The Integrated PreK-3rd Grade licensure program is a dynamic five-year program resulting in a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and dual licensure in early childhood education and early childhood special education. With these degrees and dual licensure, IEC graduates are well-prepared to teach all young children (birth through 3rd grade) in a variety of school settings. The IEC Integrated PreK-3rd Grade program offers engaging coursework and hands-on learning experiences in a variety of contexts throughout undergraduate and graduate programming.
If you would like to learn more about the IEC Integrated PreK-3rd Grade program, we would love to hear from you! Reach out to our Program Director, Melanie Roberts at mrobe135@utk.edu with your questions or to schedule a time to meet.
Frequently Asked Questions About the IEC Integrated PreK-3rd Grade Licensure Program
- How is the Integrated PreK-3rd Grade program different from an elementary education major?
- Great question! The Integrated IEC PreK-3rd Grade program focuses on the holistic development of children in the critical period of birth through age 8. This means that IEC students learn about child development, culturally responsive pedagogy, family dynamics impacting children’s early experiences, and much more! Traditional elementary education programs tend to focus more on curriculum implementation, lesson delivery, and about the child at school. Both pathways result in excellent teachers, but students tend to choose the IEC pathway due to an interest in the holistic view of children and childhood.
- What is “early childhood”?
- “Early childhood” refers to the unique and critical period of human development between birth and age 8. Early educators and service providers serve important roles in children’s early development, setting the foundation for the rest of their lives.
- Is the IEC program new?
- In name, yes! In practice, no- we’ve been evolving as a program for over 90 years!
- The IEC program was recently moved into the Theory and Practice in Teacher Education department from our former home in Child and Family Studies due to a reorganization of departments within the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. With this move, we lost our history and web presence for a time, but we assure you, we are here and never left!
- Check out this video that includes lots of information that is still true today, even though our program is more expansive with the addition of early childhood special education and we got a new name.
- Does it really take 5 years to complete the program?
- Yes. Because PreK-3 students leave the program with a bachelor’s and master’s degree, along with dual licensure (early childhood education and early childhood special education), the program does take a full five years to complete. The fifth year of the program includes a full-year internship in a public school setting along with final coursework required for teacher licensure in Tennessee.
- Where do graduates end up working?
- Many IEC graduates teach preschool, kindergarten, first, second, and third grade in public and private school programs. Graduates also teach infants-preschoolers in Head Start programs or private early childhood programs. Some graduates eventually lead early childhood programs or return to school to earn advanced degrees to work in school administration, research positions, or academia.
- Fun Fact: Our graduates are sought after by school principals as they are recognized as well-prepared to teach in today’s complex school environments. Principals report that IEC graduates are skilled in many areas including relationship development, problem solving, collegiality, curriculum development and delivery, and much more. In fact, many of our students have job offers before they finish their internship year!
- Will I get to work directly with children while I’m in the program?
- Yes! There are many courses throughout the IEC PreK-3rd grade program that have hands-on learning components in a variety of school settings. We even have our own early childhood education program on campus that serves as the learning laboratory for IEC students, the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice! Check out this graphic for more information about field experiences you can expect in the IEC program.
- Do you offer a licensure pathway that doesn’t include a master’s degree or the 5th year?
- That program is coming soon! We are currently working on multiple additional pathways to licensure and graduate degrees in IEC. Those pathways included job embedded (work and get paid while you complete licensure requirements) and distance education (online) programs.
- While these programs are not live yet, you can reach out to Samara Madrid Akpovo at smadrid1@utk.edu for more information and to express interest in our growing program.
Ready to Join us in IEC? Meet with an Advisor to Get Started!
For new IEC majors or those interested in learning more about our programs, reach out to an advisor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Advising Office. You can visit them in the CEHHS Student Services office in Bailey Education Complex, Room 332 or learn more here.