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Undergraduate Catalog | 2021-2022 Previous Edition
Child and Family Development, B.A.
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 Return to: Academic Programs (Majors)
The B.A. degree in Child and Family Development prepares graduates to work in educational and related settings that serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners with and without disabilities, and their families. The program qualifies graduates for the Standard Professional 1 (SP1) Professional Educator’s License in birth-kindergarten (B-K) education.
Graduates of the program are prepared to meet the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and the ten Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards for new teachers in Content Pedagogy, Student Development, Diverse Learners, Multiple Instructional Strategies, Motivation and Management, Communication and Technology, Planning, Assessment, Reflective Practice, and School and Community Involvement. Candidates have specific coursework and clinical experiences in a variety of settings in order to learn and apply evidence-based knowledge and practices in the field of early childhood development and education.
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Admission Requirements (Pre-Education)
Freshmen
- Minimum GPA: 2.7
- Pre-Major/Prerequisite Courses: A minimum of 45 credit hours in approved college-level courses, and a grade of C or above in the following:
- Other:
- Passing scores on the Praxis Core: Academic Skills Assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; or an acceptable substitute score on the SAT or ACT
- Completion and clearance on the Criminal Background Check
- Signed Statement of Commitment to Professional Dispositions
- Approval of the Chair (or his or her designee) of the department that offers the program
- Declaration of Major: The Child and Family Development major is intended to be started in the first semester of Junior year; students should plan to declare the major no later than the second semester of the Sophomore year. Students must complete an “Application for Admission to a Teacher Education Program” in the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) in the Cato College of Education. Students must apply for admission to a specific teacher education program and complete the admissions process in order to enroll in any professional education courses at the 3000 level or above.
Degree Requirements
The Major in Child and Family Development leading to the B.A. degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours.
General Education (31-35 credit hours)
For details on required courses, refer to the General Education program . Students in this major should plan on taking the following courses that meet general education requirements and also satisfy prerequisites for courses in the major:
Foundation Courses (6-7 credit hours)
Note:
*SPED 2100 and either EDUC 1100 or EDUC 2100 should be taken no later than a student’s Sophomore year. Both courses must be completed with a grade of C or above to qualify for admission to the Teacher Education Program in Child and Family Development.
Major Courses (63 credit hours)
Restricted Elective Courses (12 credit hours)
Select four of the following. Please note that some courses may have prerequisites.
Teaching English as a Second Language Courses
Children’s Literature and Childhood Studies Minor Courses
Public Health Minor Courses
Other Approved Elective Courses
Unrestricted Elective Courses
As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation.
Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
Admission Requirements
Transfers
- Minimum GPA: overall 2.7 and minimum 2.5 on all courses taken at the community college
- Degrees: A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood Education or similar title with curriculum acceptable to the department with 60-64 credit hours of coursework (transfer applicants not having the A.A.S. degree or its equivalent must meet University admission requirements)
- Pre-Major/Prerequisite Courses:
- EDUC 1100 or EDUC 2100 (with grade of C or above by the end of the semester of application or the equivalent transferred community college courses)
- SPED 2100 (with grade of C or above by the end of the semester of application or the equivalent transferred community college courses)
- Prerequisite background courses for the program (a limited number of such background courses may be made up by taking them at UNC Charlotte)
- A minimum of 30 credit hours in General Education courses that are taken as part of all North Carolina A.A.S. Early Childhood Education programs, plus additional University General Education requirements that may not be part of A.A.S. degree but are required to earn a Bachelor degree in Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) teaching licensure program
- A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood (Licensure Track) with 30 credit hours of General Education courses follows the 2+2 Articulation Plan
- A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood (Non-Licensure Track) without 30 credit hours of General Education credits must complete additional General Education credits to meet the 30 credit requirement
- Other:
- Passing scores on the Praxis Core: Academic Skills Assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; or an acceptable substitute score on the SAT or ACT
- Completion and clearance on the Criminal Background Check
- Signed Statement of Commitment to Professional Dispositions
- Approval of the Chair (or his or her designee) of the department that offers the program
- Declaration of Major: Students must complete an “Application for Admission to a Teacher Education Program” in the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL) in the Cato College of Education. Students must apply for admission to a specific teacher education program and complete the admissions process in order to enroll in any professional education courses at the 3000 level or above.
Degree Requirements
The B.A. in Child and Family Development 2+2-year degree program for transfer students consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours.
A.A.S. Degree (60-64 credit hours)
General Education Courses
For details on required courses, refer to the General Education Program . Requirements in the major satisfy the Writing in the Disciplines (W) and Oral Communications (O) requirements.
Major Courses (51 credit hours)
Admission to Teacher Education and advisor approval are required in order to register for any of the following courses:
Restricted Elective Courses (9 credit hours)
Select three courses from the options in the 4-Year Program above.
Unrestricted Elective Courses
As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation.
Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
Additional Requirements
The successful completion of this degree program includes meeting the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s licensure requirements for B-K certification. Consequently, additional requirements must be completed during the student’s program and are listed below. Since state licensure requirements often change, additional work may be required to complete the program with a teaching license.
Planning Sheet
All education students are tracked through their program with a Program Planning Sheet. The original planning sheet is uploaded to the advising system and lists all courses taken, transfer hours, General Education and minor requirements met, and courses remaining in the program. Note that the University requires that the minimum number of credits in a degree program is 120 credit hours.
Clinicals
Some courses in the professional program include a clinical requirement where students complete specific activities or designated hours in an appropriate setting. Clinicals are designed to expose students to diverse school demographics, locations, and programs.
Academic Advising
Students who intend to major in Child and Family Development and to earn B-K licensure are classified as Pre-Education students in Child and Family Development. These students are assigned an advisor in the Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL), who help students select appropriate General Education and elective courses, and who will help them meet the requirements for admission to teacher education. To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program in Child and Family Development, students must have completed an admission application through the TEAL office, attained a grade of C or above in SPED 2100 and either EDUC 1100 or EDUC 2100 , attained passing scores on all three parts of the Praxis Core or acceptable alternatives (SAT or ACT scores), and attained an overall GPA of at least 2.7 in at least 45 credit hours of coursework.
Applications for admission to the Teacher Education Program in Child and Family Development are available from and are to be returned to the TEAL office after a student has earned at least 45 credit hours of coursework. Students are then assigned a major/minor advisor in child and family development who assists planning the remainder of the program of study. Course selections for each subsequent semester must be approved by the student’s advisor in child and family development. Assignment of the student’s major/minor advisor is the responsibility of the Child and Family Development Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Special Education and Child Development (SPCD).
Grade Requirements
All students with an education major must maintain a 2.5 GPA overall and a 2.75 GPA in their professional courses. All professional courses must be passed with a grade of C or above, and students may repeat a professional course once. Students may be dropped from a course if they register out of sequence.
Honors Program
For details about the Honors Program in Education, visit the program page .
Internship
Teacher education candidates participate in the yearlong internship during their final year of the program. During the first semester, students spend a minimum of one day per week in an assigned classroom while completing coursework on campus. During the second semester of the internship, students complete full-time student teaching in the same classroom. Applications for this yearlong internship are due two semesters prior to student teaching; part two of the application is due one semester prior to student teaching.
Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours
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Return to: Academic Programs (Majors)
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