Early Childhood Education

For more than a century, the University of Northern Iowa has educated teachers of young children. Because of their preparation and dedication, these teachers have assumed leadership roles in the education field. Today, the early childhood education program continues to prepare its graduates to assume leadership roles in education in Iowa, the United States and in countries throughout the world.

Since the fall of 1998, the early childhood education program at UNI has incorporated a curriculum that features both regular education and special education for early childhood, called the Unified Program. Teaching positions in this field include the following: infant and toddler teacher, public and private preschool, kindergarten teacher and primary teacher. Other careers that early childhood education graduates choose are those of child-care director, resource and referred consultants, and early childhood coordinator of programs for young children. The undergraduate sequence of courses in early childhood education offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Northern Iowa is based on an understanding of the development of young children and how they learn. The program of study is a planned series of academic courses in conjunction with practical experiences with young children in both public and private programs in the cedar valley.