Early Childhood Development, B.S. - CPS, CPSO

Undergraduate

Early Childhood Development

With the flexibility of online learning and field placement, students can transfer up to 90 credits, making it an accessible and efficient pathway to becoming a teacher.
Degree
Bachelor of Science
Location
Online
Courses
24*
Credit
120 hrs.*
Full-time
Varies (Transfer up to 90 credits)
Part-time
Varies (Transfer up to 90 credits)
View course catalog
teacher with two students

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College of Professional Studies

The online Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Development and Early Childhood Special Education at the University of New Hampshire is a dual-certification program. Students who complete this dual licensure program will be eligible for the New Hampshire Department of Education teacher licensure in Early Childhood (N-3) and Early Childhood Special Education (Birth-Age 8). 

With the flexibility of online learning and field placement, students can transfer up to 90 credits, making it an accessible and efficient pathway to becoming a teacher. 

*Number of courses and course credit hours may vary, please reach out to your academic advisor for exact requirements.

College of Professional Studies

What is Early Childhood Development?

This program is designed for individuals seeking career options in early childhood care settings. Courses in this program prepare individuals to be qualified early childhood education and child care providers. This major offers a model curriculum which addresses standards set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The completion of this degree qualifies individuals for the Early Childhood credential through the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services. This degree does not lead to public school teacher licensure through the Department of Education.

Why study Early Childhood Development at UNH College of Professional Studies?

A career teaching young children is highly rewarding. By focusing on the early childhood education field, you’ll have a direct influence on the formative lives of young learners. Entry-level opportunities to enter this field are available to those with a two-year degree or less; however growth opportunities and earning potential expand as you advance your education, and a bachelor’s degree is valuable for those who are committed to growth in a career focused on early childhood education.

The UNH College of Professional Studies offers two bachelor’s degree options in Early Childhood Development:

  • A pathway that leads to New Hampshire Department of Education licensure in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.
  • A non-licensure pathway focused on Department of Health and Human Services credentialing coursework.

This program is available to new students in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See Availability in Your State for more details.

Potential Career Areas

  • Lead Teacher, Child Care Center
  • Child Care Center Director
  • Childcare Worker
  • Preschool Teacher
  • Kindergarten Teacher
  • Elementary School Teacher
  • Teaching Assistant for Preschool, Elementary School, or Middle School
  • Education and Childcare Administrator
  • Child, Family, and School Social Worker
  • Instructional Coordinator
  • Lead Teacher, Child Care Center
  • Child Care Center Director

Curriculum & Requirements

01
Program Description
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This program is designed for individuals seeking career options in early childhood care settings. Courses in this program prepare individuals to be qualified early childhood education and childcare providers. This major offers a model curriculum which addresses standards set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The completion of this degree qualifies individuals for the Early Childhood credential through the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services. This degree does not lead to public school teacher licensure through the Department of Education.
02
Degree Plan
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This degree plan is a sample and does not reflect the impact of transfer credit or current course offerings. UNH CPS Online undergraduate students should develop individual academic plans with their academic advisor during their first year at UNH.

Sample Course Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
EDC 501 Foundations of Early Childhood Education 4
ENG 420 The Writing Process 4
PSY 470 Child Development 4
General Education Course 4
 Credits16
Spring
COM 460 Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics 4
CRIT 501 Introduction to Critical Inquiry 4
EDC 502 Creative Arts in Early Childhood Education 4
MTH 402
or MTH 504
or MTH 510
 Math for Our World
or Statistics
or Pre-Calculus
 4
 Credits16
Second Year
Fall
COM 480 Visual Communication 4
EDC 503 Language and Literacy Development 4
EDC 504 Health, Safety & Nutrition in Early Childhood Settings 4
General Education Course 4
 Credits16
Spring
EDC 505 Mathematics and Science in Early Childhood Education 4
Elective 4
 Credits8
Third Year
Fall
PSY 480 Infant and Toddler Development 4
CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking 4
EDC 601 Positive Behavior Guidance in Early Childhood Education 4
EDC 602 Learning and Early Childhood Environments 4
 Credits16
Spring
EDC 606 Young Children with Exceptionalities in Early Childhood Settings 4
General Education Course 4
EDC 607 Early Childhood Program Administration 4
 Credits12
Fourth Year
Fall
IDIS 601A
or IDIS 601B
or IDIS 601C
 Interdisciplinary Seminar: Being Happy
or Interdisciplinary Seminar: Business of Beer
or Interdisciplinary Seminar: Paranormal Activities
 4
EDC 712 Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education 4
EDC 713 Family and Community Relations in Early Childhood Education 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Spring
EDC 715 Enhancing Supervision through Mentoring 4
EDC 797 Practicum: Professionalism in Early Childhood Education 4
Elective 4
 Credits12
 Total Credits112
03
Requirements for the Program
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Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 120 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 30 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 2.0 is required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: General Education Program
Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*GPA: Major and any state certification GPA requirements may be higher and are indicated in program details.
 
