BS in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Degree

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Overview

Support Growth in Children With Unique Learning Needs

The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education degree at Grand Canyon University is offered by the College of Education. This dual bachelor’s degree is intended to prepare aspiring teacher candidates to pursue a career devoted to helping young children (in birth through third grade classrooms) strive to reach their full potential as learners and community members.

The early childhood and early childhood special education degree online and on campus is approved by the Arizona Department of Education and accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). As a graduate, you will be qualified to pursue a certification credential in Arizona in both the early childhood and early childhood special education content up to a third-grade classroom level.

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Why GCU

Prepare To Empower Young Special Education Learners

This education degree emphasizes the value of servant leadership and Christian ethics. Aspiring teacher candidates with a background in early childhood and special education may pursue a career working with children during a critical period in their development. As a role model to children up to third grade, you will be taught how to encourage young learners to embrace creativity, strive toward literacy and develop an enduring love of learning.

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What Students Love About Our University
"I have multiple staff members who've found their dream job through our partnership with GCU, who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. At GCU, they can go to school and still maintain a job to provide for their family."
Aubree Spencer
National Partner and Principal in Michigan
Coursework

Develop Skills for Building a Welcoming Educational Classroom

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Early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) majors at GCU can benefit from an in-depth and comprehensive curriculum that teaches important classroom skills for learners of all abilities. This bachelor’s degree, which leads to initial teacher licensure, includes 185 practicum/field experience hours. All teacher candidates must successfully complete a student teaching experience in a learning environment with children aged birth to grade three.

Skills developed in this education program include:

Early language and literacy development

Social and emotional development

Behavioral interventions

Classroom management

Learning strategies

Instructional methods and learning strategies

Assessments, evaluations and progress reporting

Child, family and community collaboration

Educational advocacy for children with and without exceptionalities

Careers

Career Options for Early Childhood and Special Education Graduates

Embrace your passion for education and your enthusiasm for working with young children by pursuing a career in special education.

This degree could equip you to work as a preschool special education teacher in any of these settings:3

Early childhood education centers

Public and private preschools/pre-K programs

Public and private elementary schools

Hospitals

Residential facilities

35,900

Estimated number of new jobs for special education teachers yearly from 2023 to 20334

$65,910

Median annual wage for special education teachers as of May 20235

Accreditation

Earn Your ECE and ECSE Degree From an Accredited University

This ECE and ECSE degree has received programmatic accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). This full accreditation status indicates that this degree program is well-designed to prepare effective educators who are committed to lifelong professional development.

In addition, GCU has been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. The College of Education shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve gathered a few of your most frequently asked questions below regarding this bachelor’s degree for future teachers.

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Make an Impact in Early Education

Prepare to inspire and engage with diverse young learners with exceptionalities.

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 Excluding observational and practice-based experiences, and student teaching.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Why Act Early if You’re Concerned About Development? CDC. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2024.

3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, Aug. 29). Special Education Teachers: Work Environment. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2024.

4 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is based on September 2024, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Special Education Teachers, retrieved on Oct, 24, 2024.

5 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Special Education Teachers as of May 2023, retrieved on Oct. 24, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 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 special education 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.

6 Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. (2023, March). Importance of Early Intervention as It Relates to Developmental Delay or Disabilities. Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2024.

7 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, Aug. 29). How To Become a Special Education Teacher. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2024.

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