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Profile of Programme

The main goal of the Department of Education is to respond to the national, social, cultural and developmental needs of the country, through the provision of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Education, and the production of knowledge in the specific field. The Program of Studies for Early Childhood Education (ECE) contributes significantly to this goal. Its main objectives are:

1. The production and transmission of knowledge in the field of early childhood education.
2. The improvement of quality and effectiveness in early childhood education in Cyprus.
3. The promotion of basic and applied research in the field of education and specifically in the field of early childhood education.
4. The production of a researched-based knowledge that will inform educational and social policies in relation to the age range of 3-6 years.
5. The contribution to the promotion of equity in education through balancing of social inequalities that relate to children of early years.
6. The identification and investigation of educational issues especially for children in their early years.

The professional development of early childhood education staff for fullfilling the needs of public and private pre-primary schools.

Key Learning Outcomes

With the successful completion of the program the students are expected to:

1. Learn the pedagogical principles of ECE through the study of the history of education and current literature of ECE programs and curricula to be able to work within the principles of quality pre-school pedagogy.
2. Learn the content related with the pedagogy of ECE, the learning and developmental theories, and the subject areas as presented in the official ECE curriculum in order to be able to promote students’ learning outcomes.
3. To gain knowledge of the developmental (areas of development) and learning (subject areas) stages and skills of preschool children so that they can respond appropriately to the developmental and learning needs of each child separately and of each group of children, and balance social and other inequalities.
4. To develop organizational and implementation skills of different forms of learning (e.g. free and/or structured play, project approach, structured activities) through applying differentiated activities that correspond to recent educational policies.
5. To organize the learning environment based on the specific learning purposes and
developmental goals and to choose developmentally appropriate materials to create the proper physical environment in preschools.
6. To develop observation, documentation and assessment skills of children’s development and learning and identify educational problems.
7. To develop communication and collaboration skills with parents and other professionals in their workplace.
8. To develop a community of learners respecting the cultural, linguistic, social and religious differences of children and of their families.
9. To develop a teacher professional identity which includes participation in the process of research in ECE and also involves being critical of current ECE literature on research areas in order to enhance his/her educational practice.

Key Information

Department: Department of Education

Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Education

Programme Name: Pre-primary School Teaching

Direction: Preschool Education

Level of Qualification: 1st Cycle (Bachelor's Degree) [8 Semesters]

Mode of Study: Full time

Language of Instruction: Greek

Coordinator: Chairperson of the Department of Education

Curriculum Structure

Course Type ECTS
Compulsory
Compulsory Internship 32
Compulsory 159
Foreign Language 10
Restricted Elective 24
Free Elective 15
TOTAL ECTS 240

Courses per Semester


Notes

Semester 3: EDU 239 or Restricted Elective Course

Semester 4: Restricted Elective Course or EDU 239
Semester 5: EDU 339 or Restricted Elective Course
Semester 6: Restricted Elective Course or EDU 339
Semester 7: Students without School Practice (EDU 439) have to select 2 Restricted Elective Courses and 1 Elective Course
Semester 8: Students with School Practice (EDU 439) do not have to select 2 Restricted Elective Courses and 1 Elective Course

Conditions of Study

The vast majority of newly admitted undergraduate students enter the University of Cyprus following Pancyprian Examinations organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture for admission into establishments of higher education.
Admission based on Special Criteria: Candidates who have taken the Pancyprian Examinations and who meet certain special criteria, as these are set out in the Rules and Regulations of Academic and Student Affairs, may seek a limited number of places (14% of Cypriot admissions).
· Top athletes and persons distinguished in International Olympiads: Athletes with top distinctions in sports, as defined by the Council of the University of Cyprus or who have won 1st 2nd or 3rd place medals in International Olympiads (e.g. Mathematics, ICT, Biology, etc.), may be admitted into Departments of Cyprus University without examinations simply on the basis of their Lyceum Leaving Certificate.
· Entry on the basis of Panhellenic Examinations: 10% of the total number of places offered through the Pancyprian Examinations may be taken up by candidates passing the Panhellenic Examinations.
Entry on the basis of International Examinations
An additional number of places (3%) of admissions from Cyprus may be sought on the basis of the results of international examinations such as GCE, Baccalaureate or other equivalent examinations, by Cypriots belonging to the Republic’s official religious groups, repatriated Cypriots, Cypriots who reside permanently abroad, Greeks of the diaspora, children of officials of the Cypriot Foreign Service and foreign citizens from EU states or countries outside the European Union.
Turkish-Cypriots Turkish Cypriot graduates of six-grade secondary schools are admitted on the basis of their school-leaving certificate or after passing special written or oral examinations organised by the competent Department. Transfers/Second Degree Every year Cyprus University offers a limited number of places for internal/external transfers and for obtaining a second degree.
 

Students must always advise the University's' Undergraduate Study Rules  

The Program is based on the European System of Credit Transfer and Accumulation (ECTS). The degree is awarded after the successful completion of studies in the program / direction determined by the Department. It is  also required to succeed at least 240 ECTS . 

Please advice Undergraduate Study Rules 5.1 (Annex IV) 

The final grade of an undergraduate student, and consequently the grade of his Degree (Excellent with Distinction (9.5-10), Excellent (8.5-9.49), Very Good (6.5-8.49), Good (5.5-6.49) and Satisfactory (5-5.49) is calculated as the weighted average of all the courses that the student has successfully completed. The weighting is based on the hours of each course. 

Further Information

Occupational Profiles of Graduates with Examples

The specific program is for the graduates of public and private schools in Cyprus and Greece who are interested in studying to be early childhood teachers and acquire knowledge, skills in implementing different ways of learning and teaching as well as research.
The graduates of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program are expected to acquire pedagogical knowledge of ECE, to develop skills to organize and implement teaching methodology, to do basic research, to assess children and to learn to be critical of educational policy through the lens of current perspectives in ECE.

Additionally, the ECE graduates are expected to have the necessary knowledge and skills to produce data that support their teaching practices and enrich current educational policies. Many of our graduates continue with their studies, doing a masters and/or a doctorate degree in Cyprus and/or abroad with excellent performances in the field of education.

Our graduates can be employed in public schools, by taking the public school system entrance examinations or can work in private ECE schools in Cyprus and/or abroad. Moreover, they can have their own private school or afterschool programs or they can work in museums and libraries planning educational activity programs for preschool children.

Access to Further Studies

Graduates can be admitted to Master Programs  

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