Letter of Intent
Institution:
Date:
School/Division:
Department:
Proposed Program:
Degree:
Major:
CIP Code:
Starting Date:
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
April 11, 2006
Bagwell College of Education
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education, Birth –Five Years Program
Bachelor of Science
Early Childhood Education
Spring Semester 2007
The B.S. in Early Childhood Education, Birth -Five will further the Institutional
Mission of Kennesaw State University
This newly designed program furthers the mission of Kennesaw State University (KSU) to
be a major contributor to the preparation of teachers for all levels of education within the
State of Georgia. The proposed Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education Birth Five from Kennesaw State University is the first undergraduate degree program of its kind
offered within the University System of Georgia. National accreditation programs for the
preparation of Early Childhood professionals such as National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and
Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) have recommended certification
standards for state agencies responsible for initial licensure of these individuals. As a result
of recommendations from these associations, a commission was established to review
early childhood licensure in the State of Georgia. In September of 2004, the Georgia
Professional Standards Commission (PSC) announced a new certification for Early
Childhood Educators in Georgia.
The proposed Birth-Five degree program at Kennesaw State University is therefore a timely
response to this new certification. Currently, those working with children during this critical
period of development (birth through age five) are only required to have a high school
diploma for employment. Prior to the Georgia PSC recommendation, early childhood
practitioners in this field were limited to a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.
According to the NAEYC standards for preparing early childhood professionals, “The CDA
began as a noncredit, job-embedded credential but has increasingly been linked to college
credit. With college credit, staff in Head Start and child care programs who are awarded the
CDA may be better positioned to make the transition to associate and baccalaureate
institutions.” Therefore, teacher candidates who come to KSU from Head Start programs,
technical colleges and other institutions will be supported through this program. The
establishment of these relationships with KSU will respond to the University System of
Georgia’s charge to double the numbers and double the diversity of teacher preparation
programs. It will further support our articulation agreements with area two-year programs.
The proposed degree program in Early Childhood Education Birth –Five also addresses the
charges given by the PSC and therefore, addresses the following specific goal of the
Kennesaw State University Mission Statement:
“…responsiveness within a scope of influence defined by the needs of an area of the state”.
This aspect of KSU’s mission statement addresses the concern and observation that early
childhood programs throughout the State of Georgia, such as childcare centers, Head Start
programs, private and public preschool programs, and faith-based preschools need
knowledgeable and highly skilled practitioners to work with the youngest members of our
learning community. Parents send their children to early child care institutions expecting
them to provide a nurturing, conducive, stable, safe and positive learning environment
which encourages and promotes healthy growth and development. They further expect
these environments to provide developmentally appropriate and stimulating materials,
which promote learning and appropriate socially desirable experiences. This new program
prepares students to be successful in acquiring an in-depth understanding of the content
skills, critical periods, emergence of knowledge and developmental milestones children
acquire as they explore their environments.
The B.S. in Early Childhood Education, B-5 will help meet the goals of the strategic
plan of Kennesaw Sate University
“Kennesaw State University is dedicated to serving as a resource for the educational,
economic and social advancement of its constituent community.”
In light of this, one major aim of KSU is to prepare its students to be part of a dynamic and
global workforce. The new degree program in Early Childhood Education Birth-Five meets
this need by providing developmentally effective pedagogical practices for early childhood
educators. It is a comprehensive and holistic program that is research-based and
addresses multiple theories and philosophical approaches held by experts in the field. This
program is reflective of the cultural, multilingual, multiethnic, and economically diverse
communities within the educational service area of Kennesaw State University.
The proposed program specifically addresses several of the primary goals of KSU’s
strategic plan. The goals of KSU’s strategic plan are presented below, followed by an
explanation of the ways in which the B.S. in Early Childhood Education Birth – Five
addresses each goal to which it is relevant.
“KSU will define and move toward the Technological University of the 21st century.
Technology to advance educational purposes in the areas of teaching, learning,
productivity, access, student support services, and distance education will be provided.”
A portion of this program is being developed to be implemented online. This will create the
opportunity for candidates who are currently working in the field and unable to attend
classes on campus to complete their degree. Each course in the program has technology
components that may include, but are not limited to; website development, email,
discussion boards, power point presentation, electronic portfolios, and world wide web
research.
“ KSU demonstrates its commitment to pursuing excellence by raising the expectations and
standards of the university’s constituency. Among the efforts to facilitate the assurance of
excellence are the increased admissions standards, the ever increasing honors’ activities
and the national prominence of athletics and student organizations.”
