Our Mission

Missouri’s agencies are working together to prepare every child for success in school and in life.

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I Want To Learn, Show Me The Way

Road to Success

Throughout 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) will share “Roads to Success,” a collection of stories from professionals and higher education institutions. Stories from professionals feature achievements from people working in childhood programs such as home visiting, early intervention, child care, Head Start, preschool, and afterschool. Stories from higher education institutions highlight colleges and universities who are using innovative methods to support and grow the early childhood workforce. There are many roads to success, it is important to highlight the varying and unique pathways that professionals take and how higher education programs can pave the way.

This month’s Road to Success story spotlights the University of Central Missouri’s Early Childhood Education program (UCM ECE). Currently, UCM’s College of Education and ECE program offer a variety of degree pathways.

For individuals seeking undergraduate coursework in early childhood education, UCM ECE offers a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with teacher certification. There are several other options for undergraduates, such as adding an early childhood special education minor or completing undergraduate certificates.

UCM ECE also offers an undergraduate program to support completion of a bachelor's degree in early childhood education in 18 months (or less) if the individual already has a bachelor's degree in another field. For example, qualifying candidates can earn college credit for current work experience. This applies to paraprofessionals currently working in early childhood education classrooms and seeking teacher certification.

UCM ECE’s fully online graduate degree program offers a 30-credit hour Master of Science in Early Childhood Education and two 15 credit hour graduate certificates. UCM ECE partners with Child Care AwareⓇ of Missouri to offer a specialized MSE certificate in Leadership and Management in Early Childhood Education through T.E.A.C.H. MISSOURI scholarships for early childhood educators in child care settings.

UCM is an important partner in strengthening the early childhood workforce in Missouri and participates in the OOC workforce development project.

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