The School of Family, Consumer, and Nutrition Sciences and the Department of Teaching and Learning offer a collaborative program leading to the B.S. degree with a major in early childhood studies.
The program is designed to prepare personnel for the professional roles serving children from birth through eight years of age and their families.
Graduates qualify for Illinois Early Childhood Teacher Certification enabling them to teach children from birth through grade three in Illinois public schools.
Students in the 04 certification emphasis are prepared to teach a diverse student population in inclusive classrooms. Strong emphasis is placed on understanding the child in family and community contexts.
A complete description of the degree requirements is given in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Admission to this major is restricted. For details, see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Students may be admitted as pre-majors in the school while fulfilling these requirements. These prerequisite courses may be taken at another college.
Community college transfer students should check NIU's Articulation Handbook (available at two-year colleges in Illinois) regarding transferability of prerequisite and other required courses.
The program usually takes at least two years to complete after prerequisite courses have been taken and admission as a major has been achieved.