Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education, Birth to Primary, for Initial Certification (0460)
- Graduate
- Master of Arts in Teaching
- Education & Behavioral Science
- Teacher Education, School of
Overview
The program is designed to prepare early childhood educators to work with children with and without disabilities, ages birth through kindergarten and their families. IECE program graduates are qualified to work with children from birth to entry into the primary program. This includes teaching children in kindergarten or other programs for five-year-olds if those programs are operated separately from the primary program. Graduates are prepared for positions in public schools, First Steps, Head Start programs, child care centers, and other public and private agencies serving young children and families.
The MAT program in IECE, Birth to Primary, Initial Certification is for individuals who are not certified in any area of education. The performance-based program of study requires 30 semester hours of course work and various field experiences. The culminating capstone experience of the program is an internship. Upon completion of the program and achieving a passing score on the required PRAXIS II exam, students are eligible to be recommended for the Statement of Eligibility to teach children age’s birth through kindergarten.
Program Admission
To be considered for admission, applicants must be:
- Present a letter of application including a professional goals statement.
- Please reach out to Rachael Lee (rachael.lee@wku.edu) for departmental application including: references; physical; signed code of ethics; criminal background check; Child Abuse & Neglect (CAN) check.
- For students who are not teaching under Option 6 or other temporary certification, you will be required to complete IECE 524 on site to fulfill your student teaching requirement. This course occurs during the summer on WKU campus over the course of several weeks.
Program Requirements (30 hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDFN 500 | Research Methods (or advisor approved research course) | 3 |
| IECE 520 | Organizing Programs for Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| IECE 522 | Family-Focused Services | 3 |
| IECE 423G | Interdisciplinary Services for Young Children with Low Incidence Disabilities 1 | 3 |
| IECE 521 | Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| SLP 517 | Normal Language Development 1 | 3 |
| IECE 523 | Planning Curriculum and Instruction in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| IECE 524 | Internship in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 523 | Curriculum/Methods in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| IECE 525 | Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
Or advisor approved electives