Early Childhood Education, Post Baccalaureate
The Fifth Year Post Baccalaureate non-degree program is designed to allow NLU’s Early Childhood Practice (ECP) graduates (Bachelor of Arts degree) to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator License with an Early Childhood Endorsement. Upon completion of the ECP program, graduates earn the Gateways Level 5 ECE credential. The Post Baccalaureate non-degree program will allow ECP graduates to seamlessly transition into a fifth year of study, meeting all of the standards of NLU’s Early Childhood licensure program. Since ECP and ECE BA (licensure candidates) take the same coursework in the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years, the design of the Post Baccalaureate non-degree program supports candidate readiness to meet the requirements for licensure with great success.
The Post Baccalaureate non-degree program is designed around a one year (three-term) delivery and includes a full year of classroom experience in an approved early childhood setting, PreK- Grade 2.
In addition to National Louis University Undergraduate Admission Requirements, applicants must:
- Pass the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) or ISBE approved alternative
- Graduate from NLU's Early Childhood Practice or Kendall College's Early Childhood Education program, or another University's non-licensure BA in Early Childhood Education or related field
- Complete the following General Education coursework determined by transcript evaluation prior to the beginning of the program:
- Science- coursework covering at least three of the following ares: physical, life science, and earth & space
- Social Science- coursework covering at least four of the following areas: history, geography, civics and government, economics of Illinois, US and the world
- Complete the following Early Childhood coursework determined by Faculty review prior to the beginning of the program: EDU 210, PSY 200, SPE 300, CIL 300, EDU 300, EDU 350, ECE 200, ECE 324, and ECE 334
- Have completed all previous baccalaureate coursework with a grade of "C" or better as a requirement for Licensure in the state of Illinois
Program Details:
- Requires 35 QH for completion
- Requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 for all Post Baccalaureate coursework with a grade of "C" or better in each course required for Licensure in the state of Illinois
- Requires passing score of the ECE Content Test (206) prior to Practicum III
ECE Fifth Year Post Baccalaureate Non-degree Program
Required Courses
| CIS 480A | Methods of Teaching Social Studies | 3 |
| ECE 470 | Early Childhood Education: Student Teaching | 10 TO 14 |
| EDU 400 | Teacher Education Practicum II | 5 |
| EDU 410 | Teacher Education Practicum III | 5 |
| MHE 480A | Methods of Teaching Mathematics | 4 TO 5 |
| RLL 479 | Literacy Methods II | 3 |
| SCE 480A | Methods of Teaching Science | 3 |
Note: ECE 470 must be taken for 10 quarter hours. MHE 480A must be taken for 5 quarter hours.