College of Education
Department of Instruction and Teacher Education
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Semester One (15-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	ENGL 101	Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW)	3	C
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement3 (CC-ARP)	3-4
		Carolina Core AIU Requirement3 (CC-AIU)	3
		Life Science4 (CC-SCI)	3-4	C
		Elective (UNIV 101 The Student in the University) or Carolina Core Requirement3 (and/or Foreign language5) (PR/CC)	3

Semester Two (15 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	ENGL 102	Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW/INF)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement3 (CC-ARP)	3
		Carolina Core CMS/VSR Requirement3 (and/or Foreign language5) (CC-CMS/VSR)	3
		Carolina Core GHS Course (CC-GHS)	3
	EDTE 201	Issues & Trends in Teaching & Learning (MR)	3	C	*

Progression: Prepare for and take Praxis Core exams if SAT or ACT minimum score not met⁶.

Semester Three (15-16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	EDTE 500 or MATH 221	Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching I: PK-8 or Basic Concepts of Elementary Mathematics I (PR)	3	C		C or better in MATH 111/111I or placement through the MAP
		Physical/Earth Science4 (CC-SCI)	3-4
	ISCI 325 or ENGL 431A or ENGL 431B	Children’s Literature or Children’s Literature or Picture Books (PR)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101 & 102 (ENGL 431A & 431B)
	EDEC 250	Play and Early Learning (MR)	3	C	*
	EDFI 300	Schools in Communities (MR)	3	C	*

Progression: Take and pass the EEDA Assessment.

Semester Four (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	EDTE 501 or MATH 222	Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching II: PK-8 or Basic Concepts of Elem. Mathematics II (PR)	3	C		C or better in MATH 221 (MATH 222); C or better in EDTE 500 (EDTE 501)
	ARTE 260 or ARTE 520 or ARTE 530 or MUED 555 or THEA 522	Interdisciplinary Relationships in the Arts or Art for Elementary Schools or Art of Children or Integrating Music into PK & Elem. Classrooms or Drama in Education (PR)	3	C
	EDEC 340 & 340P	The Young Child: Development, Care, and Education (Birth to 3 Years) and Practicum (MR)	4	C	*
	EDPY 401	Learners and the Diversity of Learning (MR)	3	C	*
		Carolina Core GSS (CC-GSS)	3

Semester Five (15 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	EDEX 523 or EDEX 530	Introduction to Exceptional Children or Intro. to Early Childhood Special Ed.7 (MR)	3	C	*
	PEDU 575	Physical Education for the Classroom Teacher (PR)	3	C		EDTE 201
!	EDEC 335	African and Africa Diaspora Literacies in the Early Childhood Classroom (MR)	3	C	*
!	EDEC 336	Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Early Childhood Classrooms (MR)	3	C	*
!	EDEC 410 or EDEX 692	Parent/Fam. Dyn. in Early Childhood Ed. or P’ships in Early Childhood Special Ed.7 (MR)	3	C	*

Progression: Apply for Professional Program (all requirements for Professional Program must be met by deadline prior to sixth semester).

Semester Six (17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	EDEC 345	Teaching Reading in Early Childhood Ed.8 (MR)	3	C	*	Adm. to Professional Pgrm.
!	EDEC 342	The Young Child: Dvmt, Care, & Ed.89 (MR)	3	C	*	Adm. to Professional Pgrm.
!	EDEC 347 or EDEX 643	Community of Learners & Classroom Mgmt. in Early Childhood8 or Social/Emotional Dev. & Guidance for Young Children w/Dev. Delays7 (MR)	3	C	*	Adm. to Professional Pgrm.
!	EDEC 344	Supporting Linguistic Pluralism Across the Content Areas8 (MR)	3	C	*	Adm. to Professional Pgrm.
!	EDRM 423	Introduction to Classroom Assessment8 (MR)	2	C	*	Adm. to Professional Pgrm.
		Elective (PR)	3

Progression: Apply for Internship and SC Teacher Licensure (including fingerprinting).

