BS in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Degree
BS in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Degree
Start your GCU
journey today.
journey today.
"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."
"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."
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.
Engage in On-Campus Learning Opportunities
Earn Your Degree Online
Licensure and Teacher Certification
Make a Positive Impact on Young Learners
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.
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.
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’s licensure requirements, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)32 and 668.43(c).
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
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:(See disclaimer 3)
Early childhood education centers
Public and private preschools/pre-K programs
Public and private elementary schools
Hospitals
Residential facilities
Estimated number of new jobs for special education teachers yearly from 2023 to 2033(See disclaimer 4)
Median annual wage for special education teachers as of May 2023(See disclaimer 5)
Prepare to inspire and engage with diverse young learners with exceptionalities.
We’ve gathered a few of your most frequently asked questions below regarding this bachelor’s degree for future teachers.
What is a dual early childhood special education degree?
Is a bachelor’s degree in early childhood special education worth it?
Why is early childhood education beneficial for students with intellectual exceptionalities?
What degree is needed to be a special education teacher?
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).
