In the early childhood special education (ECSE) program, you'll prepare to teach young children, birth through age six, with a variety of developmental delays and disabilities. This program leads to obtaining an ECSE license as either an initial teaching license or an additional license added to another teaching license to expand the age range and/or types of students a teacher is licensed to teach. You'll leave the program with the skills to: identify the need for early intervention; provide research-based services to children and their families in their home, school, and community settings; and, ultimately, help children and families successfully transition to kindergarten.
Graduates of the ECSE licensure program:
*Denotes fully online class.
**Denotes courses offered in summer.
The ECSE licensure program with a MEd in special education requires the completion of about 42.5 credits. For completion of a MEd only without licensure, 30 credits are required, with opportunities to select courses suited to your interests. Your total number of required credits may vary based on previous educational experience or areas of licensure.
These courses are required for all College of Education and Human Development initial teaching licensures and degrees.
As a student in the ECSE program, you have the option to add an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) certificate to your licensure and/or degree. The specialized training you’ll receive related to assessment and treatment practices for children with ASD will lead to a certificate in ASD. With your ECSE license and ASD certificate in hand, you’ll be equipped to facilitate early identification and intervention for toddlers and preschoolers with ASD. These skills will make you a valuable addition to any ECSE program.
Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for information on tuition.
Special education scholarships, fellowships, and awards
College of Education and Human Development awards
TEACH Grants are part of a federal program to provide financial support to students who will teach in a high need area at a low-income school for at least four years. Application information is available from Onestop on their grants and waivers page.
Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.
Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.
The early childhood special education (ECSE) program and the professors and faculty that I worked with during my time in the program provided me with not only essential knowledge and research-based materials, but also with opportunities, connections and classroom experiences that made it possible for me to feel confident in my career and my ability to provide services to children and their families.
Katie Follett
Alumna, ECSE teacher
Osseo Area Schools