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Why Add a Concentration?
Why Add a Concentration?
A concentration allows you to tailor your degree to your interests and career goals. It adds depth in a specific area, helps you build specialized skills, and can make you more competitive in the job market.
See below for the concentrations available to Applied Educational Studies students
Who it’s for: Aspiring administrators in early care settings.
Experience needed: 2–3 years of administration work experience.
Credential info:
Gateways: Requires 1200 hours (Level 1) and 3600 hours (Level 2) in ECE administration.
Must complete ECE 303 for Level 2.
Eligible for Aim4Excellence National Director Credential upon concentration completion through NLU.
Who it’s for: Those wanting to work with infants and toddlers.
Credential info:
Must complete ECE 342 with 20 Field Hours in Infant/Toddler settings
Gateways: Eligible for Gateways Level 2 Infant/Toddler Credential.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Methods
Who it’s for: Those focused on developing teaching strategies.
Credential Info:
Must complete: EDU 477, EDU 480, and EDU 483 with 30 field hours in the ECE setting
To Add a Concentration
To Add a Concentration
Talk with your Advisor to submit a Change of Program form. This should be done as early as possible to ensure you can meet all requirements before graduation.
Additional Credentials Available
Additional Credentials Available
Gateways Level 2 Infant/Toddler Credential (ITC)
Requires completion of Infant and Toddler Studies concentration
Students must apply through Gateways
Gateways Level 1 Illinois Director Credential (IDC)
Requires the Early Care and Education Administration Concentration
Gateways to Opportunity Level I Illinois Director Credential with NLU or transfer credits and 1200 hours of work experience as a Director or Assistant Director or administrative work
AIM4Excellence National Director Credential if courses are taken at NLU and 1200 hours of work experience as a Director or Assistant Director or administrative work
Students will need to apply through Gateways
Gateways Level 5 Family Service Credential (FSC)
FSC is for professionals who provide direct services to families. Those earning the FSC will have special knowledge of managing family relationships and documented "family-related" work experience with 200 hours of family related supervised experience or 1,200 hours of documented family related work experience.
Required courses: HSM 306 as an elective course.
Students will need to apply for FSC credential outside of NLU’s program through Gateways.
Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) certification through the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR)
Family Life Educators empower families to apply knowledge about healthy family functioning to prevent or minimize problems. Required courses: HSM 306, PSY 450 and PSY 311 as an elective course.
Students will need to apply for the CFLE credential outside of the program, as well as successfully complete the CFLE exam. Two options exist depending on your situation.
Provisional Certification: demonstrate content knowledge but lack work experience
Full Certification: demonstrate both content knowledge and work experience
Child Welfare Employee Licensure (CWEL)
Requires Child Welfare Concentration and completion of SWK 312,SWK 313, SWK 406.
Leads to expedited Child Welfare Employee Licensure (CWEL) upon hire by an Illinois child welfare agency in a case-carrying role with the Placement/Permanency Specialty.
Certification in Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) and Placement Specialty
Requires the following exams:
Child Welfare Employee Licensure (CWEL)
Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS)
Placement Specialty Exam is required for those providing direct child welfare services to Illinois families with children placed in substitute care.
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