Child Development and Early Education: Birth to Kindergarten and Special Education at Michigan State University

Programme overview

Focuses on child development and family studies, special education and early childhood educational practices, examining how culture, education, family, community and biology shape development, for students who want to work with children from birth through kindergarten. Graduates qualify for Michigan teacher certification for birth to kindergarten, with optional additional birth-to-third-grade certification.

Faculty: College of Social Science | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

Hands-on experience takes place at MSU Child Development Laboratories and in community-based early childhood settings, including home visit programs.

Career pathways

Alumni work in Head Start, Great Start Readiness, elementary schools and preschools, child development centers, non-profits and hospitals, as preschool teachers, applied behavior analysts, family support workers, college advisors and youth care workers.

Official programme page

Application information

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Most first-year students enter in the fall semester. Admission to other semesters may be limited or not available at all.

Transfer applicants can apply for fall (August start), spring (January start) and summer (May start) semesters. International transfer students are not eligible for summer admission.

First-year early action deadline is Nov. 1 (non-binding), with an admission decision by Jan. 15 and the acceptance fee due by May 1. Regular admission has a Feb. 1 priority deadline (decision by Mar. 31) and a final application deadline of Apr. 1, with rolling decisions after Feb. 1. MSU is test optional: applicants may apply without an ACT or SAT score.

The first-year application fee is $75 (or an application fee waiver if eligible). First-year applicants can apply through the MSU application or the Coalition application with Scoir. The application for fall 2027 opens in August.

International first-year applicants have the same deadlines: early action Nov. 1, priority Feb. 1, final Apr. 1, acceptance fee by May 1.

Transfer application deadlines: fall April 1, spring open until capacity is reached, summer March 1. International transfer applicants for fall have a March 1 deadline and must pay the acceptance fee by April 1.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/first-year

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