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Education & Child Development

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When you major in Education and Child Development, you’ll become well-versed in child development and gain real-life experiences working with children and families in a variety of settings. This flexible major allows students to choose an area of focus within special education, early childhood, or education more broadly to meet their professional and personal goals. Through extensive internship opportunities, students gain valuable experiences building their skills and working in the field of their choice before graduation. 

Graduates from this program are prepared for a wide variety of careers working with children and families, from early interventionists to directors of childcare facilities to caseworkers with human services organizations. Students interested in pursuing graduate programs for careers as speech-language pathologists or child life specialists will also find this major a great fit, as they can easily select courses that best meet the prerequisite requirements for their graduate work.

Program Goals:

The goals of the Lander University Education and Child Development Major prepare students to be able to:

  • Describe and apply important concepts related to the growth and development of young children.
  • Use appropriate diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to develop and implement data-informed, developmentally appropriate instruction for each learner.
  • Apply research and theories of child development in a variety of settings to create positive learning environments.
  • Work closely with families in a professional setting.
  • Demonstrate professional dispositions in community and education-related settings conducive to promote healthy child development across a range of settings.

 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Note: The information below provides convenient links to some of the courses required for this degree; however, it should not be used as a course registration guide. Please refer to the official Lander University Academic Catalog for the most accurate and up-to-date program requirements.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

CREDIT
HOURS

A. Core Skills

 

ENGL 101 Writing and Inquiry I 3
ENGL 102 Writing and Inquiry II 3

Approved Mathematics

3

B. Humanities and Fine Arts
(6 hours selected from 2 different disciplines)

6
C. Behavioral and Social Perspectives
PSYC 101 General Psychology 3
Behavioral and Social Perspectives elective 3
D. Scientific and Mathematical Reasoning
Approved Science or Mathematics 3
Approved Lab Science 4
E. Founding Documents of the United States
HIST 111R2 United States History to 1877
OR
HIST 112R2 United States History since 1877
OR
POLS 101R2 American National Government
3
F. World Cultures 3
G. LINK 101 1
Total General Education Requirements 35

1 For approved courses see the General Education section
If you already have credit for HIST 111, do not take HIST 111R; if you already have credit for HIST 112, do not take HIST 112R; if you already have credit for POLS 101, do not take POLS 101R

 

 

MAJOR PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS CREDIT
HOURS
ECED 222 Child Growth and Development
OR EDUC 240 Child Growth and the Educational Process
3
ECED 227 Introduction to Early Childhood 3
EDUC 223 General Pedagogy 3
SPED 223 Pre K-12 Student Diverse Learning Needs 3
SPED 240 Characteristics of Diverse Learners, K-12 3
ECED 307 Health and Movement for Childhood 3
ECED 405 Children and Families 3

 

MAJOR PROGRAM ELECTIVES CREDIT
HOURS
SPED or ECED or EDUC 300 or higher 3
SPED or ECED or EDUC 300 or higher 3
SPED or ECED or EDUC 300 or higher 3
SPED or ECED or EDUC 300 or higher 3

 

MAJOR PROGRAM PROFESSIOINAL INTERNSHIP CREDIT
HOURS
EDUC 490 Internship 3
EDUC 491 Internship II 9
Total Major Requirements 45
Additional Electives 40
TOTAL FOR BS DEGREE 120

 

  • Coursework must include at least 30 hours earned in 300 or above level courses, of which 12 hours must be in the major.
  • See the 4-year major guide for recommended order in which to take courses