【Department Highlights】

Our department's curriculum is built on a strong foundation of interdisciplinary academic research. Our faculty actively engage in research projects funded by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the Ministry of Education, publishing in top-tier national and international journals. In the meantime, we make significant social impact through initiatives such as establishing parent-child centers, overseeing childcare facilities in Hsinchu County and City, supporting Indigenous early childhood education programs, assisting with professional development for preschool educators, and advocating for key early childhood policies.

With a solid research foundation and a strong sense of social responsibility, our program focuses on teacher education, equipping students with essential early childhood education principles and knowledge. We emphasize four distinctive areas: Multilingual and Multicultural Education (Indigenous languages, Hakka, Hokkien, English), Early STEAM Education , Early Arts Education, and Developmental Science, while also addressing infant and child care(ECEC), early childhood special education, and early childhood education administration. Our department is equipped with multiple specialized classrooms, offering extensive resources for both teaching and research as well as for hands-on exercise. Additionally, we are the first in Taiwan to introduce a bilingual early childhood teacher training program. Our students consistently achieve a 90%+ pass rate in teacher certification exams, with many securing highly competitive public preschool teaching positions.

Our students are not limited to becoming preschool teachers—they are encouraged to envision broader career possibilities. We provide diverse industry, international, and interdisciplinary resources to cultivate leadership, research, innovation, and social engagement skills. Graduates can apply their expertise in fields such as (early) childhood education, children’s industry, and other professional fields both in Taiwan and abroad, with unlimited cross-disciplinary opportunities. Key resources include:

• Industry Connections: Courses, guest lectures, field visits, and internships related to the children's industry.
• International Exchange: Courses and lectures by renowned international scholars, including honorary senior scholars from the Yin Shu-Tien Educational Seminar and Fulbright Program; opportunities to enroll in bilingual teacher training programs; opportunities to study and have internships abroad.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Options for interdisciplinary programs, dual specializations, minors, double majors, and cross-university courses within the University System of Taiwan.
• Social Responsibility: Opportunities for service-learning, community and international outreach programs, and early childhood camps.

【Degree and Professional Development】

• Bachelor Program: Students must complete a minimum of 128 credits to graduate, including: 32 credits in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professional courses; 22 credits in Pre-service Early Childhood Teacher Education courses; and additional elective courses in specialized areas. Graduates qualify as educare giver. As an MOE-approved early childhood teacher education program, our bachelor students (excluding special enrollment students) are eligible for teacher training, and can take the preschool teacher certification exam after completing the 54-credit core curriculum described above. Upon passing the exam and successfully completing the required teaching internship, students are awarded a preschool teacher’s certificate.
• Master’s Program: Based on the research interest, students can choose from two specializations: “Curriculum and Instruction” and “Developmental Science”.
• In-service Master’s Program: Designed for early childhood professionals seeking further expertise in “Curriculum and Instruction” and “Developmental Science”.
• Doctoral Program: Offered through the College of Education, specializing in Early Childhood Education and Child Development.
• Preschool Principal Training Program: Equipping early childhood professionals with leadership and management expertise.

【Career Prospects】

Graduates of our program can explore and create diverse career opportunities in both traditional and emerging fields, for example: teaching and administrative roles in domestic and international preschools (public preschool teachers earn from NT$46,000+; educare givers from NT$40,000+); careers in children’s industry and entrepreneurship, such as in STEAM, education, arts, physical development, (new) media, and publishing, with roles in e.g., preschools, childcare centers, STEAM classrooms, parent-child centers, companies for toys and teaching materials, children's book publishing, early childhood sports programs, and children’s theater groups; careers in public sectors & child welfare, such as roles in government agencies, early intervention programs, child welfare organizations, and various cross-disciplinary innovative fields. For students interested in research, further academic pursuits in our graduate programs or interdisciplinary research institutes worldwide are also possible.