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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.
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.
GCU has designed our degree programs with the needs of today’s students in mind. The online version of this degree program can provide the following benefits:
For traditional students, the on-campus early learning degree program can offer the following benefits:
Upon completion of this degree, you may then apply to receive your teaching license through your state. Be sure to check the state requirements where you plan to teach, as this step may differ from state to state.
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:
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.
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.1
The bachelor‛s in early childhood education curriculum includes:
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
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:
Early childhood educators work in a variety of environments. These include:2,3
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.
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.
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.
If you are looking to become an early childhood educator, you may find this particular field to be a great major. This major can provide you with the tools necessary to understand child development and engage with young children while giving you opportunities to gain the practical/field experience hours needed to earn your degree and work toward pursuing your teaching license.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), kindergarten and elementary school teachers have a median annual wage of $61,620 as of May 2022.4 Furthermore, the BLS states that, “about 109,000 openings for kindergarten and elementary school teachers are projected each year, on average, over the decade” (from 2022 to 2032).5
As an early childhood educator, you could one day be responsible for creating an inclusive classroom environment in which young students can thrive, learn and grow. It can be an ideal career choice for people who are instructionally focused and have a strong inclination toward pedagogy.
If you wish to take courses in early childhood development, there are different levels to choose from. These include:
The program you choose should depend largely on your career goals, as well as your past academic qualifications. (For example, you can only enroll in a graduate degree program if you already have an undergraduate degree.) While an associate degree may provide a shorter path to program completion, you should be aware that some career outcomes may require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. For instance, kindergarten and elementary school teachers typically need a bachelor’s degree and often need state licensure.
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.
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on March 14, 2024.
3 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.
5 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.
6 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.
Up to 90 credits, only 84 can be lower division
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Bachelor's)
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
*Math and reading only on a 1600 point scale (test date after 3/1/2016). SAT score of 1380 required for 2400 point scale (test date before 3/1/2016).
