Aug 26, 2025  
Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Early Childhood Education (BS)


The Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education is dedicated to preparing students to excel in Early Childhood Education by obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary to support the teaching and learning of young children. Students may select a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Early Childhood Education that will lead to licensure or non-licensure status.

Please see the UNLV College of Education, Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education web page for information about department programs, faculty and facilities. Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.

Learning Objectives

  1. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) and is learning to create learning experiences that make these aspects of content meaningful.

  2. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about how individuals learn and how to develop and provide opportunities that support intellectual, career, social, and personal development.

  3. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about how individuals differ in their approaches to learning and how to create opportunities that are equitable and adaptable to the needs of diverse learners.

  4. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about planning processes based upon knowledge of content, learners characteristics, the community, and curriculum goals and standards.

  5. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about how to employ a variety of strategies and methods and encourages the development of critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and performance skills.

  6. The Early Childhood Education graduate is learning about individual and group motivation and behavior and how to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Career Possibilities

Possible career options after receiving this degree:

  • Licensed teacher
  • Preschool provider
  • Preschool administrator
  • Day care teacher
  • Day care administrator
  • State education department director or employee

Advising


Please see advising information at the UNLV College of Education Student Services Center.

Accreditation


For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements


Please see Graduation Policies  for complete information.

Early Childhood Education (BS) Degree Requirements - Total Credits: 120


General Education Requirements - Credits: 36-44


First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3


Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3


Constitutions - Credits: 3-6


Mathematics - Credits: 3


Distribution Requirement - Credits:19-20


Please see Distribution Requirements  for more information

Humanities and Fine Arts - Credits: 9

  • Two courses 3 credits each from two different humanities areas - 6 credits
  • One course in fine arts- 3 credits
Social Science - Credits: 0

  • Automatically satisfied by Major requirements
Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - Credits: 10

  • Two courses from life and physical sciences category; at least one must have a lab -7 credits
  • One course from Analytical Thinking -  3 credits

Multicultural and International - Credits: 0-6


Multicultural

  • EDU 280  is recommended and will satisfy both Multicultural and major requirements

International

  • International, one 3 credit course required

These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements. A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. Visit the Provost webpage for the list of approved Multicultural and International courses.

Major Requirements - BS in Early Childhood Education - Credits: 84


Licensure Track - Credits: 75


Optional Electives - Credits: 6


Choose from the list below or another advisor approved elective.

Administrative/Non-Licensure Track - Credits: 75


Total Credits: 120


Notes


  1. A candidate for the Bachelor of Science degree in Education must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours with 40 credits in upper-division courses.
  2. A minimum GPA of 2.75 for all courses attempted must be maintained.
  3. A grade of B or higher in ECE 483 - Pre-Student Teaching in Early Childhood Education  must be earned to register for student teaching (ECE 491  and ECE 492 ).
  4. Student must register for a minimum of 10 credits of ECE 491 - Student Teaching in Early Childhood Education  to earn their degree.
  5. ECE 250  is a Milestone Experience course for Early Childhood Education B.S.
  6. ECE 491  is a Culminating Experience course for Early Childhood Education B.S.