and educational needs of young children and their families. With that, graduates of the ECSE program a prepared to be leaders in the field for the identification early intervention needs, provision of research-based services, and facilitation of successful transitions to kindergarten.
Careers in early childhood special education
Graduates of our program may serve as preschool classroom teachers, in-home service providers, consultants to general classroom teachers, and evaluation team members in early childhood. Professional teachers may serve children who range in age from infancy through age five, who have a wide variety of needs (e.g. developmental delays, physical or health impairments, autism), and who come from a variety of cultural, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds.
Licensure requirements
Prior equivalent coursework may be substituted for some courses. You and your advisor will review specific requirements once you are admitted. Course requirements vary by licensure program.
Standards of Effective Practice Course Requirements (18 credits)
Students entering as an initial licensure student or those who do not hold a MN license will need to complete the SEP requirements or show proof of prior completion.
- EdHD 5003 – Developmental and Individual Differences (2cr)
- EdHD 5005 – School and Society (2cr)
- EdHD 5009 - Human Relations (1cr)
- PubH 6003 or 3005 – Fundamentals of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (1cr)
- EPsy 5114 – Psychology of Student Learning (3cr)
- EdHD 5007 – Technology for Teaching and Learning (1.5cr)
- EPsy 5619 - Specialized Interventions for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in Mathematics (3cr)
- CPsy 5252 - Facilitating Social and Emotional in Early Childhood Education (2cr)
- CPsy 5253 - Facilitating Cognitive and Language in Early Childhood Education (3cr)
- CPsy 5254 - Facilitating Creative and Motor Learning in ECE (2cr)
- EPsy 5701 – Practicum in General Education (2cr) (or proof of 120 hours of experience)
Special Education Core Course Requirements (17 credits)
- EPsy 4613 – Foundations of Special Education (3cr)
- EPsy 5609 – Family-Centered Services (2cr)
- EPsy 5614 - Assessment and Due Process in Special Education (3cr + 1 lab cr)
- EPsy 5616 - Classroom Management and Behavior Analytic Problem Solving (3cr)
- EPsy 5618 – Specialized Interventions for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in Reading and Written Expression (3cr)
- EPsy 5631 – Module 1: Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (1cr)
- EPsy 5705 – Practicum in ECSE / Elementary Settings (1cr)
Early Childhood Special Education Course Requirements (14 credits)
- EPsy 5625 - Education of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children with Disabilities: Introduction (2cr)
- EPsy 5681 - Education of Preschool Children with Disabilities: Methods and Materials (3cr)
- EPsy 5682 - Education of Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Methods and Materials (3cr)
- EPsy 5761 - Student Teaching in Early Childhood Special Education Settings for Children Aged Three to Five Years (3cr)
- EPsy 5762 – Student Teaching in Early Childhood Special Education for Children Aged Birth to Three Years (3cr)