Make a difference in the lives of young children and their families with an Interdisciplinary Early Childhood (IEC) degree

Are you driven to make a difference in the lives of young children and help shape their future from the very beginning? Interdisciplinary Early Childhood program pathways are perfect for individuals who arepassionate about working with young children in a variety of contexts. With multiple pathways and degree options for undergraduate students, students with associate degrees, graduate students, and those already working in the early childhood field, IEC programs are responsive and dynamic for a wide range of students both on campus and through distance education. All IEC students will gain invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience, combining coursework with real-world experiences.

Graduates of the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood program apply their knowledge and skills by:

• Recognizing the birth to age 8 timeframe as its own distinctive and critical period in human development 
• Understanding and valuing each child for their individual lived experience and their unique, strengths, challenges, abilities, interests, and approaches to learning
• Creating engaging and challenging early learning experiences and environments that nurture a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and linguistic development
• Fostering strong communication, building partnerships, and actively involving families in their child’s learning and development 
• Acting as knowledgeable advocates for young children, their families, and the early childhood education field

Many career pathways exist for Interdisciplinary Early Childhood graduates including: 

• Teaching in a variety of school settings including public schools, private schools, Head Start programs, and community-based early childhood centers as:
  • Infant/Toddler teachers
  • Preschool teachers
  • Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade teachers
• Early childhood program leadership
• Early intervention
• Family education and training 

Interested in learning more about how you can make a difference in the lives of young children?

Also coming soon:

The IEC program will soon have job embeded, distance education pathways for PreK-Kindergarten and PreK-3rd Grade licensure programs. We are excited about bringing flexible options to students interested in teaching young children! Reach out to Samara Madrid Akpovo at smadrid1@utk.edu for more information about these developing pathways!

IEC Faculty

Click here to learn more about IEC faculty members.

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.