About the Early Childhood Education Minor
Young children’s brains develop at a remarkable pace. Learn to help them meet developmental milestones as they grow with this minor.
As an early childhood education minor, you’ll take 22 credit hours of courses. Course topics include child development, learning environments, child psychology, language acquisition and more. This minor is designed for those pursuing an education, human development or related undergraduate degree.
Upon completion, students qualify for the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board Endorsement for early childhood education.
Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming to declare a minor in early childhood education. This minor is designed for those receiving an education, human development or related degree.
Learn about UW’s early childhood special education certificate.
Hands-on learning experiences are embedded in almost every early childhood education course. Over the course of the minor, you’ll experience the following settings:
- Infant and toddler classrooms
- Preschool
- Headstart programs
- Developmental services
- Private childcare
What can you do with a minor in early childhood education?
This minor prepares you to make an impact working with young children. You’ll learn strategies and techniques to teach young learners and help them meet developmental milestones. Our graduates go on to become elementary school teachers, preschool educators, administrators and caregivers.
Here are some of the places our College of Education graduates are making an impact:
- Wyoming Department of Education
- Laramie County School District
- Child Development Center of Natrona County
- Denver Public Schools
- Jefferson County Public Schools
- Lincoln-Uinta Child Development Association
- Child Development Services of Campbell County
- STRIDE Learning Center
- Sweetwater County Child Development Center
- Child Development Services of Fremont County
We recommend this minor for any students wanting to work with young children, specifically these majors:
Yes, an early childhood education minor can help prepare you for work in childcare, preschool and early intervention settings. You’ll gain a strong understanding of child development, learning strategies and classroom practices for young children—skills that are valuable in roles like teaching assistant, childcare provider, early learning specialist or support staff in early intervention programs.
With an early childhood education minor, you can pursue careers that support the learning and development of young children. Common paths include working as a preschool teacher, childcare provider, teaching assistant, early intervention aide, family support specialist or program coordinator in early learning centers. It’s also a great foundation for graduate study or teacher licensure programs focused on early childhood education.
Join the School of Teacher Education Community
Becoming a UW cowboy means getting access to a tight-knit community, resources and
a support network. Meet UW alumna, Kristi Von Krosigk, an integral part of UW's School
of Teacher Education. She helps evaluate and give feedback to our student teachers.
More than that, she facilitates networking events and community engagement. The world
needs more cowboys like Kristi Von Krosigk!