Study Early Childhood Education in Oklahoma
As a prospective early childhood education student in Oklahoma, there are many opportunities ahead of you. On the one hand, Oklahoma has well over two dozen colleges and universities throughout the state, many of which have multiple campuses and solid online programs that give you added flexibility for completing your degree.
On the other hand, many of these colleges and universities have early childhood education programs, which gives you all the choices you need to select the right program for your needs. Whether you want an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a graduate degree, Oklahoma’s higher education institutions have the programs for you.
Early Childhood Education Programs in Oklahoma
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering early childhood education programs in Oklahoma:
- Oklahoma State University
- Capella University
- University of Central Oklahoma
- Northeastern State University
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Walden University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University was founded on Christmas Day in 1890. Back then, the school was small, with few students, and was known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. As a land-grant university, the college’s mission was to bring educational opportunities to more people. OSU’s location halfway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa – the state’s two largest cities – made it an ideal choice for settlers in both areas to get an education.
Today, OSU has more than 35,000 students throughout its five-campus system. Despite being a large school, OSU maintains a student-centered atmosphere with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1. What’s more, OSU has hundreds of on-campus programs and events to enhance student life, including one of the largest homecoming celebrations in the nation.
OSU also has one of the largest comprehensive student unions in the nation, and its Edmon Low Library is one of the top 100 academic libraries in the country.
Early Childhood Education Program Information
Oklahoma State offers a unique early childhood education degree. Its Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science focuses on the cognitive, academic, and social development of children while also emphasizing the acquisition of educational knowledge and skills required to be an early childhood educator.
This 124-credit program takes four years of on-campus studies to complete. In addition to general coursework, you’ll complete major-area courses that prepare you for classroom teaching. These courses include the following:
- Foundations in Early Childhood Education
- Infant-Toddler Programming
- Literacy Development in Early Childhood Education
- Family, School, and Community
- Social Development and Social Studies in Early Childhood
This program also requires that you participate in four field experiences, each of which has a different focus. For example, you will work with special needs children in a classroom setting to hone your skills related to teaching children of all ability levels.
Another unique feature of this program is that you get field experience without leaving OSU’s campus. The university boasts an onsite model teaching classroom as well as a child development lab that’s nationally accredited.
You can apply online to OSU if this program is of interest to you. For assured admission to the university, you must satisfy one of the following requirements:
- Possess a 3.0 GPA or higher and be in the top one-third of your high school class
- Possess a 3.0 GPA or higher in the 15-unit required core and have an ACT score of 21 or higher or an SAT score of 1060 or higher
- Score 24 or higher on the ACT or 1160 or higher on the SAT
University of Central Oklahoma
The University of Central Oklahoma was founded in 1890 on the north side of Oklahoma City. Back then, the area was sparsely populated plains, but today, UCO is in the heart of Edmond, one of the largest suburbs of Oklahoma City. UCO sits on a 210-acre campus that’s big enough to give you the big-school college experience but small enough that you aren’t overwhelmed by it all.
As a UCO student, you will find that your options for getting your degree are widely varied. There are nearly 120 undergraduate degrees available to go along with more than 80 graduate programs at the main campus. Even more options are available online and at UCO’s satellite campuses throughout the region. The variety and quality of programs are just two reasons why UCO has attracted more than 14,000 students on campus and online.
Early Childhood Education Program Information
The Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education from UCO is a 124-credit, on-campus program that leads to licensure as an early childhood educator in Oklahoma. As such, you must apply to both UCO and UCO’s Teacher Education Program. With a license, you can teach children from birth to age 8 in public and private school settings.
This program’s curriculum includes general education courses, support courses, major requirements, and professional education requirements. The major requirements focus on early childhood education with courses like:
- Guidance of the Young Child
- Health, Safety, and Nutrition in Early Childhood
- Science and Social Studies in Early Childhood
- Leadership in Diverse Communities
- Theory and Practice in Early Childhood
The professional education courses focus on teaching and learning topics, such as Introduction to Teacher Education, Assessment in the Early Childhood Classroom, and Classroom Management and Instruction. A student teaching placement during the final year of the program initiates you to the experience of teaching young children in a classroom setting.
