The BAE program in early childhood education prepares students to meet the educational, behavioral and social-emotional needs of children, ages birth to age 8 or grade 3. This program focuses on child development and best practices in early childhood education, including the skills to create inclusive learning environments; conduct instructional design, planning and facilitation; and assess, monitor and report the progress of young children.
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College has developed a team-based approach to teacher preparation, allowing students to participate in professional experiences (internships and student-teaching residency) with a team of peers while receiving guidance and support from ASU faculty members and highly qualified certified teachers. Team-based professional experiences are designed to prepare students to work with mutually supportive colleagues to address the academic and social-emotional needs of learners. The primary goal of professional experiences is to provide students with multiple opportunities to apply knowledge learned in coursework to practice in the classroom.
Students complete a series of internships prior to a semester-long full-time teaching residency. With the support of a certified mentor teacher and ASU faculty, students are able to practice what is learned during coursework in learning environments.
Graduates are eligible to earn an institutional recommendation from ASU for Arizona teacher certification in Early Childhood, birth--grade 3 or age 8, as well as a Structured English Immersion, P-12, endorsement from the Arizona Department of Education. In order to teach in an Arizona public school, graduates must pass the appropriate Arizona educator exams: National Evaluation Series or Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments.
Format option
This program is also offered via ASU Sync. ASU Sync enables students to attend live classes remotely via Zoom. Classes are designed to foster active collaboration and discussion in real-time with faculty and peers. ASU Sync students need to reside in Arizona throughout the duration of the program. Students on I-20 visas are not permitted to complete courses via Sync and should speak with an advisor about other options to complete this program.
The ASU Sync option is only available to transfer students residing in Arizona due to state regulations and student teaching placement requirements. Students should have completed an associate degree by the time they enroll at ASU.
Students seeking to use GI Bill® benefits for ASU Sync programs should contact the Pat Tillman Veterans Center regarding certain limitations.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available on the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