The new program recognizes the developmental aspect of professional growth. It also
recognizes the diverse routes that candidates have taken in coming to higher education.
The wealth of their experience will add to the excellence of the program.
As stated in the NAEYC standards, it is not recommended that a program “substitute
breadth for depth, nor sacrifice deep understanding for superficial coverage of topics.”
Academic admission standards will reflect what is currently used in the P-5th program.
Candidates will have the opportunity to conduct research projects and scholarly activities
related to early childhood education. Candidates enrolled in the honors’ program may take
any course and conduct honors’ activities. Faculty who are developing the program have
worked with honors’ students in the past and can assist in the development of honors’ and
research activities. Participation in professional organizations such as SPAGE,
NAEYC/GAYC conferences will be encouraged. It is hoped in the future to add to the global
perspectives of candidates by assisting in their international experiences with courses and
presentations abroad or to collaborate with educators in other parts of the world.
“In keeping with the System policy directives, faculty and staff development remains a
planning priority for KSU. Seeking ways to expand the use of technology among the faculty
and staff for improving effectiveness and efficiency of productivity both within and without
the classroom is an on-going priority across campus.”
Online course offerings will enable faculty and staff to extend their knowledge and
proficiencies in technological areas. This program will follow the model of the current P-5th
EECE program, which incorporates the use of technology for grading, course evaluations,
and assessment of field experiences as contained in our candidate proficiency index (CPI).
Other resources, important in both academic subject matter areas and in addressing issues
of disability and diversity, such as journals, videos, and Websites, as well as persons with
relevant expertise at the school or in the community will be additional benefits of this
program.
“In keeping with the historical focus of KSU, strengthening the centrality of teaching is a
priority for the university. The leadership of our Center for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning (CETL), the master teaching programs and the Regents’ distinguished teaching
program all support the mission of improving teaching and learning at KSU.”
The new program intends to look at the NAEYC standards as visionary and empowering,
for children and professionals alike. In striving to exceed these standards, the program will
add to the reputation of KSU as one of the finest teaching universities in the region. Faculty
who teach in this program can work with CETL to develop workshops and professional
development in the field on early childhood as it relates to infants, toddlers and
preschoolers. Current research in the field can be shared with colleagues.
“Public service as manifested by KSU’s partnerships with area schools, the P-16 emphasis,
the Burruss Center, Ekonometrics, departmental and school advisory boards, continuing
education activities, Education Technology services, SBDC, Teacher Resource and Activity
Center (TRAC) and the Family Enterprise Center continue to grow in the communities we
serve. Collaboration with the public schools and across departments and colleges on
campus will remain a viable priority as the array of public services and applied research
centers continues to expand.”
The intent of the program is to develop highly qualified individuals who will work with young
children from birth through age five. The impact of this is an improvement in programs
throughout Georgia that serve this age. Ultimately, the result will be a rise in quality of care
and education of our youngest citizens. There are plans in place to construct a laboratory
school for infants, toddlers and preschoolers for teacher candidates, faculty, staff and
community members to utilize and explore current research practices. Additionally , there
will be a need to continue to use public and private childcare and learning centers for the
field experiences and student teaching components of the program. In doing so, we hope to
elevate the quality of the programs with a “win-win” situation. Centers and collaborating
teachers will provide expertise and role modeling for our candidates and at the same time
get cutting edge information and an extra set of hands. As the program grows in reputation,
we plan to add a certification program for center directors and other preschool providers
offering them an opportunity to advance their careers by having credentialed directors as
adjunct faculty.
“KSU will remain committed to seeking diversity among faculty, students and staff and in
addition will implement a global perspective for the communities served.”
Candidates in the program will have field experiences in a wide variety of community
settings, ranging from homeless shelters to hospitals. Courses will include preparation for
working with children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Courses have been developed to include a global perspective in theories and approaches.
The B.S. in Early Childhood Education, B-5 will offer Innovative Delivery Formats
The department of Elementary and Early Childhood has embraced Kennesaw State
University’s strategic plan to use technology to advance educational purposes, including
distance learning and other virtual learning experiences, presentation conferencing,
discussion boards, chat rooms, emails and webpage applications. Classroom skills
development using video simulation, power-point presentations, and project development
and presentation will all be integrated in individual and group projects. Multi-dimensional
and multifaceted instructional strategies with an emphasis on observational, demonstration
and hands-on application and constructivist teaching approaches will be the foundation of
our delivery format.
