Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education

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Overview

Prepare To Nurture the Curiosity of Young Children

The first few years of life are an exciting time for children. Full of wonder and curiosity, this is a time when the brain experiences leaps and bounds in development. A child’s interactions with the world around them are key to nurturing their cognitive and emotional development.1 This degree program is ideal for passionate individuals who aspire to make a positive impact on young children through their education.

Bring your passion for working with young children to Grand Canyon University and pursue your purpose with the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. This degree program leads to initial teacher licensure and is designed to help prepare you for managing classrooms and teaching young children with confidence. With a firm foundation of competencies in teaching from this undergraduate program, you can be empowered to make a positive difference in your school community.

woman sitting with child at desk
Why GCU

Earn Your BS in Early Childhood Education Degree From GCU

Early childhood educators (ECE) must possess not only a deep comprehension of academic subjects and effective teaching methodologies, but also an acute awareness and sensitivity to the unique developmental needs and nuances of their very young students. This education bachelor’s degree was developed with the unique needs of young children in mind.

Coursework

Exploring Curriculum and Pedagogy in the ECE Program

Future teachers completing the early learning degree at GCU will have opportunities to gain the firm foundation needed to work with young students, from birth through third grade, of varying groups, intellects and cultures.

This education degree program teaches competencies such as:

  • Critical thinking about emerging trends in education
  • Best practices in engaging and managing classrooms with young children
  • The design and use of educational methods aligned with the developmental needs of young students 
  • Cultural awareness and social justice competence in the classroom
teacher at classroom table next to student

Program Requirements

This degree program has embedded practicum experiences throughout the coursework and requires a student teaching component with two placements; one in a birth through preschool practicum experience as well as one 15-week birth through grade three student teaching experience. Upon completion of this early childhood degree program, teacher certification may be pursued. Licensure may require practicum hours, state exams, student teaching and an institutional recommendation from GCU.

Early Education Coursework and Topics

As a future educator in the on-campus or online early childhood education degree at GCU, you will examine how to incorporate learning strategies and promote solid language and literacy skills that can support your students throughout their lives. Research shows that students with positive, nurturing experiences and healthy stimulation have great foundations for future learning.

The bachelor‛s in early childhood education curriculum includes:

  • Instructional strategies
  • Teaching methodologies
  • Assessment techniques
  • Theories of early childhood growth and development
  • Impact of family and cultural diversity on early childhood growth and development

This comprehensive curriculum is designed to cover a wide range of topics, with a primary focus on early childhood development and developmental benchmarks for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and early elementary students.

In this program, you will also explore:

Instruction

Instruction methods for learners with exceptionalities and English language learners

Techniques

Classroom engagement and management techniques

Development

Developmental milestones and methods of evaluation

Curriculum

Curriculum development and teaching for language arts, math, science, health, social studies and the arts

Careers

Career Options for BS in Early Childhood Education Degree Graduates

With a curriculum centered on content spanning from birth through grade three, graduates of this bachelor's degree program may emerge well-equipped to pursue licensure and employment opportunities working with children in this age group.

Graduates of child-centered education at GCU have gone on to work in a number of educational roles, including:

  • Education teacher (postsecondary)
  • Preschool teacher (except special education)
  • Kindergarten teacher (except special education)
  • Elementary school teacher (except special education)
  • Teaching assistant (preschool, elementary, middle and secondary school — except special education)
  • Special education teaching assistant

Early childhood educators work in a variety of environments. These include:2,3

  • Public elementary schools
  • Private elementary schools
  • Daycares
  • Faith-based and other preschool programs
  • Social service agencies

Our youngest learners need dedicated, knowledgeable teachers with pedagogical backgrounds to teach and advocate for them. If you are up for the challenges and personal fulfillment that may come along with being an early education teacher, then this degree program can help you develop into a capable and nurturing educator.

Accreditation

Earn Your Education Degree From an Institutionally Accredited University

This early childhood education degree program has been fully accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This accreditation reflects the effectiveness of this degree program to graduate prepared educators who are committed to ongoing professional development. For more information about program accreditation at the College of Education, please visit our accreditation page. 

GCU is proud to be an institutionally accredited university, as we are dedicated to upholding academic excellence across our colleges. In addition, the Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The College of Education shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies. 

FAQ

ECE Bachelor’s Degree FAQs

As you prepare to embark on your career pathway, you may have some questions about higher education and your possible career outcomes. The following FAQs and answers may help inform your decision-making process.

three students smiling in hallway

Begin Your Journey in ECE

Apply today at GCU to earn your early childhood education degree.

Apply Now

If you are seeking licensure/certification, please refer to the Accreditation and Compliance/State disclosures link for the specific program of interest’s website for your location and/or employment state licensure requirements, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)32 and 668.43(c).

1 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2023, Feb. 24). Early Brain Development and Health. Retrieved on May 28, 2024. 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on March 14, 2024.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). Preschool Teachers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on March 14, 2024.

4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers as of May 2022, retrieved on March 20, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as kindergarten and elementary school teachers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.

COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, retrieved on March 20, 2024.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023, Sept. 6). How To Become A Kindergarten or Elementary School Teacher. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on March 14, 2024.

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