Semester Seven (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	EDEC 441	Teaching Mathematics in Early Childhood8 (MR)	3	C	*	Admission to Internship I
!	EDEC 442	Teaching Science in Early Childhood8 (MR)	3	C	*	Admission to Internship I
!	EDEC 443	Internship in Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood Education8&9 (MR)	4	C	*	Admission to Internship I
!	EDEC 444	Teaching Soc. Studies in Early Childhood8 (MR)	3	C	*	Admission to Internship I
!	EDEC 445	Teaching Writing in Early Childhood Education and Literacy Practicum8 (MR)	3	C	*	Admission to Internship I

Progression: Take required Praxis Certification exams during senior year.

Semester Eight (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	EDEC 492	Internship in Curriculum, Assessment, Teaching and Professional Roles8 (MR)	9	C	*	Admission to Internship II
!	EDEC 491	Seminar on Teaching in Early Childhood8 (MR, CC-INT)	3	C	*	Admission to Internship II

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours	Minimum Major Requirements Hours	College & Program Requirements Hours	Carolina Core Hours3 & 5	Minimum Institutional GPA
122	70	18-21	31-34	2.75

1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA.
2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated below are included in the major GPA for this program of study. A 3.0 GPA must be achieved in all education courses.
3. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students. Although students may take up to 43 hours to meet all Carolina Core requirements, students in the Early Childhood Education program must complete two Carolina Core approved “overlay-eligible” courses in order to graduate on time.
4.  One Life Science and one Physical/Earth Science are required (at least one must be four credit hours with a lab). 
   • For Life Science, choose from the following: BIOL 110, BIOL 120 & 120L, BIOL 220. 
   • For Physical/Earth Science, choose from the following: ASTR 101 (4), CHEM 101 (4), CHEM 102 (4), CHEM 105 (4), CHEM 107 (3), CHEM 111 & 111L (4), ENVR 101 & 101L (4), ENVR 200 (4), GEOG 104 (3), GEOG 202 (4), GEOL 101 (4), GEOL 103 (4), MSCI 101 (4), MSCI 210 (3), MSCI 215 (3), PHYS 101 & 101L (4), PHYS 201 & 201L (4). 
5. The Carolina Core requires either two approved courses in one foreign language or a score of two or higher on the foreign language placement test.  If a student in the Early Childhood Education program is not exempted from the foreign language requirement through the foreign language placement test, additional courses may be required to meet all Carolina Core components. 
6. Information for the Praxis Core exam can be found on the College of Education, Office of Student Services website.
7. EDEX 530, EDEX 643, and EDEX 692 may be taken with special permission of early childhood faculty; see advisor.
8. Must meet all professional program and internship admissions requirements by set deadlines prior to participation in these courses. Professional program and internship admission requirements can be found on the Bulletin. 
9. A grade of B or better in EDEC 443 is required to meet the dispositions requirement for admission to Internship II. Students making below a grade of B in this course are not eligible to progress.An action plan is required for students who make a grade of C or C+ in EDEC 443.  For all internship admission requirements, please visit the Bulletin. 

Program Notes

• Courses designated as “critical” (!) must be taken in the semester in which they are listed.
• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin. 
• Upon completion of 60 hours of course work, including courses specified by the Early Childhood Program, the candidate may apply for admission to the Professional Program in Early Childhood Education. For admission requirements, please visit the Bulletin.
•  Students in the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education will be allowed to repeat one time only, one course offered through a department in the College of Education for which an unsatisfactory grade was earned.  If after the first unsatisfactory grade, a student makes an unsatisfactory grade in the repeated course or any other College of Education course, he/she will no longer be eligible to progress in the program. 
• All initial teacher licensure programs in the College of Education require extensive field experiences in P-12 schools.  All students must read and understand the rules and expectations outlined in the Preservice Teacher Education Clinical Experiences Manual.  Prior to participating in school field experiences, students must have been cleared through a criminal background check and must have a negative test for TB on file with the College of Education.  

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code	Definition
CC	Carolina Core
CC-AIU	Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP	Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL	Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS	Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS	Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF	Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT	Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI	Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR	Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR	College Requirement
MR	Major Requirement
PR	Program Requirement