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Student at Trinity Children's Center
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Student teaching in the community
Young children exporing apples and leaves outside
Student at Trinity Children's Center
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Campus Children's School Teacher and toddler looking at an object
Early Childhood Special Ed Graduates
Lake Champlain Sunset

This program is not accepting applicants currently. Please visit our Early Childhood Education (B.S.) and Special Education Pathways web pages.

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Discover our distinctive approach to preparing responsible professionals who are ready to support diverse populations. Our nationally recognized program features innovative coursework and hands-on learning founded on research-based practices, sustainability, inclusion, and social justice.

Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the program leads to endorsement in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (Birth-Age 6).

Diverse Field Experiences and Student Teaching Internships

Your field experiences begin in the first year — our signature "early and often" approach. Student teaching internships are available with our community partners, where you will work in diverse, inclusive settings with young children and families while supported by dedicated faculty and mentor teachers.

Evidence-Based Practice and Research Opportunities

Scholars leave our program with the skills needed to access research-based evidence and to judge its value to serve children and families with diverse needs. Our professors have extensive experience in special education, both in practice and in research. Faculty research contributes to the use of evidence-based practices in special education and informs our curriculum and teaching methods. There are always opportunities for students to participate in exciting research projects with faculty or through independent study.

Prepare to Teach Anywhere

Our nationally accredited program enjoys the benefits of reciprocity with many other states and provinces, so you can teach nearly anywhere. See our Licensure page for more information.

Global Study Abroad

If you want to explore other cultures around the world, we offer exciting study abroad opportunities in New Zealand, Portugal (Azores Islands), and other countries around the world. UVM's Office of International Education provides a full range of support services to assist you.

Speech-Language Pathology Option

As a student in this major, you have the option to apply to our Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Program that meets guidelines established by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Our collaboration with UVM's Communication Sciences and Disorder Program helps you launch a career in both Early Childhood Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology.

Graduate Study Opportunities

As an undergraduate, you can begin the pursuit of your graduate degree through our accelerated master's degree program (AMP) in Special Education (Early Childhood Special Education Pathway). The AMP helps you save time and money on the way to an advanced degree.

UVM's Interprofessional Education (IPE) Project provides interdisciplinary preparation of master’s level candidates across the two disciplines of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE). A $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) covers full tuition for scholars in the program.

We also offer nationally accredited graduate programs in Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction, Disability Studies, Educational Leadership, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Social Work.

Major requirements

Concentrations

Is UVM's Early Childhood Special Education Program right for you?

  • Field placements in diverse, multicultural communities
  • Research and study abroad opportunities
  • Personalized advising
  • National accreditation

Apply Now

Questions?

cessstsv@uvm.edu / 802-656-3468

Graduate employment rate

98%

Careers

  • Early Childhood Special Educator
  • Developmental Educator
  • Family and Child Advocate
  • Special Education Leadership
  • Early Interventionist
  • Preschool Owner or Manager

Where alumni work

  • Teacher, New Orleans, LA
  • Special Educator, Sheldon Elementary School, VT
  • Owner of private preschool, Providence, RI
  • Teacher, New York City, NY
  • Mentor Teacher, UVM Campus Children's School, Burlington, VT
  • Master's Degree Student, Educational Leadership
  • Developmental Educator, Vermont Family Network
  • Early Childhood Special Educator, Essential Early Childhood Program, Colchester, VT
  • Master's Degree Student, Special Education

Related Information