Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Dr. Lynn Patterson, Chair of Early Childhood and Elementary Education
3223 Alexander Hall
Murray, KY 42071
lpatterson@murraystate.edu
270.809.4898
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 CAEP-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 Arts 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 an Ed.S. in Teacher Education and Professional Development or an area of endorsement in Instructional Computer Technology.