Program Overview

The education for young children, birth to kindergarten, general and special education program emphasizes content specific to children within the birth-kindergarten continuum, whole child development, special education, family and community relationships, and content knowledge and pedagogy. It results in teacher certification from the Michigan Department of Education for children, birth to kindergarten, with and without disabilities or delays. Candidates will earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.

Why Study Birth-K Education at Grand Valley?

• Students are prepared to teach across multiple settings like preschool classrooms, childcare centers, kindergarten classrooms, special education settings, Head Start programs, and early intervention home visiting programs.
• General and special education curriculum reflects the skills, dispositions, and knowledge identified by our community partners as needed in the future for teachers.
• A robust set of clinical experiences ensures candidates have ample opportunity to apply what they've learned in real-world settings.
• Transfer agreement with local community colleges for easy transition to GVSU.
• Certification by Michigan Department of Education to teach.
• Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
• Flexibility within the 120-credit program on completing general education requirements.