Early Childhood Special Education Major

Dual Certification in Early Childhood PreK-4 and Special Education

The mission of the Early Childhood Special Education program at Moravian University is to prepare knowledgeable and competent professionals who become educational leaders. We provide a comprehensive mentoring approach for pre-service teachers through teaching, current research, and extensive field experiences.The special education major consists of ten required special education courses and two electives (Psychology 120 and Sociology 115), required education courses for PreK - 4 teacher certification, and a sequence of field experiences that are developmentally appropriate and directly linked to education coursework. Field experiences occur in a variety of educational settings, both early childhood and special education. Moravian University's early childhood special education pre-service teachers are knowledgeable about the organization and philosophy of early childhood and special education, developmentally appropriate practices, child development, curriculum, strategies and skills for effective practice and management, the use of data to inform instruction, current skills in the use of educational technology, inclusive practices, and the design of successful interventions responsive to the needs of individual children.

Major Requirements

Students seeking certification in Early Childhood and Special Education must complete all required education courses and the University's program of general education (Learning in Common). Students should consult with departmental advisors for details concerning major and certification requirements.

In order to qualify for the special education certification program, students must complete EDUC 244 with a B or above and maintain a 2.7 throughout the program.

Students must adhere to the following course sequence, complete a final student teaching portfolio, and pass the Praxis Exams in Early Childhood Pre-K-4 and Special Education Pre-K-12.

Professional Early Childhood Special Education Courses Required for Dual Certification

Recommended for Freshman Year
  • EDUC 100.2 Intro. to the Education of English Language Learners (Fall)
  • EDUC 160 Culture, Community & Diversity: Intro. to Critical Teaching (Spring; 40-hour Stage 1 & 2 Field Experience/ fulfills M3)
  • EDUC 214.2 Music and Movement (Spring)
Recommended for Sophomore Year
  • EDUC 210 Child Development & Cognition I: Pre-natal to 5  (Fall, 40-hour Stage 1 & 2 Field Experience)
  • EDUC 213.2 Art in Education (Fall)
  • EDUC 216 Early Childhood Theories, Practices, & Family Partnerships (Fall)
  • EDUC 244 Including Students with Disabilities (Fall)
  • EDUC 211 Child Development & Cognition II: 6 to 9 years (Spring, 40-hour Stage 1 & 2 Field Experience)
  • EDUC 222 Emerging Language & Literacy, PK-Grade 4 (Spring, EDUC 211 Co-requisite)
  • EDUC 422.3 Effective Inclusionary Practices (Spring)
Recommended for Junior Year
  • EDUC 312 Data Driven Analysis & Decision Making in ECE (Fall)
  • EDUC 322 PreK-Instructional Strategies for Math Thinking (Fall)
  • EDUC 323 Pre-K Instructional Strategies for Scientific Reasoning (Fall)
  • EDUC 358.2 Pre-Student-Teaching Field Experience (Fall, 75-hour Stage 3 Field Experience)
  • EDUC 421.3 Special Education: Identification & Effective Intervention (Fall)
  • EDUC 218.2 Movement, Health, Safety Education for Young Children (Spring)
  • EDUC 321 Language Arts for Children, PK-Grade 4 (Spring with 359.2)
  • EDUC 324 PreK-4 Social Studies (Spring)
  • EDUC 359.2 Pre-Student-Teaching Field Experience (Spring, 75-hour Stage 3 Field Experience)
  • EDUC 420.3 Differentiating Instruction (Spring)
  • EDUC 425.3 Comprehensive Literacy Practices for Grade PreK-4 (Spring)
Recommended for the Senior Year
  • EDUC 410.3 Language Acquisition and Development (Fall)
  • EDUC 423.3 Special Education Processes & Procedures (Fall)
  • EDUC 424.3 Educating Students with Disabilities and Exceptionalities (Fall)
  • EDUC 426.3A  Literacy & Resistance - Secondary Schools (Fall)
  • EDUC 427.3A   Literacy Assessment and Evaluation (Fall)
  • EDUC 370 Seminar for Early Childhood: Advocacy, Ethics, Leadership, Collaboration (Spring)
  • EDUC 375-7 Student Teaching Experience (Spring recommended, Stage 4 Field Experience)

Content Area Tests - required prior to certification

  • 5355  Special Ed: Core Knowledge/Application
  • 5511  Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge - (does not need to be taken if looking to be dually certified)

Please visit this site for more information: https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/where-to-test.html

Test scores should be reported to Moravian University (RA2418) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

Jean DesJardin

Program Coordinator

Dr. Jean L. DesJardin

Education Department Chair, Program Coordinator and Advisor
desjardinj@moravian.edu