Early Childhood Education Minor (BSE)

What you will study

As an Early Childhood Education minor, you’ll become well-grounded in theory and have a strong command of content knowledge and instructional strategies. Your minor, along with the BSE in Early Childhood Education, will ensure that you’re prepared to teach children from birth to grade 3.

Courses you may take include:

• Early Childhood Principles and Observation: Build a critical understanding of how to observe and record early learners’ behavior and translate your findings into best teaching practices.
• Development and Learning Through Play: Demonstrate how to implement a play-based curriculum in diverse settings and connect play to learning and development.
• Curriculum Design and Assessment: Use formal and informal assessment strategies to design individualized student programs.

 

 

Unique learning opportunities in the Early Childhood Education minor

UCM embodies a constructionist approach. We believe the best educators are those who are exposed to multiple sources of information and methods of teaching.

The Early Childhood Education minor for BSE program offers:

• Continual development support: As a BSE minor, you’ll be supported in learning through a clinical approach to teaching. Gain experience with various age groups and in classrooms in diverse MO school districts while planning with peers, professors and active teachers.
• International teaching experience: UCM sponsors two trips abroad each year that are directly connected to BSE program coursework. Collaboration with education professionals in other countries helps broaden your perspective.
• Discipline-specific student organizations: Join the Early Childhood Young Professionals (ECYP), an affiliate of the state NAEYC, as well as the Missouri State Teachers’ Association and the Student Council for the Exceptional Child.
• Flexibility: The Early Childhood Education minor for BSE is offered full-time or part-time and in person at our Warrensburg campus. Some of our classes are also offered online for additional scheduling flexibility.

 

What can you do with an Early Childhood Education minor from UCM?

Adding an Early Childhood Education minor to your BSE degree helps lay the foundation for work with young children and their families. You’ll build the skills you need to positively contribute to their future success.

The content area expertise you’ll gain with your ECE minor is excellent preparation for an advanced degree, including UCM’s new, innovative certificate options:

• Advanced Teaching in Early Childhood Education Certificate
• Leadership and Management in Early Childhood Education Graduate Certificate

Some BSE graduates who also completed this minor now teach in public schools and preschools. Others teach in charter and private preschools, early childhood centers and religious community programs.

Careers for early childhood educators

Plan for your future in early childhood teaching using the interactive tool below. You can gain insights into salary potential, job outlooks and more.

 

 

Financial assistance options for your Early Childhood Education minor

The University of Central Missouri’s tuition is lower than that of many colleges in the state — and the national average. Plus, 94% of UCM undergraduate students receive financial aid.

Financial aid is available in the form of grants, loans and scholarships. Many scholarship opportunities specific to early childhood education are available for undergraduate students, including ECE minors. For example, you could qualify for:

• Merle and Maxine Rider Scholarship 
• Mildred Putnam in Early Childhood Education Scholarship
• Colene Smyer-Hank and Harvey Hank Scholarship
• Christy Cox Whitley Memorial Scholarship
• Dr. Shela D. Synder Teacher Education Scholarship
• Fannie Faulkner Seevers Memorial Scholarship
• Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Scholarship
• Curriculum and Instruction Retired Faculty Outstanding Student Teacher Award

Learn more about program-specific scholarships by using the UCM Scholarship Finder.

Explore programs related to early childhood education.   If you’re considering ways to enhance your undergraduate studies by adding a minor to a bachelor’s degree program, check out these other minor programs at UCM: Early Childhood Special Education Minor English Minor for BSE