UIC Early Childhood Education Program: Shaping Futures from the Start

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) offers a comprehensive suite of Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs designed to prepare professionals dedicated to working with young children and their families across a wide range of settings. Recognizing that the foundation for lifelong learning is laid during the first few years of a child’s life, and that ninety percent of a child’s brain growth occurs before Kindergarten, UIC's programs reflect the most recent scholarly advances about the cultural and contextual nature of children’s learning, while also responding to the needs of the Chicagoland community.

A Hub for Early Childhood Education

At UIC, Early Childhood Education (ECE) spans departments, colleges, and even the east-west campus structure, from medical initiatives around health and wellness as related to child development to collaborations between psychology and education where policies are influenced. Early Childhood Education (ECE) is situated in the College of Education and connects in many ways to other Early Childhood initiatives on campus, formally and informally. This network of programs, people, and partnerships has developed over several decades at UIC.

UIC's commitment to ECE extends beyond the university, impacting neighborhood, city, state, and federal levels. The UIC Collaborative for Young Children and Families, with a core team of scholars and educators with years of experience in policy, practice, and research, exemplifies this commitment. The Collaborative works to embed early childhood content into various programs.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

UIC offers several pathways to enter the field of early childhood education at the undergraduate level:

Bachelor of Arts in Urban Education (BAUE)

This program allows students to obtain an Elementary level license to teach while simultaneously completing coursework for the Early Childhood Endorsement. Graduates from the BAUE program earn an endorsement in early childhood education.

Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Learning (HDL)

This program offers multiple options for students to earn Illinois Gateways Early Childhood Education, Infant-Toddler, and Illinois Director and Family Specialist credentials.

Master's Degree Programs

For those seeking advanced knowledge and credentials, UIC offers a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education with options to earn various approvals and endorsements.

Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (MEd)

The MEd in Early Childhood Education at UIC prepares professionals to work with young children and their families in diverse settings. The program reflects current research on children's learning within cultural and contextual frameworks. The program requires a minimum of 32-36 semester hours. Applicants are considered on an individual basis, with decisions based on the strength of their academic and professional capacities and available enrollment space. The following requirements for admissions represent recommended minimum levels of performance.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis.
Decisions are made on the strength of the overall evidence of academic and professional capacities and on available enrollment space.
The following requirements for admissions represent recommended minimum levels of performance.
Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s academic qualifications, any experiences working with young children and their families, and ability to carry on advanced degree studies.
A 3-4 page personal statement addressing the applicant’s relevant background and experience, interest in young children, and goals for the MEd program.

Coursework

Minimum Semester Hours Required 32-36 hours.
Students seeking licensure or credentialing have specific course requirements within this elective category.

Licensure and Endorsements

The master’s degree in Early Childhood Education includes an option for students to earn an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with endorsements in early childhood, early childhood special education, and ESL. Note that students seeking an Illinois Professional Educator License with endorsements in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education will complete an additional 12 hours of student teaching.

Specialization

In the Human Development and Learning graduate program, students can specialize in Early Childhood and work directly with researchers and practitioners in the other ECE programs at UIC, as coaches and mentors. Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor.

Thesis/Project Options

Coursework only.

Alternative Licensure Program

The UIC Alternative Licensure Program is a partnership program with the Chicago Early Learning Workforce scholarship. This program is designed to provide a pathway for early childhood teachers with BA degrees to earn an Illinois PEL through a residency program.

Credentials and Approvals

UIC offers various credentials and approvals, often through the UIC extended campus, to enhance the skills and qualifications of early childhood professionals:

Illinois Gateways Director Credential

The IDC program offers the 3-course sequence leading to an Illinois Gateways Director credential for those interested in administrative positions in Illinois child care and after school programs in community based organizations. The IDC program is offered both within UIC degree programs and through UIC extended campus.

Early Intervention Developmental Therapist Credential

This four-course sequence is offered both within our M.Ed degree program in ECE and through UIC extended campus. The Early Intervention Developmental Therapist credential is a credential qualifying individual to work with young children with disabilities and their families.

Early Childhood ESL/Bilingual Approval

The Early Childhood ESL/bilingual Approval is a three-course sequence focusing on preparing teachers to work with multi-lingual learners ages birth to age 5. The Approval can be added to an Illinois PEL in ECE with an approval and/or endorsement in early childhood special education.

Early Childhood Special Education Approval

The Early Childhood Special Education Approval is a four-course sequence focusing on preparing teachers to work with young children with disabilities ages birth to age 5. The Approval can be added to an Illinois PEL in ECE or an LBS1. This Approval is offered with our M.Ed degree programs in ECE and Special Education and through UIC extended campus.

