Early Childhood Education Degrees Online

Choosing the Perfect Path

Early childhood education (ECE) is the branch of education that focuses on children from infancy to eight years of age. Children’s brains are rapidly developing during this time, and educational focus is placed on developing social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs. Early childhood education may be a good career path for you if you love children and are service-oriented, patient and passionate about learning.

Most online early childhood education programs are for bachelor’s degrees, but there are also associate degrees, graduate degrees and non-degreed certification programs. There are many different specialization areas within early childhood education degrees, including curriculum and instruction, special education, English as a second language (ESL) and gifted and talented education.

With so many options, it can be difficult for prospective educators to select the best choice. In this article, we’ll walk through the different degree types and concentrations to help make your decision easier.

Types of Degrees

There are three types of early childhood education degrees online.

Bachelor’s

Many jobs in early childhood education will require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years, following a schedule of 15 credit hours per semester and two semesters per year. An online bachelor’s degree costs $51,091 on average.

When combined with a teaching license, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education makes you eligible to teach elementary school. Many online bachelor’s programs include a prescribed pathway to licensure.

Associate

Associate degrees take about two years to complete and can cost as little as $7,000. An associate degree in early childhood education can qualify you for a position as a childcare provider or preschool teacher.

Graduate

A graduate degree, such as a master’s or doctorate, in early childhood education qualifies you for many of the same positions as associate or bachelor’s degrees. Still, you’ll typically start at a higher level on the pay scale. Graduate degrees require two to six years of education on top of your bachelor’s.

A graduate degree also creates additional career opportunities, such as working in the research field or teaching future educators at the college level.

Other Credentials

Some careers in early childhood education do not require a degree, and several credentials are available that help candidates excel at these jobs. Many online and in-person early childhood education courses come with certificates of completion. These can count towards degrees, or they can be used to qualify for credentials, like the Childhood Development Associate (CDA) credential, for example.

The CDA credential requires 120 credit hours of ECE courses. Other credentials include the Infant-Toddler Child Development Associate credential, the Preschool Child Development Associate Credential and the Family Child Care Child Development Associate credential.

Optional Specializations

ECEs can also specialize in certain areas to open up many career opportunities.

Curriculum and Instruction

Concentrating on curriculum and instruction can open up many opportunities for early childhood educators, such as a career in curriculum development, teacher education or professional development coordination. Curriculum and instruction specializations are most commonly offered for master’s degrees.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

Early childhood educators with an ESL specialization help young learners gain proficiency in English while still allowing them to build a strong foundation in their first language. ESL concentrations are available for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Additionally, licensed teachers may also add an ESL endorsement to their existing license. The requirements for adding this endorsement vary by state, but the process typically involves completing additional credit hours and passing an endorsement exam.

Special Education

Like with the ESL endorsement, a special education endorsement can be added to an existing teaching license. Special education can also be selected as a concentration area for an early childhood education bachelor’s or master’s degree. Educators with a special education focus work with children who are experiencing developmental delays or disabilities. In early childhood education, the goal of special education professionals is to narrow these developmental gaps as early as possible.

Gifted and Talented

Gifted and talented students have high achievement capability and possess diverse learning needs. Early childhood educators who want to work with gifted and talented students have the option of adding an endorsement to an existing license. Educators without a license can choose a degree program with a concentration in gifted education.

Charting Your Course

There are several online degree programs and credentials available to prospective early childhood educators, as well as many options for specialization areas. Additionally, depending on their desired careers, future educators must also decide whether to pursue licensure. Fortunately, a licensure path is included in many bachelor’s and graduate programs, making this portion of the decision simpler.

Now that you’ve explored the various degrees and concentrations available to you, you’re better prepared to take the next step toward your dream career.

Which Type of Online Early Childhood Education Degree Is Right for You?