BS in Education with Concentration in Child Development (120 Credits)

Rationale and Goals of the Program:

The BS in Education with concentration in Child Development is intended to provide professional training for students interested in working in the field of human services with special interest in the variety of careers and professions related to working with young children and their families. The major emphasis of the Child Development program is in the early childhood years (birth to age eight). The program is based on the need to offer specialized preparation to staff and personnel in response to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate. The program also offers opportunities to obtain an emphasis in related areas. Some of the courses in the emphasis area are offered in collaboration with the Mailman Segal Institute of Early Childhood Studies.

In addition, the program provides a seamless continuum of professional and educational training for students who complete the Child Development Associate (CDA) or the Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. The new concentration meets the current and future demand for advanced degrees and professionalism in the field of early childhood. The BS in Education with concentration in Child Development completes the variety of degree programs available in early childhood at Nova Southeastern University and offered through the Fischler School of Education and Human Services.

Program Requirements:

The program requires a total of 120 credits.

Professional Opportunities:

Students in the program complete coursework that will enable them to work in careers such as:

• Educational and professional development services for children and their families:
• Early childhood educators, parent specialists, child development specialists, early childhood program directors and administrators, and others
• Support and advocacy services for children and their families:
• Early childhood program directors and administrators, early childhood consultants, child development consultants

About NSU

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a not-for-profit, fully accredited, coeducational institution. It was founded in 1964 as Nova University of Advanced Technology. In 1974, the board of trustees changed the university’s name to Nova University. In 1994, Nova University merged with Southeastern University of the Health Sciences to form Nova Southeastern University.

NSU is well known for innovation and quality in both traditional and distance education. The university serves large numbers of adult students and a growing population of traditional undergraduates. To date, the institution has produced approximately 79,000 alumni.

Using fall-term enrollment as a measure, Nova Southeastern University is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast and the seventh largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. NSU is one of 161 colleges and universities statewide, and one of 87 independent four-year institutions in Florida.

The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, psychology, and other social sciences. Nova Southeastern University has the only college of optometry in Florida, and the only colleges of pharmacy and dental medicine in South Florida. The institution also enjoys an excellent reputation for its programs for families offered through the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies and the University School. These include innovative parenting, preschool, primary, and secondary education programs.

The university’s programs are administered through academic centers that offer courses at the Fort Lauderdale campuses as well as at locations throughout Florida, across the nation, and at selected international sites in the Caribbean, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Greece, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Despite the geographic diversity of sites where classes are offered, 82 percent of the student body attends classes in Florida. Seventy-three percent of all students enrolled attend classes in the tri-county area (i.e., Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties). Nova Southeastern University is a major provider of educational programs for Florida residents. Through its undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, NSU educated approximately 22,000 Florida residents in calendar year 2004. With an annual budget of approximately $355 million, Nova Southeastern University also has a significant economic impact on the surrounding community. A recent NSU study revealed that the university and its students and employees are expected to contribute more than $1.6 billion to the Florida economy by 2010 when a new Academical Village is fully implemented.

The institution also enjoys an excellent reputation for its programs for families offered through the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies and University School, including innovative parenting, preschool, primary, and secondary education programs.