Course Descriptions

UIC offers a wide array of courses related to curriculum and instruction in early childhood education. Here's a glimpse of some of them:

CI 400. Anthropology & Education: This course uses an anthropological approach in the study of formal and informal educational processes to understand the relationship between education, culture and society as represented in ethnographic texts.
CI 401. Methods of Reading: Early Literacy in Urban Classrooms: Exploration of literacy assessment and teaching (including decoding, early writing, spelling, oral language, and comprehension), with a focus on learning to read and write.
CI 402. Reading and Writing in the Content Areas: Intermediate Literacy in Urban Classrooms: Exploration of advanced aspects of literacy instruction (e.g., comprehension, writing, literacy in the content areas), with a focus on reading and writing to learn.
CI 403. Literacy in the Disciplines: Adolescent Literacy in Urban Classrooms: Exploration of using literacy in disciplinary content areas, including building prior knowledge and specialized vocabulary.
CI 404. Teaching and Learning Mathematics in the Urban Classroom: Helps prospective teachers create a foundation from which they can develop an exemplary mathematics teaching practice.
CI 405. Teaching and Learning Science in the Urban Classroom: Learning how to teach core scientific and engineering ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices to advance student learning with a focus on community and societal relevance.
CI 406. Teaching and Learning Social Sciences in the Urban Classroom: Models effective teaching of history and social sciences in urban classroom, in a way that is inclusive of diverse peoples, cultures, and histories. Students learn to teach core concepts, intellectual skills, and participatory dispositions.
CI 410. Literature, Social Studies, and the Arts in the Elementary School: Theory and practice in curriculum development, planning instruction, and assessing learning in elementary classrooms. Literature, social studies, and the arts content foci.
CI 411. Creating Learning Environments in the Elementary School: Examination of beliefs about teaching culture and learning in urban America in relation to the creation of learning environments with emphasis on application of state standards in classrooms and the development of a electronic teaching portfolio.
CI 412. Dynamics of Learning Environments: Exploration of multiculturalism and bilingualism/biculturalism in schools and families. Continued development of electronic portfolio for meeting Illinois professional teaching and technology standards.
CI 413. Foundations of Literacy Instruction, K-8: For prospective teachers, introduction to teaching literacy K-8; examining cognitive, social, developmental perspectives; relationships between language and literacy; connections to school subjects; aligning instruction, assessment, standards.
CI 414. Middle and High School Literacy: Focuses on the teaching of reading and writing strategies appropriate for disciplinary learning and expression.
CI 428. Curriculum and Teaching in Secondary Education: Introduction to the study of curriculum and teaching. Specifically designed for graduate students wanting to become middle and high school teachers, students who are newly admitted to the secondary education program.
CI 429. Secondary Science Education in Urban Settings: Introduction to the study of curriculum and teaching for those interested in urban education and who want to become secondary science teachers at the high school level.
CI 430. Teaching Middle Grades Social Sciences: Content and Methods: Models effective teaching of history and the social sciences in the urban elementary classroom grades 5-8, in a way that is inclusive of the diverse peoples, cultures, and histories that make up our society.
CI 450. Societal Bases of Languages, Literacies and Learning: Introduction to social and cultural processes by which languages and literacies are learned and develop in and out of school within the broader policy and ideological contexts.
CI 451. Foundations of Writing: Introduction to writing research, theory and practice, including writing development, processes, digital writing, pedagogy, assessment. Combines academic study of writing theory/research with guided inquiry into writing processes and pedagogy.
CI 452. Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Media: Overview of trade books and media for children from preschool through adolescence. Emphasizes critically reading, selecting, evaluating materials appropriate for developmental stages, curricular connections, and students in our multicultural society.
CI 453. Digital Literacies and Learning: Theoretical foundations of digital literacies and learning focusing on critical interpretation/production involving texts, tools, and technologies that are online, mobile, and/or networked.
CI 464. Bilingualism and Literacy in a Second Language: Theoretical foundations of second language acquisition and the teaching of English as second language. Methods and materials for teaching reading and writing in bilingual/ESL settings.
CI 470. Language, Culture, and Learning in Urban Classrooms: An introduction to the study of multilingualism, language development, learning, and methodologies for teaching in linguistically and culturally diverse educational settings.
CI 472. Language Proficiency Assessment and ESL Instruction: Study of and practicum in English language proficiency assessment; methods, materials, and resources for assessing oral language, reading, and writing in P-12 school settings.
CI 475. Teaching and Learning of the Natural Sciences: Prepares teacher candidates with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for teaching science in urban contexts by investigating big questions and concepts in natural sciences education.