A minimum grade of C- is required in all Major coursework. Some programs may have higher grade requirements for Major coursework as noted in the Major requirements section below. Students are allowed a maximum of two course overlaps. Overlaps can be used between Major, Minor, and General Education requirements with only 8 credits overlapped between the Major and Minor. Please note that Option requirements are considered part of the Major. Students must complete 16 upper-level credits in majors within the College of Professional Studies, Online.

General Education Program Requirements

A minimum grade of D- is required in all General Education coursework. Students are allowed a maximum of two course overlaps. Overlaps can be used between Major, Minor and General Education requirements with only 8 credits overlapped between the Major and Minor.

All General Education requirements must be taken prior to the capstone.

ENG 420The Writing Process4
COM 460Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics4
COM 480Visual Communication4
CRIT 501Introduction to Critical Inquiry4
Select one of the following:4
MTH 402
Math for Our World
MTH 504
Statistics
MTH 510
Pre-Calculus
Knowledge of Human Behavior & Social Systems4
Knowledge of the Physical & Natural World4
Knowledge of Human Thought & Expression4
CRIT 602Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking4
IDIS 601AInterdisciplinary Seminar: Being Happy4
or IDIS 601B Interdisciplinary Seminar: Business of Beer
or IDIS 601C Interdisciplinary Seminar: Paranormal Activities
Total Credits40

Writing Program Requirements

All bachelor's degree candidates are required to complete four writing intensive courses as part of the University Writing Program Requirements as follows:

ENG 420
The Writing Process
One Writing Intensive course in the Major
One Writing Intensive course at the 600-level or above
One Additional Writing Intensive Course

Writing Intensive courses are identified with the label "Writing Intensive Course" in the "Attributes" section of the course description and/or a W following the course number.

Major Requirements

Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete all General Education program requirements. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. Refer to the Degree Plan for a sample course sequence. Academic Advisor approval is required for registration to be processed.

Major in Early Childhood Development
Foundational Courses
PSY 470Child Development4
EDC 501Foundations of Early Childhood Education4
EDC 502Creative Arts in Early Childhood Education4
EDC 503Language and Literacy Development4
EDC 504Health, Safety & Nutrition in Early Childhood Settings4
EDC 505Mathematics and Science in Early Childhood Education4
Intermediate Courses
PSY 480Infant and Toddler Development4
EDC 601Positive Behavior Guidance in Early Childhood Education4
EDC 602Learning and Early Childhood Environments4
EDC 606Young Children with Exceptionalities in Early Childhood Settings4
EDC 607Early Childhood Program Administration4
Advanced Courses
EDC 712Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education4
EDC 713Family and Community Relations in Early Childhood Education4
EDC 715WEnhancing Supervision through Mentoring4
Integrative Capstone
EDC 797Practicum: Professionalism in Early Childhood Education4
Total Credits60

Electives

Open electives are courses students will need to take in addition to their general education and major requirements in order to satisfy the remaining credit totals for their programs. Open electives are defined as any credit course offered by the College not already included in the student's general education, major, option or minor. Students will need 120 credits total to graduate with a bachelor's degree from the Online Division of the College of Professional Studies.

04
Student Learning Outcomes
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Program Learning Outcomes
  • Create inclusive, nurturing, and culturally responsive learning environments aligned with the developmentally appropriate practices framework.
  • Analyze strategies for building and sustaining respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families and communities.
  • Compare and analyze various assessment strategies to understand and support each child’s development and learning, inform instruction, and engage families in the assessment process.
  • Plan, implement, and evaluate equitable, engaging curriculum and teaching practices that promote progress across developmental domains and reflect children’s diverse needs, interests, and cultural contexts.
  • Integrate knowledge of academic content areas (language, literacy, math, science, social studies, arts, physical development) into meaningful, interdisciplinary learning experiences for young children.
  • Plan for continuous professional development in the field of early childhood education to create equitable, high quality learning experiences for birth to age 8 children.

