Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Dr. Jacqueline Hansen, Chair of Early Childhood and Elementary Education
3223 Alexander Hall • Murray, KY 42071
270-809-2500
Would you like a career where every day you have an opportunity to positively shape and impact the lives of children and their families? If so, consider being an early childhood or elementary teacher! Learn the knowledge, skills, and dispositions you'll need to become a high-quality teacher from experienced faculty with public school experience. Our NCATE-accredited programs will help you achieve your academic goals. We look forward to the possibility of teaching you soon!
Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education offers baccalaureate degrees
in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (birth through kindergarten) or in
Elementary Education (kindergarten through fifth grade). Throughout these programs
you will have the opportunity to apply what you've learned through 200 hours of field
experiences observing classrooms, teaching children, and assisting teachers.
Earn a degree in Elementary Education or Interdisciplinary Early Childhood education
at the Murray campus or one of our regional campus sites in Henderson, Hopkinsville,
Madisonville, and Paducah. If you are currently attending a community college in this
region, rest assured that Murray State University has collaborated with our academic
partners to provide a smooth transition as you work toward a bachelor's degree. Once
you successfully complete the bachelor’s program in Elementary Education or Interdisciplinary
Early Childhood Education, you are eligible for Kentucky teacher certification.
Graduate Programs
After you have completed the baccalaureate degree, expand your knowledge and enhance
your career through our graduate programs. Master of Art in Education degrees are
offered in Elementary Education Teacher Leadership, Reading and Writing (leading to
a literacy specialist endorsement P-12) or Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
Teacher Leadership and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education certification programs.
You can earn a specialization in elementary education advanced curriculum courses
as part of the MA Elementary Teacher Leader program. As an additional venue, you can
pursue an area of endorsement in Environmental Education, TESOL, Gifted/Talented,
Instructional Technology, or School Safety.
Click on links below to see more information about the department programs:
• Elementary Education
• Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
• Reading and Writing
• Environmental Education Endorsement