The University System of Georgia needs this Program
The University System of Georgia needs this program as part of the initiative to raise the
quality of programs serving our youngest citizens. Research has shown that highly qualified
teachers are critical in raising the quality of services for young children’s programming.
Currently there are no USG universities offering programs to meet the credential licensure
requirements of a birth-five program. According to NAEYC accreditation criteria, by the
year 2010, at least one of the teachers in a early childhood classroom must be enrolled in a
baccalaureate degree program. See attached for continuing timeline progression.
Kennesaw State University’s Bagwell College of Education, is the second largest producer
of teachers of elementary aged children. However, Georgia colleges are meeting only 10%
of the demand for teachers in Georgia. The addition of these new teachers justifies the
need for this program. The children of Georgia have a right to high quality early childhood
education and well prepared professionals to support their learning.
It is hoped that this program will become a model for other colleges in the Universi ty
System of Georgia. While there is no “one size fits all” approach to professional
preparation, there is a shared vision of standards to which we all adhere. In other words,
we are not looking for “standardization”, but striving for high standards.
The changing demographic composition of the U.S., Georgia and Atlanta is also reflected in
employment trends. Between 1990 and 2000 the number of people of Hispanic descent in
the U.S. increased approximately 21%, those of Asian descent 22%, and AfricanAmericans 12%, while the percentage of Whites increased only 2%. The U.S. Census
Bureau estimates that between 2000 and 2025 the total number of people of Hispanic
descent in Georgia will increase by 83%, those of Asian descent 74%, African-Americans
46% and Native Americans 24%. Most of the increase in these populations will occur in
metropolitan Atlanta. Currently approximately 8% of metropolitan Atlanta's population is
comprised of immigrants. Metro Atlanta is known for having one of the most diverse
immigrant populations in the U.S. and one of the highest proportions of minorities in its
total. Because of this changing demographic composition, there is a clear need for
universities to provide teachers who are prepared to work with children and families of
these culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Supporting Data from KSU Students
Students who are currently in our ECE 3313 Preschool Curriculum and ECE 2205
Organization & Administration of Preschool programs courses have identified a need for a
degree in the field that is specialized for the youngest children. Many come to classes with
experience and devotion to this age group, but are detoured to the elementary level for a
four-year degree and certification. Many students have inquired about a “switch” from the
P-5th program to the Birth-Five program.
Curriculum and Delivery
We plan to incorporate a hybrid delivery of courses. Some will be offered online, others in a
traditional time frame, and others in non-traditional times such as evenings and weekends.
NAEYC standards for Initial licensure provide the framework for the curriculum; 1)
Promoting Child Development and Learning, 2) Building Family and Community
Relationships, 3) Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young
Children and Families, 4) Teaching and Learning- 4a) connecting with children and
families, 4b) Using developmentally effective approaches, 4c) Understanding content
knowledge in early education, 4d) Building meaningful curriculum and 5) Becoming a
Professional
The curriculum and delivery sequence for the B.S. in early childhood education, birth to five
program is presented below
GENERAL EDUCATION
University-wide Fitness for Living Requirement
42
3
AREA F
*ECE XXXX
*ECE XXXX
*ECE XXXX
ECE XXXX
ECE XXXX
ECE XXXX
18
3
3
3
3
3
3
Culture/Diversity/Special Needs
School and Society Contemporary Issues in Education
Learning/the Learner/the Teacher
To be announced by the PSC
To be announced by the PSC
To be announced by the PSC
These courses may have different numbers or titles and content. At the present time this is
what we have heard about them and we are waiting for the final recommendations from the
Birth to Five Joint Consortium of PSC/BOR currently working on this.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
First Semester 12
*ECE 3X05 Foundations of Early Childhood Education
3
*ECE 3X10 Human Reproduction, Prenatal Development, Health & Safety3
*ECE 3X15 Growth & Development in Birth – Five Years
3
ECE 3X20 Fostering Young Children's Learning through Play
3
Second Semester ECE 3x25 Language Development in Infants & Toddlers
ECE 3X30 Developmental Aspects of Movement & Physical Domain
ECE 3X35 Principles of Inclusive Early Childhood Education
ECE 3X40 Development of Language & Literacy in Young Children
12
3
3
3
3
Third Semester
*ECE 4X05 Families & Communities: Partners in Education
*ECE 4X10 Administration of Early Care & Learning Programs
*ECE 4X15 International Approaches to Early Care & Learning
9
3
3
3
Fourth Semester
ECE 4X20 Second Language Acquisition in the Young Child
ECE 4X25 Art and Music in Early Learning
ECE 4X30 Children's Literature
ECE 4X35 Discovery & Exploration of Scientific concepts
ECE 4X40
Math and Technology for Young Children
15
3
3
3
3
3
Fifth Semester
12
ECE 4X45
12
Student Teaching/curriculum & environment seminar
PROGRAM TOTAL
123
* Courses that are considered to lend themselves well to online/hybrid delivery.
