Nov 04, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Early Childhood Education, B.S.


Department Website

Oakland University’s Early Childhood Education, B.S. (can lead to a Michgan Department of Education teaching certificate in Birth - Kindergarten/Pre-K - Grade Three). This program qualifies you to teach in a variety of early childhood settings including but not limited to Birth - Grade Three in school settings, community based early childhood programs, and early intervention and early childhood special education programs. This degree provides coaching and mentoring experiences with local schools and community agencies. The focus is on whole child development including cognitive, socio, emotional, language and physical domains. Emphasis is given to the role of play, diversity & inclusion, and the role of family and culture in supporting young children. During this program, you will develop outstanding teaching skills, learn to address the needs of children and their families, use authentic assessment to evaluate children’s work, and learn developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches while interacting with young children.

Admission to the Early Childhood Education, B.S.

Admission to major standing is required before beginning the professional sequence. Students using this catalog to meet major requirements may also use any course subsequently approved as satisfying requirements and published in a later catalog.

Students who wish to pursue a B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education are admitted with pre-early childhood education status. 

Minimum criteria for admission to the Early Childhood Education, B.S. include:

  1. A cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.80 or higher at Oakland University
  2. Complete EED 2000 with a minimum grade of B
  3. Complete or place out of MTH 0662 with a minimum grade of C
  4. Complete WRT 1060 with a minimum grade of B
  5. Read and sign, acknowledging a duty to uphold the Michigan Code of Educational Ethics
  6. Submission of a completed major standing application to the SEHS Advising Office.

Students can apply for major standing once they are registered for EED 2000.

Major standing will be approved pending successful completion of all requirements.

Second-degree students from regionally accredited institutions are exempt from Oakland University’s general education requirements. This does not apply to students educated outside the U.S.

After admission, students meet for course selection with Academic Advisers in the SEHS Advising Office

Specific offerings for each semester may be found in the Schedule of Classes.

Requirements for the major in Early Childhood Education, B.S.


General Education requirements

In order to graduate on-schedule without taking additional courses, it is highly recommended that students meet with an Undergraduate Academic Adviser concerning the selection of all of their general education courses.

Each candidate for an Oakland University baccalaureate will need to satisfactorily complete approved courses in each of the following areas: Foundation, Exploration, Integration, Writing, and U.S. Diversity. For details, refer to the General Education Requirements section of the catalog.

To earn the Early Childhood Education, B.S. degree, students must:

  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits

A minimum of 45 credits must be completed at Oakland University
A minimum of 32 credits must be at the 3000 level or above

  • Meet University General Education Requirements 
  • Earn a minimum grade of C in each general education course
  • Earn a minimum grade of B in WRT 1060 Composition II
  • Complete the pre-professional and professional education coursework with B or better in each course unless otherwise noted

Program notes


In order to be recommended for a Michigan Teaching Certificate, in addition to the B.S. requirements, candidates must successfully complete their assigned Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification and be in compliance with all legal requirements for Michigan certification. Please visit the Human Development and Child Studies website for details.