CI 481. Foundation and Current Issues in Educating English Language Learners: Philosophical, theoretical, socio-cultural and educational examination of learning and achievement issues that culturally and linguistically diverse students face in American schools.
CI 482. Assessment and Instruction: A Multilingual/Multicultural Perspective: Methods and materials for teaching English language learners (ELLs) in bilingual/ESL classrooms. Emphasis upon curricular and methodological practices, assessment for academic placement, and instruction.
CI 484. Curriculum and Instruction in the Middle School: Philosophy, curriculum, and instructional methods for teaching middle grade students (grades five through eight). Content area reading is included.
CI 494. Special Topics in Curriculum and Instruction: Exploration of an area not covered in existing course offerings. Content varies.
CI 500. Proseminar in Curriculum and Instruction: Research-oriented colloquia on issues in curriculum and instruction. Serves as introduction to faculty research interests. Provides opportunity to consider issues in research design.
CI 503. English Language Arts and Instruction in the Elementary School: Focus on literacy instruction. Examines cultural, cognitive, linguistic, social, developmental perspectives; relationships between language and literacy; disciplinary literacies, digital literacies; aligning instruction, assessment, standards.
CI 504. Secondary Literacy: Focuses on the foundations of literacy and on the literacy processes of middle and secondary students and how these processes apply to reading and writing in the disciplines.
CI 505. Integrated Reading and Writing Instruction: Examination of the reading-writing relationship. Specific instructional strategies for teaching reading and writing together in the elementary grades.
CI 507. Teaching and Learning Mathematics in the Elementary School: For prospective teachers, integrating mathematics content with teaching and learning issues, including adapting and developing curriculum, planning, classroom interactions, and assessment in K-9 classrooms.
CI 508. Teaching and Learning Science in the Elementary School: For prospective teachers, development of multiple frameworks for facilitating the learning of science in students of various abilities, cultures, and backgrounds.
CI 509. Literacies and Language Instruction and Assessment for Young Children: Examines early literacy and language practices of children and how these develop throughout early childhood years (birth-8). Observation, teaching, and assessing are emphasized.
CI 511. Student Teaching in the Elementary Grades I: Culminating course in graduate elementary teacher education. Meets Illinois State Board of Education requirements for certification.
CI 512. Student Teaching in the Elementary Grades II: The culminating course in the graduate elementary teacher education sequence. Meets Illinois State Board of Education requirements for certification.
CI 516. Research on Mathematics Teachers and Teaching: Grounds students in research on mathematics teachers and teaching, while situating the literature within the broader sociopolitical context.
CI 517. The Sociopolitical Context of Mathematics and Science Education: Examines the sociopolitical context of mathematics and science education to understand how these domains interact with local, global, sociopolitical forces and movements.
CI 518. Race, Identity, and Agency in Mathematics and Science Education: Explores an emerging literature that is situated at the intersection of scholarship on race, identity, and critical mathematics and science education. Participants will analyze the theories and methods that inform these literatures.
CI 519. Research on the Learning of Mathematics: Examines research on the learning of mathematics, including: whole number concepts and operations, rational numbers and proportional reasoning, algebra, functions, geometry, probability and statistics, problem solving, and proof.
CI 520. The K-12 Mathematics Curriculum: Theory, Politics and Reform: A look at the K-12 curriculum from three perspectives: theoretical (epistemological, learning, teaching), political (whose interests are served) and practical (implementation issues in schools).
CI 525. Assessment and Instruction for Struggling Readers, K-12, Part 1: Theoretical and practical issues concerning the etiology of reading problems and clinical diagnostic techniques. Children with reading problems are diagnosed and taught in the practicum component.
CI 526. Assessment and Instruction for Struggling Readers, K-12, Part 2: Continued study of theoretical and practical issues concerning the etiology of literacy problems and clinical diagnostic and instructional techniques. Practicum inolves tutoring clients in the UIC Reading Clinic.
CI 527. Literacy Leadership: Theories and practices related to the role of the literacy coach/reading specialist.
CI 528. Assessing Language and Literacy for Instruction: Study of and practicum in P-12 literacy assessment and its relation to instruction. Involves conducting and interpreting specific formal and informal literacy/language assessments and drawing implications for individualized and group instruction.
CI 529. Secondary Science Education in Urban Settings: Introduction to the study of curriculum and teaching for those interested in urban education and who want to become secondary science teachers at the high school level.
CI 531. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for Equity in Secondary Science Education: Developing practices of science teaching in urban settings.

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