Brief course descriptions of the above courses have been included in this document to
provide additional information about the content and extent of exposure to developmentally
appropriate curricular, candidates in this program will receive.
ECE 3X05 Foundation of Early Childhood Education: This course explores the foundations
of early childhood education and provides an overview of the historical, philosophical,
social, psychological, and contemporary influences in the field of Early Childhood
Education. Current Federal legislative policies and trends in the State of Georgia which
impact children from birth to age five will be explored. Candidates will examine how both
child developmental theories and public policies influence various curricula and program
models. Candidates will explore variety of early childhood settings and programs.
ECE 3X10 Human Reproduction, Prenatal Development, Health & Safety: : This course is
designed to provide teacher candidates with the knowledge and understanding of the
human body and its reproductive system, pregnancy and prenatal development. This
course will focus on the relationship of heredity and the environment and its effect on
conception and prenatal development as it relates to future learning. Teacher candidates
will gain a better understanding of the stages of pregnancy and labor, the responsibilities of
becoming parents and the role of prenatal and perinatal professionals (Lamaze instructors,
midwifes, physicians, nurses, genetic counselors etc.) Health and safety factors that may
influence prenatal development (genetics, teratogens, diet, nutrition, alcohol, drugs, etc) will
also be explored.
ECE 3X15 Growth & Development in Birth-Five Years: This course is designed to assist
candidates in developing knowledge and understanding of the developmental ages and
stages of children from birth through age five years, especially within the context of cultural,
historical, political and familial group care settings. This course will include an observation
requirement. Verification of professional liability insurance will be required.
ECE 3X20 Fostering Young Children’s Learning through Play: This course is designed
to provide teacher candidates with the knowledge and understanding of children’s play
in a variety of settings. A review of play theories as well as a historical approach to play
will be presented. Teacher candidates will have the opportunity to explore the relation of
play with to curriculum development and assessment. Issues regarding gender, culture,
social economic status, stress and personality types will be discussed in relationship to
play.
ECE 3X25 Language Development in Infants & Toddlers: This course is designed as an
introduction to the study of language acquisition and development in typically and atypically
developing infants and toddlers. Emphasis will be given to ages and stages of language
development, family and cultural influences, and the importance of a language-rich
environment. Candidates will
participate in field experiences and observations.
Verification of professional
liability insurance will be required.
ECE 3X30 Developmental Aspects of Movement & Physical Domain: This course is
designed to provide teacher candidates with opportunities to understand the importance o f
movement in the development and education of young children. Movement exploration,
including problem solving and guided discovery activities will be studied and experienced.
Candidates will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of children’s games and
rhythmic activities as well as create and implement these activities with children in field
experience.
ECE 3X35 Principles of Inclusive Early Childhood Education: This course is designed to
assist the teacher candidate in preparing environments to meet the needs of diverse
children with developmental delays, cognitive, language, and emotional differences. Legal
issues and definitions of terms involving preschool special education will be addressed.
Curriculum modification and environmental accommodations for children with special needs
will be reviewed. Assessment techniques and the role of service providers will be
discussed.
ECE 3X40 Development of Language & Literacy in Young Children: This course is
designed to assist teacher education candidates in developing knowledge and
understanding about language and literacy development in3-, 4-, and 5-year old children.
Emphasis is on the concurrent and interrelated development of reading and writing; the role
of families and culture; designing curricula, materials, and environments to facilitate
emergent literacy; assessing young children's language and literacy development; and,
meeting the needs of diverse young learners.
ECE 4X05 Families and Communities: Partners in Education: This course is designed to
assist the teacher candidate in preparing to work with diverse families and the community
within child development environments. Issues regarding culture, family composition,
families as partners and the role of the community as a part of the child’s world will be
discussed. Teacher candidates will discuss the issues facing the family and how
professionals can work closely with families in educating young children.
