Getting an Early Childhood Education Degree Online

Article by Emma Robert

Getting an Early Childhood Education Degree Online

Early childhood education focuses on the early care and education for children from birth to age eight years. It involves the use of various techniques and instructional skills to encourage and stimulate growth and development through to the next stage.

Getting an Early Childhood Education degree online will prepare you to meet the specific challenges in the education of young children. If you have a genuine love and passion for working with young children and are looking to enter into the field, an Associate’s degree in early childhood education will provide you with a well-rounded education in early childhood and field experience.

The program also provides a great opportunity for unlicensed substitute teachers and childcare workers to obtain the additional knowledge and training needed to upgrade their skills. The program focuses on core online courses and topics that teach the principles of educational practice and theory with an integration of teaching skills. Some of the courses covered include childhood education, educational development, nutrition, health and special-needs-care.

The program takes one to two years to complete. Successful completion of the online Associate degree in early childhood education opens the door to a four-year degree program that allows for more advanced and specialized studies within the field.

An Online Early Childhood Education Degree pursued at the Masters or PhD levels will see students focusing on specialized content, knowledge and training that will qualify them for administrative and leadership positions within the field.

Employment Outlook for Childcare Professionals

Graduates of an advanced degree program in Early Childhood Education will have the appropriate qualifications needed to seek licensure within the state they wish to work. They can then pursue various employment opportunities in pre-school childcare centers, day-care centers, recreational centers, kindergartens or other agencies that specialize in childcare. They can also work as a teacher or teacher’s assistant at the elementary or secondary level.

Schools that provide an Online Degree in Early Childhood Education

Western Governors University (BA in Early Childhood Education)

Northern Maine Community College (Associate in Early Childhood Ed)

Penn Foster College

University of Phoenix

Capella University

Rasmussen CollegeSalary Range for Childcare Professionals

The median salary for childcare professionals working in a kindergarten, elementary or secondary school is around ,000- ,748 per year. A daycare teacher can earn up to ,165 per year, while a director of a preschool can earn up to ,458 per year.