About this Program

The UNH College of Professional Studies offers two bachelor’s degree options in Early Childhood Education:

  • A pathway that leads to New Hampshire Department of Education licensure in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education.
  • A non-licensure pathway focused on Department of Health and Human Services credentialing coursework.

This program is available to new students in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts,  and Vermont. See Availability in Your State for more details.

Early Childhood Education Options

LICENSURE 

The Early Childhood licensure will prepare individuals to teach children in public schools beginning at the nursery school level to Grade 3, and Early Childhood Special Education licensure will prepare individuals to work with infants, toddlers, and children who are at risk of being identified as needing special education services or who are already identified as needing special education services.

This is a clinical-based program for qualified participants working or volunteering in an approved program or education setting. The key components of this program include mentorship of the teacher candidates with highly skilled professionals in the field, the hands-on experience of working with children in educational settings, and the opportunity to build your teaching capacity over time.

View the full course requirements:

licensure in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education

 

NON-LICENSURE

This program is designed for individuals seeking career options in early childhood care settings. Courses in this program prepare individuals to be qualified early childhood education and child care providers.  This major offers a model curriculum which addresses standards set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The completion of this degree qualifies individuals for the Early Childhood credential through the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services.

This degree does not lead to public school teacher licensure through the New Hampshire Department of Education.

Course Highlights

  • Foundations of Early Childhood Education
  • Child Development
  • Young Children with Exceptionalities, Birth-Age 8
  • …and more!

Why UNH CPS?

01
Advantages
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  • 100% online courses – Learn from anywhere with flexible scheduling.
  • 8-week terms – Move toward your goals faster.
  • Affordable tuition – Among the lowest in New England and nationwide.
  • Nationally ranked – Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online Bachelor’s for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report.
  • Regionally accredited – By the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE).
  • Generous transfer credit policy – About 89% of our students transfer in; we specialize in maximizing your previous college coursework and other college-level learning.
  • Credit for prior learning – Earn credit for relevant work experience, military training, and other learning outside the classroom.
  • Rolling admissions – Apply anytime and start in the term that works for you.
  • No GMAT or GRE required – Streamlined admissions process.
  • Expert faculty – Instructors are subject matter experts who share real-world experience to help you apply what you learn to your career goals.
  • Career advising for life – Available to all students, alumni, and even prospective students exploring their options. 
02
Transfer Pathway
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Whether you completed your associate degree or took a few courses, we have experience working with community college students nationwide and we are experts at maximizing your transfer credits. We are proud of our formal partnerships to support community college graduates through our Transfer Pathways. 

Students pursuing an associate degree at a New Hampshire community college are encouraged to explore our Transfer Pathway below.

B.S. Early Childhood Education CCSNH Transfer Pathway

Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education Licensures Transfer Pathway

03
Admissions Requiements
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  • Completion of our free, online application for admission
  • High school diploma, completion of a high school education in a homeschool setting under state law, or demonstrate high school equivalency.
    • Successful completion of one of the following exams will be required for demonstrating high school equivalency: the GED, HiSET, or TASC
04
Availability in Your State
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Programs leading to teacher certification or licensure are available to new students in New Hampshire, Maine*, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

*Maine teacher candidates must complete clinical work in placements located in York, Cumberland or Oxford county.

A teacher and 4 children reading a book together

iSocial and the Pyramid Model

UNH CPS is proud to support the New Hampshire Department of Education and their iSocial State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG). The goal of this grant is to improve social-emotional outcomes of infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities (birth to age 5) through the implementation of the evidence-based Pyramid Model Framework.

Learn More

 

 

Attend a Teacher Prep Info Session

We have online Information Sessions regularly scheduled, which give you valuable insights into our teacher licensure options.

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Credit for What you Know

Your Prior Learning Counts

Many of our students can demonstrate college-level knowledge gained from military, workplace and volunteer-based training, and experiences. We are experts at helping students demonstrate learning and earning academic credit.