Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the Early Childhood Education Licensure program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
To apply, please submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admission:
- A completed College of Education graduate application
- Online application fee
- One official transcript from each college and/or university attended
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or employer
- Resume
- A brief statement that explains your reasons for wanting to enter the Early Childhood Education program at DePaul and discusses your potential for becoming a teacher.
The requirements below are those approved by the Illinois State Board of Education in April 2016.
Content Area Prerequisites
Following the requirements set forth by the Illinois State Board of Education in spring of 2016, DePaul’s Early Childhood Education program requires that students in the early childhood education program have courses in each of the following areas:
- mathematics*
- physical science
- life science
- earth and space science
- history
- geography
- political science/civics
- economics
These courses may be taken at the undergraduate level and may have been included in the student’s bachelor’s degree program. Early childhood education students' transcripts will be evaluated by an academic advisor after admission to determine if additional coursework is needed. Completion of content area requirements is not a prerequisite for admission; however, coursework must be completed before student teaching. It is strongly encouraged that applicants meet with an advisor after admission and prior to taking content courses.
- DePaul alumni that have taken LSP 120 or ISP 120 can receive credit towards the math requirement.
Course Requirements
Introductory Courses: 12 Quarter Hours Required
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
| SCG 404 | CHILD GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| T&L 421 | CHILD AND FAMILY IN THE URBAN COMMUNITY | 4 |
| T&L 406 | LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD (BIRTH TO 8) | 4 |
Advanced Courses: 40 Quarter Hours Required
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
| BBE 451 | TEACHING DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: THEORY, POLICY AND PRACTICE | 4 |
| T&L 407 | PREPRIMARY PROGRAMS: CURRICULUM AND STRATEGY | 4 |
| T&L 408 | CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION IN PRIMARY GRADES | 4 |
| T&L 411 | ASSESSMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD INCLUSIVE SETTINGS | 4 |
| T&L 420 | MATH AND SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD | 4 |
| T&L 423 | FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT: INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD | 4 |
| T&L 427 | YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILD: METHODS AND CHARACTERISTICS | 4 |
| T&L 434 | LITERACY, LITERATURE, & THE YOUNG CHILD | 4 |
| T&L 481 | INTERNSHIP IN PRESCHOOL SETTING (35 CLOCK HOURS OF SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE) 1 | 2 |
| T&L 482 | INTERNSHIP IN PRIMARY SETTING (35 CLOCK HOURS OF SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE) 2 | 2 |
| 4 |
SCG 408 | EDUCATION AND SOCIETY | |
SCG 409 | SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | |
SCG 411 | PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION | |
Health, Safety and Child Nutrition Requirement
Candidates should be prepared to document course or other experience that shows they meet the knowledge and skills to provide experiences for young, which appreciates the interrelationships among child, family and the areas of health, safety and nutrition. Candidates should demonstrate comprehension of the issues of health, safety and nutrition that affect young children from the ages of birth through age 8. In addition, candidates are expected to demonstrate understanding of cultural issues and special needs of children with health impairments. Finally candidates should be familiar with the knowledge and application of practices that promote good nutrition, dental health, physical, social and emotional well-being of young children.
- Can be completed by taking T&L 615 or a transferred equivalent.
Student Teaching: 8 Quarter Hours Required
Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures listed in the college core section.
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Quarter Hours |
| T&L 595 | EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDENT TEACHING (grade of B- or better required) | 6 |
| T&L 596 | EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR (grade of C or better required) | 2 |
Licensure Tests
All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Early Childhood majors must complete the following tests:
- Early Childhood Content Area Test (test #206) – assesses knowledge of language and literacy development, learning across the curriculum, diversity, collaboration, and professionalism in the early childhood program. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.
Internships & Other Field Experiences
Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate settings in conjunction with education courses. The field experiences includes, two internships (T&L 481 and T&L 482 (K-2). Each internship requires students to be placed in the field for 75 hours in the quarter in which the internship is offered. Internships are associated with theory courses and should be taken concurrently or soon after successful completion of the related theory courses. In addition, students will complete 15 hours in a special education setting, and 15 hours in an infant/toddler setting. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Field experience hours should be entered by the student into the FEDS system when completing courses. FEDS entry of these clinical hours is not required. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.
Additional Requirements
Please also view the college core requirements under the MA or MED for Early Childhood for additional requirements. Note that the Early Childhood Education Licensure program listed above does not lead to a degree.
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