Children are the foundation for a bright future. It’s never too early to start giving them the tools they need to be successful. If you've always enjoyed working with children, our program will give you the skills to make a career from your dreams.
- 250 hours of hands-on work with children before you even start student teaching
- Small class sizes
- Real-world experience in child care facilities on and off campus
- Strong advisement from faculty
- ECE license can be expanded to include Grades 4-6 or Early Childhood Special Education
- 120 credits means you can graduate in four years
Add-On Concentration
- Early Childhood – Middle Childhood (Birth - Grade 6)
Note: As of Fall 2022, the Middle Childhood certification is no longer available for new students due to licensure changes at the WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
As an Early Childhood Education major at UW-Stout, you'll become certified to teach birth through third grade in Wisconsin. Our experience tenured faculty have established a caring community of learners. You will experience 250 hours of hands-on work with children before you even start student teaching. You can network with your future colleagues by joining student organizations related to the teaching field.
Program Overview
Infant and Toddler Education Lab
The Infant and Toddler Education Lab at UW-Stout is a certified childcare center for the university staff, students, and the Menomonie community. Students in the School of Education's Early Childhood Education program provide childcare for children ages 0-3. Aaron Wisecup, a senior in ECE, assists in and teaches children for nine weeks during the semester.
"We really focus on teaching the children self-help skills and social and emotional skills, like learning to share toys, take turns, and asking friends if they are hurt," Wisecup said.
Working alongside other student staff and experienced faculty, and watching the children progress gives students the necessary experience to benefit in their future teaching careers.
Child and Family Study Center
UW-Stout’s Child and Family Study Center will provide many opportunities to observe child behaviors. Our five early childhood classrooms are the perfect setting to learn teaching techniques.
You can add the Early Childhood Special Education certification with only five more classes and a fourth student teaching placement for licensure outside of WI.
"Stout has provided so many opportunities for me that I did not know were possible. All within a short two years, and before the start of student teaching, my confidence has grown as well as my passion for teaching."
-- Ana Jane SchuerstedtB.S. Early Childhood Education
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education.
Request Information
New First-Year Students
- There are no additional requirements for new first-year students.
Transfer Students
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher from the last institution attended.
Students who meet this requirement will be admitted to the university in their chosen Education major. Subsequent acceptance into a teacher education major and enrollment in professional education coursework will require successful completion of Benchmark I requirements. Additional information can be found at the School of Education website.
Students whose cumulative GPA is lower than the 2.75 will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis for admission consideration.
Careers
- Public and Private School Teachers (Pre-school-third grade)
- Head Start Director
- Assistant Director
- Infant/Toddler Teacher
- Pre-K Teacher
- Kindergarten Teacher
- First Grade Teacher
- Second Grade Teacher
- Third Grade Teacher
Stout Graduates at Work
- Starting preschool program » Lime Springs and Ridgeway, Iowa
- Starting 4K program » Ellsworth, Wisconsin
- First Grade Teacher » Almond-Bancroft, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » St. Paul, Minnesota
- Elementary Teacher » Denver, Colorado
- Kindergarten Teacher » Frederick, Wisconsin
- First Grade Teacher » Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » Bloomer, Wisconsin
- Third Grade Teacher » Almena, Wisconsin
- 4K Teacher » Mosinee, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Third Grade Teacher » Stanley-Boyd, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » Eleva-Strum, Wisconsin
- First Grade Teacher » Cokato, Minnesota
- Pre-K Teacher » Shell Lake, Wisconsin
- Elementary Teacher » Alaska
- Kindergarten Teacher » Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
- 4K Teacher » Baraboo, Wisconsin
- Pre-K Teacher » Plum City, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
- Teacher for Teach For America » South Dakota
- First Grade Teacher » East Central Schools, Minnesota
- Kindergarten Teacher » Arizona
- First Grade Teacher » Spooner, Wisconsin
- 4K Teacher » Madison, Wisconsin
- Second Grade Teacher » Colby, Wisconsin
- Second Grade Teacher » Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
- Kindergarten Teacher » Coolidge, Arizona
Advisory Committee Members
| James | Arenz | UW-Stout Advisement Center | |
| Lindsay | Barnhart | Program Director, ECE | UW-Stout |
| Nikki | Bresina | Director | KIDSusa |
| Amber | Carlsrud | Barron Public Schools | |
| Beth | Comstock | First Grade Teacher | Barron Public Schools |
| Tracy | DeRusha | Office of Field Experiences | UW-Stout |
| Allison | Feller | Director CFSC | UW-Stout |
| Angela | Gilbertson | Instructional Specialist | UW-Stout |
| Lisa | Jasper Myer | Third Grade Teacher | Wakanda Elementary, Menomonie School District |
| Carol | Johnson | Associate Dean (SOE) | UW-Stout |
| Maggie | Keenan | Instructional Specialist | UW-Stout |
| Jill | Klefstad | ECE faculty | UW-Stout |
| Theresa | Kohlmier | ECE faculty | UW-Stout |
| Ruth | Nyland | CEHHHS/SCOPE | UW-Stout |
| Chris | Peterson | Department Chair (SCOPE) | UW-Stout |
| Kathy | Preusse | Teacher | Chippewa Valley Technical College |
| Robert | Salt | Dean (CEHHHS) | UW-Stout |
| Lori | Smith | Principal | Oak Lawn Elementary, Menomonie School District |
| Sapna | Thapa | ECE faculty | UW-Stout |
| Linda | Young | Admissions - Transfers and Articulation | UW-Stout |
| Joseph | Zawicky | Kindergradten Teacher | Augusts Schools |
Student Organizations
Stout Association for the Education of Young Children
Assists professionals working with young children - and others interested in the lives of young children — to better understand children's needs.
Aspiring Educators of Wisconsin (AEW)
Develops understanding and appreciation for the education profession
This program is designed to meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the state of Wisconsin. Professional licensure/certification prerequisites vary from state to state, and we are not able to determine whether our program meets prerequisites in other states. If you intend to work in another state, contact that state's regulatory authority to determine if our program will meet the licensure/certification requirements, and contact the UW-Stout Program Director for assistance. Please see the following website for additional information.