You must meet one of the following criteria to apply to UCO:
- 2.7 GPA or higher in the 15-unit core curriculum in high school
- 2.7 GPA or higher and in the top half of your high school’s graduating class
- ACT score of 20 or higher or an SAT score of 1030 or higher in reading and math
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, dates to 1851 when the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma established the Cherokee National Female Seminary. When Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907, the state government purchased the seminary to establish the Northeastern State Normal School to educate future teachers. Over the years, the school’s name changed and its course offerings expanded. Today, it has over 7,000 students.
The learning experience at NSU is intimate. Most classes have less than 30 students, and the university boasts a low student-to-teacher ratio that ensures you receive the individual attention you need to find success in your studies. Your studies will occur at a diverse campus, too – about one-quarter of students are Native American.
Early Childhood Education Program Information
Northeastern State’s Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education prepares you to be a licensed early childhood educator in Oklahoma. To satisfy the requirements of graduation, you must complete 124 credits of undergraduate coursework. This includes classroom studies and field experiences designed to help you apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting.
Some of the courses you will take include the following:
- Creative Expression for Early Childhood
- Cognitive Development of Young Children and the Integrated Curriculum
- Birth to Two Development
- Motor Skill Development of the Young Child
- Introduction to Reading and Writing Assessment
The professional education requirements for licensure include coursework in Educational Psychology, Instructional Technology, and Assessment and Evaluation. You must also participate in two pre-internship experiences and a full student teaching placement in an early childhood classroom setting.
NSU’s undergraduate application is available online. Admissions requirements are as follows:
- Be a graduate of an accredited high school or equivalency program
- Meet necessary core curricular requirements as outlined by the Oklahoma Department of Education.
- Have a 2.7 high school GPA or higher with a ranking in the top 50 percent of your class
- Alternatively, you can have a 2.7 GPA in the 15 high school courses you must take for college entrance
- You can also gain full admission if you have a 20 or higher on the ACT or an equivalent score on another college entrance exam
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University was founded in 1950 as Central Christian College. Back then, the school had just 97 students. Today, though, the university has more than 2,200 students on its campus in northeast Oklahoma City on the border with its suburb, Edmond.
The campus’ location makes it easy to head downtown for cultural and sporting events while also giving you easy access to shopping, restaurants, and cultural experience in the city’s suburban areas.
OCU might be a small school, but it offers many amenities you might not find at most schools of this size. The faculty, for example, includes Oxford-trained theologians, best-selling authors, and NASA scientists. You will learn from expert faculty in small class settings and be able to enjoy wide-open green spaces on a 200-acre campus. With more than 6,500 events on campus each year, there is no shortage of activities to enhance your education!
Early Childhood Education Program Information
The Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education from OCU is a 126-credit program that requires about four years of full-time studies to complete. The program includes a professional education minor that supplements your major-area studies and enhances your skills as a future educator.
During your time in the program, you will complete 35 hours of early childhood education courses. This includes the following:
- Topics in Early Childhood
- Emergent Literacy
- Movement and Fine Arts
- Science for the Primary Child
- Developmental Psychology
You will also complete 25 credits of professional education courses, including Classroom Management Strategies, Educational Technology, and Critical Issues in Education. There are four practicum experiences and one internship that round out the graduation requirements.
You can apply for admission anytime online. When doing so, you must submit high school transcripts as well as ACT or SAT scores.
Early Childhood Education Work Opportunities in Oklahoma
As in any other state, Oklahoma offers many opportunities for you as a graduate of an early childhood education program. The programs outlined above, for example, all lead to licensure, so you can pursue a teaching position in a public or private elementary school teaching children in kindergarten through the third grade.
If you prefer, you can also pursue jobs in pre-K schools, where you will work with children that are three, four, or five years old. These settings – which might be privately-run institutions or part of a public school district – focus on critical social, emotional, and academic development that’s necessary for a child to be ready for kindergarten and beyond.
In some cases, students like you continue with college after completing an undergraduate degree. If you get a master’s degree, for example, you might be able to work in an administrative role in a public or private school. If you get a doctoral degree, you might find that in addition to administrative roles, you can pursue teaching jobs at a college or university in Oklahoma.
Of course, government and non-profit jobs are available for people with the proper education and training. For example, you might go to work as a curriculum designer for the Oklahoma Department of Education, which is based in Oklahoma City. Likewise, you might work for a Headstart-type program in one of Oklahoma’s rural areas.
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