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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Undergraduate Bulletin Table of Contents

Child and Family Studies (CFS) Undergraduate Programs

B109 EDUCATION BUILDING/(320) 308-2132
www.stcloudstate.edu/cfs

Also see College of Education description and requirements.

Programs at a Glance

Degree programs

  • BS – Early Childhood Education
  • Minor – Early Childhood

Program admission and performance requirements

Admission – Teacher Education

  • completion of a minimum of 36 semester hours, with at least 12 semester hours in residence at SCSU
  • grades of “C” in ENG 191 and CMST 192
  • 2.75 GPA or higher  overall (meets COE requirement)
  • submission of scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test

Academic Standing – Department

  • 2.75 GPA or higher overall
    (Consult with the department regarding current admission requirements.)

University minimum requirements for bachelor’s degrees

  • 120 credits
  • 40 credits in General Education
  • 1 credit in PESS 122
  • 45 credits in upper-division (300-400) courses
  • 30 credits in residence at SCSU
  • 2.00 GPA overall, in major, and in minor (departments may set higher standards)

(See this section and the section on the College of Education for more information.)

Chair: Glen Palm
Faculty: Maday, Minnema, Ofstedal, Own, Palm, Zarghami

The Department of Child and Family Studies offers coursework in child development, parenting, and early childhood education. General education elective courses are offered: CFS 220: Introduction to Parents and Child, CFS 260: Children in a Changing World is an MGM course. The undergraduate major provides students with an early education teaching license for birth through third grade. Students will develop the competencies needed for teaching young children.

CFS majors are advised to begin their introductory course work during their sophomore year. Students who take full loads each semester can attain a license in four years. Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA for student teaching. Students seeking teacher licensure must complete MN State requirements regarding human relations and drug education and completion of Praxis II exams.

The Department of Child and Family Studies also offers a 23 credit minor without a teaching license. The CFS minor serves as an excellent complement to major fields such as Psychology, Community Psychology, Social Work, and Special Education.

Bachelor of Science

The B.S. Major in Early Childhood Education includes the requirements for a MN Early Childhood Teaching License (79 credits total program). The Upper Division Writing Requirement (UDWR) is initiated in CFS 423 and completed in CFS 460.

BS with Early Childhood Education Licensure
Foundation Core (17 cr.)
ED/CFS 200 (3 Cr.), CFS 315 (3 Cr.), HLTH 301 (2 Cr.), HURL 497 (3 Cr.), IM 423 (3 Cr.), MATH 330 (3 Cr.)

Early Education I (18 cr.)
CFS 220 or 260 (3 Cr.), 421 (3 Cr.), 431 (3 Cr.), 422 (3 Cr.), 443 (3 Cr.), Early Ed Elective (3 Cr.)

Early Education II (17 cr.)
CFS 406 (3 Cr.), CFS 413 (3 Cr.), CFS 408 (3 Cr.), CFS/ED 428 (3 Cr.), SCI 226 (3 Cr.), PESS 388 (2 Cr.)

Final Year (27 cr.)
CFS 423 (3 Cr.), CFS 433 (3 Cr.), CFS 460 (6 Cr.), ED 417 (3 Cr.), ED 418 (3 Cr.), ED 419 (3 Cr.), ED 420 (6 Cr.)

Early Childhood Minor
The Department of Child and Family Studies offers a 23 credit minor that does not result in a teaching license. To be admitted to the minor program, students must have a 2.5 GPA. The Child and Family Studies minor serves as an excellent complement to major fields such as Community Psychology, Psychology, Social Work, and Bachelor of Elective Studies.

The 23 credits for the minor include required courses: CFS 421, 431, 422, 220, 260, and 8 credits of electives: ED 374, CSD 468, CPSY 428, PSY 441, CFS 413, CFS 443, and CFS 406.