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Program Curriculum

Prerequisite Program (no credit in this program)

Individuals entering this graduate program must already possess a degree in the liberal arts and sciences (or equivalent) with an acceptable GPA requirement, pass the professional teacher's assessment requirement (currently Praxis I) prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education and receive acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Exam. Liberal arts and sciences course work must meet the Virginia stated competencies for PK-3 and must fulfill the following requirements with a grade of C- or better:

  • English (must include composition, oral communications, and literature): 12 semester hours;
  • Mathematics: 9 semester hours;
  • Science (including a laboratory course): 9 semester hours; (must include 2 different sciences)
  • History (must include American history and world history): 6 semester hours;
  • Social science (must include geography and economics): 6 semester hours;
  • Computer/technology: 3 semester hours (satisfied by ECI 304*)

Prerequisite Courses (12 hours)

ESSE 474/574 Foundations and Contemporary Issues in ECE
ESSE 478/578 Integrating Instruction Across the Curriculum (PK-6)
ESSE 468/568 Language Acquisition and Reading
ECI 304 Educational Applications of Computers
OR
ECI 530 Instructional Technology and the Classroom

Required Courses (15 Hours)

ESSE 677 Advanced Child Theory
ESSE 679 Advanced Classroom Management w/Practicum
ECI 680 Reading to Learn Across the Curriculum
OR
ECI 683 Diagnostic Teaching of Reading in the Classroom
ESSE 586 Student Teaching (6 Hours)

Elective Courses (15 Hours)

ESSE 492/592 Integrating Mathematics and Science Across the Curriculum PK-3
ESSE 493/593 Integrating Children's Literature, Language Arts and Social StudiesAcross the Curriculum PK-3
ESSE 670 Assessment and Evaluation
ESSE 690 The Child and the Family
ESSE 506 Special Needs Child in the Gen. Ed. Classroom
ESSE 688 Practicum in ECE

Your advisor's signature is required before registering for any courses.Without this signature, there is no guarantee that the courses will be accepted into the program of studies.Therefore, you must meet with your advisor each semester BEFORE signing up for any classes.