Overview

In addition to being prepared to work in early childhood settings such as Head Start, preschools, and child care centers, those who successfully complete this Early Childhood Education - Birth to 8 Specialization program at South Dakota State University meet the requirements for a South Dakota Birth to age 8 Early Childhood teaching certificate which enables them to teach grades K-3.

Quick Facts:

Research shows that quality care and education for young children is critically important, and the demand for qualified teachers of young children is great.
Candidates student teach in the Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education and a first, second, or third grade classroom.

Career Opportunities:

K-3 teacher

Preschool teacher

Child development specialist

Child care provider

Director of early child care program

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Early Experience and Lab
Field Experience
Child Development: Prenatal to 2
Child Development: 3 to 8 Years
Pedagogy and Curriculum and Lab
Learner Centered Assessment

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-26 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-15 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-01-13 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-01 00:00:00 , International

More details

National: SDSU accepts applications on a rolling admissions timeline.

Language

English

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IELTS

5.5

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Brookings, United States

Disciplines

Psychology Educational Psychology Early Childhood Education View 1633 other Bachelors in Psychology in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

2.6

English requirements

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TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

5.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

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98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

For admission to SDSU, we look for one of the following academic achievements:

An ACT composite score or ACT superscore of 18 or SAT Math and Reading/Writing subscore total of 970 or
Level 3 or higher on Math and English Language Arts Smarter Balance Assessment or
A high school cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher or
A ranking in the top 60 percent of graduating class.

Students should also complete the following core courses with a “C” average or above:

4 years of English (or ACT English subscore of 18 or above).
3 years of advanced math—Algebra I and higher (or ACT math subscore of 20).
3 years of laboratory science (or ACT science reasoning subscore of 17).
3 years of social science (or ACT reading subscore of 17).
1 year of fine arts (or AP Fine Arts score of 3 or above) Includes vocal, instrumental and studio arts.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

11610 USD / year

≈ 11610 USD / year
Out-of-State

11610 USD / year

≈ 11610 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

8010 USD / year

≈ 8010 USD / year

Additional Details

Minnesota Resident: $312.25 per credit.

Living costs

Brookings

United States

1085 - 1888 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Early Childhood Education - Birth to 8 Specialization.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Quick Facts:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

Brookings

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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