Special education BS and ECSE licensure

Early childhood special education BS and licensure

Earn your bachelor’s degree and a teaching license for early childhood special education (ECSE) through flexible in-person and online course options.

100% satisfaction with the quality of courses

89% would recommend the U of M to others

96% pass rate on edTPA

100% job placement after receiving license

Start your journey

Program details

Earn your degree and teaching license in four years

This program prepares you for an initial teaching license in ECSE. Establish the skills necessary to support the development of young children, birth through age six, with a wide range of delays/disabilities (motor delays, speech or language impairments, autism spectrum disorders, emotional or behavioral disorders, low birth weight, chromosomal abnormalities, etc.).

For students who want to attend the University of Minnesota as a freshman

You are a freshman applicant if you are still in high school or have graduated high school but not enrolled in any other college, university, or school after high school.
The program will take four years and primarily offers in-person courses.

For students who want to attend the University of Minnesota as a transfer student

You are a transfer applicant if you graduated from high school and already took classes at another college, university, or trade school that might transfer to the UMN for your bachelor’s degree.
This includes individuals with an associate’s degree.
The program will take closer to two or three years to complete and includes online course options for working professionals.

Transfer Apply as a Freshman Request info

Coursework

View a sample plan of classes or a complete list of program requirements.

Gain experience working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with delays/disabilities in a variety of settings through required field experiences at a program or school in your community each semester.

Program plans will likely vary for transfer students (i.e, those who have already completed some college credits, including those with a two-year degree). We are happy to provide you with an individualized program plan based on your transcripts.

Tuition and funding

Tuition

Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Tuition and Financial Aid page for information on tuition.

Financial aid

North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship Program

The NSP Scholarship program is a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education for Minnesota residents with a family income under $80,000. Eligible undergraduates at the University of Minnesota will receive full coverage for the balance of tuition and fees remaining after other scholarships, grants, stipends and tuition waivers have been applied.

Scholarships and awards through school districts for their employees

Ask your employer if they have funding to support your education.

Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program. If you are working as an educational assistant or paraprofessional in the state of Minnesota, you may be eligible to receive funding from your school district to cover some or all of the cost of your licensure program. Please check with your employer to see if you can access their Special Education Teacher Pipeline Funding.

Grow Your Own Program is similar to the Pipeline program, but is not limited to special education and often includes a focus on diversifying the teacher workforce.

Come Teach in Minnesota allows school districts to offer hiring and retention bonuses to eligible individuals when they move to Minnesota and enroll in a teacher preparation program

TEACH Grants

TEACH Grants are part of a federal program to provide financial support to students who will teach in a high need area at a low-income school for at least four years. Application information is available from Onestop on their grants and waivers page.

Scholarships and awards through the University

Special education scholarships, fellowships, and awards

Incoming first-year students who are interested in special education are automatically considered for the Campbell Scholarship for Education. Visit the Office of Admissions scholarships page for more information on this and additional CEHD scholarships available to incoming first-year students.

Learn more about teaching scholarships available to undergraduates in the College of Education and Human Development.

Careers

Early childhood special education needs you! After graduating and obtaining your ECSE license, you’ll have no trouble landing a rewarding career that fully aligns with your interests and skills. Most of our graduates go on to:

Conduct home visits as an early interventionist and coach caregivers to facilitate their child’s development across daily routines
Teach in a self-contained special education preschool classroom with children ages 3-6 with delays/disabilities
Co-teach with a general education preschool teacher in an early childhood classroom serving children with and without delays/disabilities
Work as an itinerant (“traveling”) teacher who supports young children with delays/disabilities across various community-based programs
Work on an evaluation team that focuses primarily on screening and evaluating infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children to determine eligibility for special education

Add an online autism spectrum disorder certificate

Take three additional courses (eight credits in total) and earn your certificate in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), all while working toward your ECSE license. Given the long-term benefits of early identification and the fact that autism can be reliably detected before the age two, specialized training in assessment, intervention, and treatment evaluation specific to autism will make you an extremely valuable early childhood professional.