Students enrolled in a B.A., B.S., or B.F.A. degree at Tulane University may pursue teacher certification in Early Childhood Education (PreK-3) through the alternative teacher certification approved by the Louisiana State Department of Education.
Students are required to complete 33 hours of course work towards a Certificate in Early Childhood Education (PreK-3). Students may major in psychology with a coordinate major in early childhood education to earn credits that count toward the primary teaching certification to teach in grades PreK-3. For this co-major, students will work with both an advisor in the psychology department and an advisor from the Teacher Preparation and Certification Program to ensure that both major and certification requirements are met.
All teacher preparation coursework except for the yearlong teaching residency may be completed concurrently with students' undergraduate studies. Students will have spent 150+ hours in classrooms by the time their final clinical begins. The final, year-long student teaching/practitioner residency is completed after earning the baccalaureate degree.
Curriculum
Note: Students who complete all requirements below earn a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Early Childhood Education (PreK-3) and become eligible to apply for a Early Childhood Education (PreK-3) teaching license in Louisiana.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| EDLA 2000 & EDLA 2890 | Education In A Diverse Society and Service Learning | 3 |
| EDLA 3160 | Child & Adolescent Lit | 3 |
| EDUC 3410 & EDUC 3893 | The Craft of Teaching and Service Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 3420 | Foundations of Emergent Literacy | 3 |
| EDUC 3801 | Early Childhood Reading Methods | 3 |
| EDUC 4110 | Teaching Social Studies in ECE | 3 |
| EDUC 4120 | Teaching Science in the Early Childhood Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC 4130 | Teaching Mathematics in ECE | 3 |
| PSYC 3210 | Child Psychology | 3 |
| Residency Requirements (Student Teaching or Practitioner) 1 | 6 | |
| Residency Student Teach PK-3 and Residency Student Teach PK-3 | ||
| Pract Resid Early Child PK-3 and Pract Resid Early Child PK-3 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
- 1
All teacher preparation coursework except for the yearlong teaching residency may be completed concurrently with students' undergraduate studies. The final, year-long student teaching/practitioner residency is completed after earning the baccalaureate degree.
Students who elect to earn a Certificate in Early Childhood Education (PreK-3) must:
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA in education courses
- Maintain a 2.75 overall GPA
- Pass the Praxis I (PPST) exam (or meet ACT/SAT requirements)
- Complete an entrance interview process
- Successfully complete and meet program competencies during the Program Continuance Review (PCR)
PRAXIS Requirements
Praxis I (PPST) – Students who achieve a score of 22 or above on the ACT or a combined verbal and math score of 1100 or higher on the new SAT or 1030 on the SAT combined math/verbal (pre March 2016) are excused from taking the PPST.
Praxis II (Content Area) - Complete before residency.
Praxis II (Principles of Learning and Teaching) - Complete before or during residency.