ECE 4X10 Administration of Early Care & Learning Programs: This course addresses
planning for child care and education facilities including staffing, licensing, organizing space
and equipment, nutrition and health policies, parent and community relations. The purpose
of this course is to provide the teacher/facilitator with an opportunity to understand the
importance and application of developmentally appropriate practices and examine the role
and responsibilities of the early childhood education administrator and teacher in a
preschool setting. Observations in preschools will be required. Verification of professional
liability insurance is required before placement in observation.
ECE 4X15 International Approaches to Early Care & Learning: This course addresses
comparative early care of infants and children in international settings including countries in
Asia and Africa, France, Central and South America, Italy, Australia, and others.
Candidates will explore the role of the mother in birthing, neo-natal and early care and
education. Theories and application of various approaches to early childhood education
will be explored as they relate to professional development. Topics include Montessori
Education, Bank Street School, Reggio Emilia Approach, Waldorf-Rudolph Steiner
Education, British Infant Schools, the French Maternelle and others.
ECE 4X20 Second Language Acquisition in the Young Child: Teacher candidates will
develop a clear understanding of language proficiency levels for the fours skills (reading,
writing, listening and speaking) and learn appropriate approaches, methods and techniques
for working with ELL children and their families. Candidates will examines major theories
related to ELL families, and principles of linguistic systems (phonological, syntactic, and
semantic) and their acquisition as they occur in first and additional languages. Additionally,
they will explore the relationship of oral and written language and become familiar with
assessment techniques and devices for evaluating the development of an additional
language.
ECE 4X25 Art and Music in Early Learning: Sensorial experiences provide the foundations
for all cognitive growth. Sensorial development can be richly enhanced through the use of
developmentally appropriate materials which address the child’s learning through the
senses. Work with these materials promotes success in future learning.
In this course, candidates will have the opportunity to explore, create and analyze the use
of music and creative representation in the developing learning processes of young
children, aged three to five years. Field experience will provide candidates with the
opportunity to observe, interpret and document children’s responses to art and music.
ECE 4X30 Children’s Literature: This course is an introductory study of literature for
children. It focuses on selecting and using quality literature to engage young children with
books from a variety of cultures and across genres. Emphasis is placed the artistic and
literary merit of
children's literature, appropriate books for children and their diverse needs, and
involving families in literature-based experiences with their children.
ECE 4X35 Discovery & Exploration of Scientific Concepts: This course is designed to
study science processes, principles and practices that are essential to integrating science
in an early childhood classroom. Emphasis will be placed on inquiry, life science, physical
science, earth and space science in the early childhood classroom. In addition, curric ulum
goals, planning, implementing and evaluating instruction in science will be included.
Includes field experience as well as the use of educational technology.
ECE 4X40 Math & Technology for Young Children: This course provides the teacher
candidate with the opportunity to create and implement curriculum for young children that
focuses on math and technology. It will include a review of the NAEYC framework for
developmentally appropriate practice and the Georgia PreK content standards. A field
experience component will provide development of skills in observing, interpreting and
documenting children’s learning processes.
ECE 4X45 Student Teaching and Seminar: Curriculum & Environments:
This course is designed to assist teacher candidates in developing, planning and
implementing strategies of learning for infants, toddlers and preschool children ages birth to
five years. Teacher candidates are required to participate in a full time teaching experience
under the supervision of approved early child care professionals and a university
supervisor. The teaching experience is designed to assist the teacher candidate in the
application of developmentally appropriate practices with diverse preschool children. The
full time teaching experience must include eight weeks (or equivalent) of planning,
participation and instruction in an environment with young children birth to three years of
age and eight weeks (or equivalent) of planning, participation and instruction in an
environment with young children three to five years of age. Teacher candidates will also
meet with a university supervisor on a weekly basis in a seminar format to attain addition
knowledge in working with infants, toddlers and young children, review teaching and
planning strategies and discuss concerns during field placement. Verification of
professional liability insurance is required prior to placement in the teaching experience.
Teacher candidates must apply and receive approval from Center of Field Experience and
Partnerships and acceptance into the Department of Early Childhood Education prior to
taking this course. (See Catalog for Student Teaching requirements)
Budget
The program will not require any additional costs for the Department of Elementary and
Early Childhood Education. The department already employs a cadre of highly qualified,
experienced and expert faculty who will be teaching in this program. We have twenty two
professors and instructors of Early Childhood Education including six whose area of
specialization is birth – five early childhood education. These include 2 full professors, 1
associate professor, 1 assistant professor and 2 instructors. Although most of these
courses are new courses, reassignment of work load of these professors will enable them
offer the high level of instruction expected for this program. (Detailed budget information is
presented as an attachment).
