Earning a Dual Degree in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education

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Read time 2 minutes

Kennedy Lane

Published on Feb 26, 2019

The steps to take in becoming a teacher can take a lot of work, but in the end is so rewarding. Choosing to work in early childhood education and early childhood special education is a little different than other early education. Here is what the program looks like and career options with earning the dual degree.

Types of Classes

The types of classes that are needed to complete the early childhood and early childhood special education program include development classes, behavioral classes, classroom management and learning strategies. Here is a list of the type of classes needed to complete the program:

Early language and literacy development
Social and emotional development
Behavioral interventions
Classroom management
Learning strategies
Instructional methods
Assessments, evaluations and progress reporting
Child, family and community collaboration
Educational advocacy for children with and without exceptionalities

Career Options

With having such a specific degree, it may feel like you have a limited amount of career options, but there are many career options to pick from. Since you will obtain an education degree, it allows you to teach. An early education degree allows you to teach in pre-K up to grade 3 classrooms. Here are some of the teaching options possible with an early education degree:

Early childhood education centers
Public and private preschool/pre-K
Public and private elementary school
Nonprofit organizations
Educational policy organizations
Some of the jobs that may be directly related to an early childhood special education degree could include:
Teaching positions
Special education advocacy roles
Special education program coordinators
School administration roles

As a special education teacher you will work more directly with struggling students and those who require a little more attention and help with schoolwork. You have the ability to work in the school system and teach. If you have a heart for teaching young students and like working with young students with special needs, then a dual degree in early childhood education and early childhood special education is right for you. You can also explore online special education degrees, which provide a flexible path to earning your credentials.

To learn more about how Grand Canyon University’s College of Education provides teachers with the tools to work with the youngest learners students for future success, visit our website or click the Request More Information Button on this page.

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Kennedy Lane

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.