About

Are you interested in teaching children from birth to age 8 (through third grade)? The Early Childhood Education (ECE) program will prepare you to work in a variety of early care and education settings, such as public and private schools, local Head Start agencies, child care centers, and preschools.

Why Early Childhood Education?

  • Courses focused on preparation for work with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families.
  • Opportunities to learn teaching methods for all children, including those who have a home language other than English; bilingual certification available for those who are proficient in Spanish, Hmong, or Lao.
  • Classroom-based field experiences in a variety of settings in Milwaukee and the surrounding metropolitan area.
  • Flexible scheduling includes full- and part-time study options and coursework in summer and January break.
  • Innovative teacher education curriculum taught by highly-qualified faculty.

Who Should Consider the Program?

  • Undergraduates or transfer students.
  • Career changers who already hold a bachelor’s degree.
  • Those who hold an associate’s degree in ECE and would like to complete a degree and a Wisconsin teacher license.
  • Those who would like to attain Master’s level credits with certification, or a Master’s degree.

Research

Faculty guided undergraduate and graduate research opportunities are available. For more information about faculty research please visit the profile page of Leanne M. Evans.

Career

Our graduates are employed in a number of professional settings—for example, Milwaukee Public Schools, Racine Unified School District, Kenosha Unified School District, Oak Creek-Franklin School District, West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, Waukesha School District, UW-Milwaukee Children’s Learning Center, local Head Start Agencies, Next Door, community-based child care centers, and more.

Curriculum

Undergraduate Program

Requirements

Early Childhood Education Academic Catalog Undergraduate Requirements

Academic Catalog Requirements Sheet

  • Visit the Academic Catalog webpage linked above, then click on the Print Options link in the lower right hand column
  • Click the Download Page (PDF) link
  • Print or save the condensed program requirements document

Post-Baccalaureate Program

Explore the Program Further!

Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree can earn their teaching certification by successfully completing our post-baccalaureate teaching certification program. It’s possible that coursework completed as part of your bachelor’s degree could be applied towards our program. Please complete the web form below to find out if any of your previous course work can be used to fulfill certification requirements.

Request for Transcript Evaluation Form (for post-baccalaureate students only)

Graduate Program

Please contact Dr. Leanne M. Evans, Program Chair for more information at levans@uwm.edu. This is a focus area in the Curriculum and Instruction MS Degree program. See C&I Master’s degree program.

Admission

Program Admission Criteria

Undergraduate Students

With or Without Certification

Teacher candidates are admitted to the ECE major upon declaring the major or transferring from another institution. Candidates can be admitted to the certification track(s) of the major upon:

  • Successful completion of 30 credits.
  • Completion of UWM competency requirements in English and Mathematics.
  • Completion of Currins 501 and Currins 240 with a grade of “C” or better.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
Post-Baccalaureate Students
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on all coursework completed for undergraduate credit.
  • Submit application materials by April 30th for summer admission, by July 15th for fall admission and by December 15th for spring admission.

Application Process

Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate students interesting in applying to the program can complete the admission review form linked below.

Early Childhood Education Undergraduate Admission Review Form

Post-Baccalaureate Program

Follow the steps listed in the Early Childhood Education Post-Baccalaureate Program Application (PDF). Applications must be received by April 30th for Summer admission, July 15th for Fall admission and December 15th for Spring admission. Refer to the Curriculum tab for more information regarding the program and admission criteria.

Graduate Program

Please contact Dr. Leanne M. Evans, Program Chair for more information at levans@uwm.edu. This is a focus area in the Curriculum and Instruction MS Degree program. See C&I Master’s degree program.

Faculty

profile photoLeanne M. EvansAssociate ProfessorTeaching and Learning(414) 229-7324levans@uwm.eduEnderis Hall 377
profile photoAnita OsvaticSenior LecturerTeaching and Learningosvatic@uwm.eduEnderis Hall 385

Contact

Program Information

For general information or questions about the program, contact:

Dr. Leanne M. Evans
Early Childhood Education Program Chair
levans@uwm.edu

Anita Osvatic
Early Childhood Education Program Director & Student Teaching Coordinator
osvatic@uwm.edu

Admissions Information

For information or questions about admissions, contact:

Maggie Kaczmarek
Undergraduate Admissions Manager
kaczmarm@uwm.edu

Advising

To discuss your academic plan and coursework, contact an academic advisor:

Office of Student Services Advising
(414) 229-4721
soeinfo@uwm.edu

Academic Advising
(Last names A – L) – Andrea Azarian
(Last names M – Z) – Nikki Claas