Child and Family Studies
Department | Program | Courses
B.A. Degree with a Major in Child and Family Studies, with an
Area of Concentration in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
(IECE) with Teacher Certification
The curriculum in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) with Teacher Certification meets Kentucky teacher certification requirements for teaching children from birth through age five. This teacher certification is required to teach in public preschool/kindergarten programs. Graduates are qualified to teach in public and private infant and toddler, preschool, and kindergarten programs. They also work as developmental intervention specialists for young children in state, local, and private early-intervention agencies that assist families with children ages birth to three years who have a diagnosed disability or are developmentally delayed in areas of physical or cognitive development. Additional opportunities are available to work in social services and education agencies or to pursue graduate education.
A major in Child and Family Studies, with an Area of Concentration in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE), is achieved by completion of the following courses, in addition to the General Education and electives required for a degree:
Required CFS Core Courses—CFS 130, 145, 207 (also WST), 221, and 441 (which includes the Home Management House as a laboratory component)
Required IECE with Teacher Certification
Concentration Courses—CFS 217, 313, 353, and
356; CFS 358 (also NUR); and PEH 220
Required Education Courses—EDS 150, CFS/EDS 210, 360, 380, and 382, plus the three-credit
Professional Year course, CFS/EDS 475.
Required Capstone Course—CFS 480
Exploring the Major—In addition to taking key General Education requirements, students considering this concentration should enroll in CFS 130, 145, 207 (also WST), and 221 during their first and second years, if possible. Students seeking IECE certification need to meet with their IECE Education Adviser very early in their College career to select appropriate courses for admission to the program. Also see Teacher Education Program to follow.
Admission to the Major—Admission into the Child and Family Studies major requires the following: an overall GPA of 2.0; a successful formal interview and positive recommendation by an assigned CFS faculty member; completion of a handwritten, well-constructed essay explaining why the student wants to become a CFS major; successful performance in at least one completed or in-progress CFS course; and a majority vote of acceptance by the CFS faculty. A student who already has been formally accepted into another major at Berea and wants to transfer to a CFS major must make this request in writing to the Chair of the CFS Department. See the “Requirements for Admission to the Teacher Education Program”
under Education Studies for that program’s admission requirements, including the minimum overall GPA of 2.5.
Course Sequencing Considerations (in order to complete degree requirements within nine terms)—CFS 130, 145, 207 (also WST), and 221 are prerequisites for upper-level courses and are offered every regular term. Upper-level courses sometimes are offered only once a year, so early curricular planning is very important. CFS 313, 353, 356, and 358 (also NUR) should be completed prior to entering the Professional Term (ninth term). Also see Education Studies sequencing recommendations below. Students, including those with a dual concentration, may use only one department-approved 186/286/386/486 and/or 395/495 to meet a concentration requirement.
Proficiency Requirements for Retention in and Completion of the Major—In addition to completing the core course requirements and specified courses within the area of concentration, each student must satisfy departmental standards for effectiveness in written and oral communication.
Admission to and Completion of the Teacher Education Program—Students are encouraged strongly to take EDS 150
in the second term of the first year, but no later than the first term of sophomore year. (Multiple sections of EDS 150 are offered each Fall and Spring term.) Those students past their first year (including transfers) will be given priority for registration in EDS 150. Prior to the first day of the EDS 150 class, students must have completed a state criminal records clearance, which takes 6-8 weeks to be processed. Students will learn about this procedure during pre-registration. While taking EDS 150, students will be assigned an Education Adviser. During the sophomore year, students need to take CFS/EDS 210 and preferably CFS 217. Prior to the eighth term, CFS/EDS 360 and 382 must be completed. CFS/EDS 380 must be completed either prior to or in the eighth term. CFS/EDS 475 (3 credits), which includes a school practicum of 3-4 hours daily, must be taken in the ninth term. Throughout their preparation, students seeking teacher certification are expected to seek out rich and substantive experiences with students of the ages they plan to teach beyond those associated with EDS courses. Such activities include SFA-related service work (e.g., One-on-One Tutoring), working with after-school programs, summer camp experiences, and the like. Completion of teacher certification requires nine terms. For further information about the Teacher Education Program, Student Teaching, and Recommendation for Certification, see “Requirements for all Students Seeking Certification.”
Other Considerations and Recommendations—If the student chooses to complete two Internships or two Special Topics courses, counting one toward each area of concentration, the two courses must be judged qualitatively different by the Department.
Curriculum Guide
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