APPENDIX I
Kennesaw State University's Mission Statement:
Kennesaw State is a proud public university in the University System of Georgia, located in
the densely populated and rapidly developing northwest region of greater metropolitan
Atlanta. Chartered in 1963, KSU serves as a highly valued resource for this region's
educational, economic, social and cultural advancement. This institution shares with all
other units in the University System of Georgia the following characteristics:
.
a supportive campus climate, necessary services, and leadership development
opportunities, all to educate the whole person and meet the needs of students, faculty and
staff;
.
cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the faculty, staff and student body,
supported by practices and programs that embody the ideals of an open, democratic, and
global society;
.
. technology to advance educational purposes, including instructional
technology, student support services and distance education;
.
collaborative relationships with other system institutions, state agencies, local
schools and technical institutes, and business and industry, sharing physical, human,
information and other resources to expand and enhance programs and services available
to the citizens of Georgia.
This institution shares with other state universities in the University System of Georgia the
following characteristics:
. a commitment to excellence and responsiveness within a scope of influence defined by
the needs of an area of the state, and by particularly outstanding programs or distinctive
characteristics that have a magnet effect throughout the region or state; .
. a commitment to teaching/learning environment, both inside' and outside the classroom,
that sustains instructional excellence, serves a diverse and university- prepared student
body, promotes high levels of student achievement, offers academic assistance, and
provides developmental studies programs for a limited student cohort;. a high quality
general education program supporting a variety of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and
professional academic programming at the baccalaureate level, with selected associate
degree programs based on area need and/or inter-institutional collaborations;. a
commitment to public service, continuing education, technical assistance, and economic
development activities that address the needs, improve the quality of life, and raise the
educational level within the university' scope of influence;. a commitment to scholarly and
creative work to enhance instructional
effectiveness and to encourage faculty scholarly pursuits, and a commitment to applied
research in selected areas of institutional strength and area need.
Kennesaw State University's distinctive characteristics are described as follows:
Kennesaw State serves a diverse student body in the northern suburbs of Atlanta and
extending into northwest Georgia. It includes young adults who enroll as freshmen or
undergraduate transfers and an equally large number of older adults who return or transfer
to the university at different stages in their lives for undergraduate or graduate study.
Students reside off campus and commute to classes. A majority pursue their academic
goals on a part-time basis because of job, family and civic responsibilities. Significant
numbers of international and minority students enroll. Many students pursue professionally
oriented degrees, especially at the graduate level. Evening and weekend programs
accommodate experienced professionals seeking academic advancement. A broad range
of programs, services and activities are offered outside the classroom to enrich campus life
and enhance student success and personal development.
Effective teaching and learning are central institutional priorities. Service and research that
strengthen teaching and address the public's interests are important supportive priorities.
Faculty, staff and administrators are committed to providing a challenging and facilitative
collegiate environment that fosters high-quality academic preparation, critical thinking,
global and multicultural perspectives, effective communication and interpersonal skills,
leadership development, social responsibility and lifelong learning. Programs that prepare
students well for the advancement of professional pursuits are especially attractive and are
offered in all schools of the university.
The foundation for all undergraduate majors is a comprehensive and coherent general
education program that promotes internationalized and connected learning in the liberal
arts tradition. A wide array of baccalaureate degree programs is offered, including majors in
the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, natural science, accounting, business
fields, teacher education specialties, computing and information systems, and nursing. An
expanding array of professional master's degrees exists in education specialties,
accounting, business fields, public administration, professional writing and nursing.
KSU's commitment to public service is reflected through an extensive array of continuing
education programs, service institutions and centers, nationally recognized lectures and
conferences, collaborations with the public schools, partnerships with business and
governmental agencies, and international initiatives. The university plays a vital role in
promoting and supporting regional interests in the visual, performing and cultural arts.
Research, scholarship, and creative activity are broadly defined and predominantly applied.
The university honors action research on the
improvement of teaching and learning; survey research for community and economic
development; interdisciplinary studies in support of environmental, governmental, business
or health interests; creative contributions in the arts and humanities; intellectual
contributions; discovery research and academic publication; and the interpretation or
application of academic research.
Kennesaw State University aspires to be a progressive and exemplary educational
institution, respected for its excellence and leadership in teaching, service and research.
The university is committed to continuous improvement in an increasingly diverse and
constantly changing learning community."