Birth through Kindergarten (BRKD)

Donna L. Graham
Director
118 Home Economics Building
479-575-4305

Laura Herold
Program Coordinator
16A Home Economics Building
479-575-5162

The major in Birth through Kindergarten prepares educators to teach infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners including those children with disabilities. The program offers students a chance to work in settings that serve young children, including public schools, early-intervention programs, child care and education centers, and residential placement centers. Successful completion of this degree, as specified in the requirements for a major in Birth through Kindergarten, leads to Arkansas’ Integrated Birth through Kindergarten/Special Education teacher license.

Passing scores on the Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, and Math) or equivalent ACT, SAT or GRE scores are a requirement for formal admission into the Birth through Kindergarten major. Passing scores on the relevant Praxis Content exams (Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education 5023, Education of Young Children 5024 and Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood 5621) are requirements for teacher licensure. Other specific application procedures and degree requirements are available from Birth through Kindergarten faculty advisers.

Requirements for a major in Birth through Kindergarten (BRKD)

State minimum core and discipline specific general education requirements: (Course work that meets state minimum core requirements is in bold.)

University Requirements		1
UNIV 10051	University Perspectives
Communications		9
ENGL 10103	Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013)
ENGL 10203	Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023)
SPCH 10003	Public Speaking (ACTS Equivalency = SPCH 1003) 1
U.S. History or Government 2		3
Select 3 hours from U.S. History or Government University Core
Mathematics 2		3
MATH 11003	College Algebra (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 1103) (or higher level MATH)
Sciences 2		8
Select 8 hours (two lecture/lab combinations) Sciences University Core
Fine Arts and Humanities 2		6
Select 3 hours from Fine Arts University Core
Select 3 hours Humanities University Core
Social Sciences		9
PSYC 20003	General Psychology (ACTS Equivalency = PSYC 1103)
SOCI 10103	General Sociology (ACTS Equivalency = SOCI 1013)
or HDFS 26003	Rural Families and Communities
HDFS 24103	Family Relations
Birth through Kindergarten Requirements (72 hours)
NUTR 12103	Fundamentals of Nutrition	3
CIED 10103	Introduction to Education	3
HDFS 24033 & HDFS 24031	Infant and Toddler Development and Infant and Toddler Development Laboratory	4
HDFS 24303	Child Development	3
HDFS 24703 & HDFS 24701	Child Guidance and Child Guidance Laboratory	4
HDFS 24903	Introduction to Cultural Competence	3
HDFS 33303	Language and Literacy Pedagogy for Birth through Kindergarten Educators	3
HDFS 42103 & HDFS 42102	Math and Science for Young Children and Math and Science for Young Children Lab	5
HDFS 42203 & HDFS 42202	Creative and Social Experience for Young Children and Creative and Social Experiences for Young Children Lab	5
HDFS 42303	Developmental Assessment in Early Childhood	3
HDFS 43103	Building Family and Community Relationships	3
HDFS 43706	Internship: Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Programs	6
CIED 30203	Survey of Exceptionalities	3
HDFS 43809	Internship: Kindergarten Programs	9
HIST 33803	Arkansas and the Southwest	3
SCWK 36303	Child Welfare: 21st Century Perspectives	3
or SCWK 30103	Child Advocacy I: Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Child Advocacy
SPED 41403	Teaching Communication Skills to Persons with Autism	3
SPED 44103	ABA and Classroom Management for Teachers	3
SPED 47803	Professional and Family Partnerships	3
General Electives		9
Total Hours		120

Other Requirements for the B.S.H.E.S. Degree in Birth through Kindergarten major:³

Both candidacy and retention eligibility for the Arkansas Birth through Kindergarten Integrated Licensure Program require that students meet a set of criteria listed in the catalog. These include the submission of a transcript showing a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0, with grades of C or better in all BRKD courses. Students should consult their academic adviser as they near completion of the above requirements to discuss the application process for the Integrated Birth through Kindergarten/Special Education teacher license in Arkansas. Additional requirements for application to teacher licensure with the state of Arkansas Department of Education include demonstrating basic skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics (see Birth-Kindergarten Program Handbook), Praxis Content: Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education 5023.

¹

Please visit the Bumpers College Majors and Minors page for a list of communication/intensive courses.

²

 Go to the State Minimum Core Requirements.

³

 Child Maltreatment Certification must be completed.

Birth through Kindergarten B.S.H.E.S.
Eight-Semester Degree Program 

Students wishing to follow the degree plan should go to the Eight-Semester Degree Policy for university requirements of the program.

