Curriculum in the College of Education is designed to be student-centered and intellectually challenging, while preparing students through field and internship experiences that offer real life education opportunities.
You’ve always been a leader. A bright student. The type of person who’s eager to help. Becoming a teacher is the perfect outlet for using your skills and strength.
In addition to producing outstanding graduates in the field of teaching, the College of Education is home to exciting new programs like sports administration, recreation, exercise science, athletic training, travel and tourism, and more.
The Early Childhood Inclusive Program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is a premier undergraduate program that will prepare you to work with children ages birth through age 8 in a variety of early childhood settings. Our close partnership with Nebraska schools and early childhood programs will give you numerous opportunities to interact in field experiences so you will be well prepared by the time you student teach. When you complete this program you will be qualified to teach in the following settings: Infant Toddler Programs; 0-3 Sixpence Programs; Early Intervention; Early Head Start; Head Start; Preschools (public or private); Early Childhood Special Education; and K-3 Classrooms.
Early Childhood Inclusive Bachelor of Arts in Education
Early Childhood Inclusive Initial Certification
Early Childhood Inclusive Additional Endorsement
TE 100 - Teaching in a Democratic Society
TE 204 - Typical and Atypical Growth & Development
TE 206 - Instructional Technology & the Pre-Service Teacher
TE 318 - Management/Assessment in Preschool/Elementary Classrooms
TE 411 - Inclusive Practices for Students with Exceptionalities in PreK8 Classrooms
TE 400 - Student Teaching (12 credit hours)
TE 816A - Practicum (Taken in lieu of TE 400 Student Teaching for Additional Endorsement Students only)
TE 311 - Math Methods I
TE 313 - Field Experience: Math
TE 314 - Phonics and Word Study
TE 315 - Literacy Assessment
TE 316 - Primary Grades Literacy
TE 317 - Field Experience: Literacy
TE 249 - Support Young Child/Family
TE 241 - Foundations of Early Childhood Education
TE 242 - Literacy Methods for the Preschool Teacher
TE 343 - Methods of Inclusive Educating: Birth to Age 3
TE 343L - Field Experience: Early Childhood Inclusive
TE 344 - Methods of Inclusive Education: Ages 3-5
TE 344L - Field Experience: Early Childhood Inclusive
TE 346 - ChildCare Administration
TE 337 - Assessment and Observation of Young Children
TE 336/336L - Methods for Preschool Classrooms
TE 339/339L - infant and Toddler Curriculum
TE 347 - Literacy Methods Birth to Age Three
TE 248 - Math, Science and Social Studies for Children 0-8
MATH 104 - Concepts in Mathematics and Statistics or MATH 106 College Algebra
MATH 230 - Math for Elementary Teachers I
MUS 404 - Early Childhood Music and Movement
KSS 247 - Nutrition, Health and Safety for Young Children
FAMS 251 - The Developing Child 0-8
TESE 333 - Young Child Special Needs
TESE 334 - Assess/Intervention
TESE 334L - Field:Assess/Intervention
Courses are rotated regularly and by demand. Full course descriptions are listed in the UNK undergraduate catalog.
Transfer Students: If you would like to see what will transfer in for Early Childhood Inclusive Program, please view the Transfer Guide or contact a faculty member.
TE 100 (Teaching in a Democratic Society) - 3 hours; Prerequisite: None - Online Fall and Spring
TE 311/313 (Math Methods I with Field Experience) - 2.5 hours; Prerequisite: TE 204; Co-requisite: MATH 230 - Online Summer
TE 312/313 (Math Methods II with Field Experience) - 2.5 hours; Prerequisite: TE 311/313 and Admission to Teacher Education; Co-requisite: MATH 330 - Online Spring
TE 314, 315, 316, 317 (Primary Literacy Block) - 7 hours; Prerequisite: TE 318 and Admission to Teacher Education - Online Fall
TE 343/343L (Inclusive Methods 0-3) - 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education - Online Spring and Fall
TE 344/344L (Inclusive Methods 3-5) - 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education - Online Spring and Fall
TE 335/335L (Inclusive Methods K-3) - 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: TESE 333, TE 334/334L, and Admission to Teacher Education - Online Fall
TESE 334/334L (Assessment/Intervention) - 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: TESE 333 - Online Spring
TE 400 (Student Teaching) - 12-14 hours - Online Spring and Fall
NOTE: Students will be required to complete at least (30) clock hours with each age group across the entire developmental period of early childhood (infants and toddlers, preschool-kindergarten, and the primary grades 1-3) under a variety of settings that offer early childhood education such as child care centers and homes, Head Start programs, public or private centers, or community agencies and schools. For more information, see the Early Childhood Inclusive requirements listed in RULE 24 by the Nebraska Department of Education.
NOTE: For further information about class and field experience requirements, please refer to the “Field Experience Handbook”. You can download the handbook for free as an iBook on iTunes or it is available on the Early Childhood Inclusive Online Program web page.
1. Your first step is to fill out the Request Unofficial ECI Transcript Review form. To initiate the review, you must also email unofficial copies of your transcripts from all previous colleges you have attended to Lyndsay Rossen.
2. You will need to apply to UNK through the Undergraduate Admissions Office (Bachelors) or through the Graduate Admissions Office (Initial Certification or Additional Endorsement). Send your official transcripts from every institution that you have attended to the following addresses (High School transcripts are needed for Undergraduates only):
For Bachelors:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Memorial Student Affairs Building
2504 9th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68849
308-865-8526
For Initial Certification or Additional Endorsement:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Warner Hall, Room 2131
Kearney, NE 68849
800-717-7881
gradstudies@unk.edu
3. After you have confirmed your admission with the Undergraduate or Graduate Admissions, contact our online program coordinator Lyndsay Rossen for assistance with advising and enrollment. For information about the on-campus ECI program, contact Dr. Paula Thompson.
The Early Childhood Inclusive program contains field experiences (time spent observing and/or teaching in early childhood programs and primary grade school settings). The field experiences component of earning a teaching endorsement at UNK includes:
Subject Assessments (formerly PRAXIS II) - a content test taken at the end of an endorsement program just before student teaching or practicum. Students will take the Subject Assessment test (5024) “Education of Young Children”. The Early Childhood Inclusive Subject Assessment test must be passed before the state of Nebraska will issue the teaching certificate.
We recommend that you carefully review the exam information located on the Praxis website, including test preparation materials, before you enroll for the exam.
For more information on test-prep options and materials, please visit the Educator Certification Office webpage.
For Undergraduate and Initial Certificate students only.
Complete ENG 102, SPCH 100, TE 100, and TE 204 or TE 206 with a “C” or higher (2.0 GPA)
Establish and maintain a 2.75 GPA or higher.
Visit our Educator Certification Office webpage for a complete list of requirements.
Application forms are due to the Educator Certification Office in the College of Education by the first Tuesday of February for Fall placements and the first Tuesday in September for Spring placements. Other prerequisites to student teaching that must have been successfully addressed are:
Central Community College
Little Priest Tribal College
Metro Community College
Mid-Plains Community College
Nebraska Indian Community College
Northeast Community College
Southeast Community College
Western Nebraska Community College