First Year	Units
	Fall	Spring	Summer
UNIV 10051 University Perspectives	1
CIED 10103 Introduction to Education	3
ENGL 10103 Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)	3
Fine Arts University Core Elective (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.1)1	3
MATH 11003 College Algebra (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 1103) (or higher level MATH (Satisfies General Education Outcome 2.1)	3
HDFS 24303 Child Development		3
PSYC 20003 General Psychology (ACTS Equivalency = PSYC 1103) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.3)		3
ENGL 10203 Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023) (Satisfies General Education Outcome 1.1)		3
Science University Core Elective (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.4)		4
SPCH 10003 Public Speaking (ACTS Equivalency = SPCH 1003) (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 1.2 and 5.1)		3
Year Total:	13	16
Second Year	Units
	Fall	Spring	Summer
HDFS 24033 Infant and Toddler Development & HDFS 24031 Infant and Toddler Development Laboratory	4
U.S. History or Government University Core Elective	3
Humanities University Core Elective (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.2)2	3
NUTR 12103 Fundamentals of Nutrition	3
General Electives	3
HDFS 24103 Family Relations (Satisfies General Education Outcomes 3.3, 4.1, and 4.2)		3
HDFS 24703 Child Guidance & HDFS 24701 Child Guidance Laboratory		4
HDFS 24903 Introduction to Cultural Competence		3
Science University Core Elective (Satisfies General Education Outcome 3.4)		4
General Elective		1
Year Total:	16	15
Third Year	Units
	Fall	Spring	Summer
SOCI 10103 General Sociology (ACTS Equivalency = SOCI 1013) or HDFS 26003 Rural Families and Communities	3
CIED 30203 Survey of Exceptionalities	3
HDFS 42103 Math and Science for Young Children & HDFS 42102 Math and Science for Young Children Lab	5
HDFS 42303 Developmental Assessment in Early Childhood	3
General Elective	1
HDFS 33303 Language and Literacy Pedagogy for Birth through Kindergarten Educators		3
HDFS 42203 Creative and Social Experience for Young Children & HDFS 42202 Creative and Social Experiences for Young Children Lab		5
SPED 44103 ABA and Classroom Management for Teachers		3
SCWK 36303 Child Welfare: 21st Century Perspectives or SCWK 30103 Child Advocacy I: Perspectives on Child Maltreatment and Child Advocacy		3
General Elective		1
SPED 41403 Teaching Communication Skills to Persons with Autism			3
Year Total:	15	15	3
Fourth Year	Units
	Fall	Spring	Summer
HIST 33803 Arkansas and the Southwest	3
HDFS 43706 Internship: Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Programs	6
SPED 47803 Professional and Family Partnerships	3
General Elective	3
HDFS 43103 Building Family and Community Relationships		3
HDFS 43809 Internship: Kindergarten Programs		9
Year Total:	15	12
Total Units in Sequence:			120

¹

The Fine Arts Elective courses which satisfy General Education Outcome 3.1 include:  ARCH 10003, ARHS 10003ARHS 10003,  COMM 10003COMM 10003,  DANC 10003DANC 10003, LARC 10003, MUSC 10003MUSC 10003, MUSC 100H3,  MUSC 10103MUSC 10103, MUSC 101H3,  MUSC 13303MUSC 13303,  THTR 10003THTR 10003, THTR 10103 or THTR 101H3.

²

The Humanities Elective courses which satisfy General Education Outcome 3.2 include:   AAST 20203, ANTH 10303, ARCH 10103, CLST 10003, CLST 100H3, CLST 10103, COMM 12303, DANC 10003, ENGL 12103, GNST 20003, HIST 11193, HIST 111H3, HIST 11293, HIST 112H3, HIST 20003,HIST 20103 HUMN 112H4, HUMN 22103, LALS 20103, MRST 20103, MUSY 20003, MUSY 200H3, PHIL 20003, PHIL 200H3, PHIL 21003, PHIL 23003, THTR 10003, THTR 10103, THTR 101H3, ENGL 11103, ENGL 11203, or Intermediate-level world language.

Minor in Child Services

This minor is open to all University of Arkansas students and requires 15 hours.

Required Courses
HDFS 14003	Life Span Development	3
HDFS 24303	Child Development	3
HDFS 34603	The Hospitalized Child: Child Life Programming	3
HDFS 43103	Building Family and Community Relationships	3
HDFS 43503	Play as Development in Childhood	3
Total Hours		15