Early Education and Care

Early education and care prepares you to work with young children from birth to eight years old outside the public school system. Students can focus on becoming a lead preschool teacher or administrator, preparing to be an early intervention specialist, building the skills to open an at-home child care, or advancing in their current careers.

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Program Requirements

Early Education and Care Program Overview

The Early Education and Care (EEC) program is specifically designed to support students who wish to work with young children aged 0-8 outside of the public school system. We are pleased to announce that EEC now has six pathways for students to choose from depending on their career goals.

Early Education and Care Pathways

Preschool Lead Teacher Pathway

The preschool lead teacher pathway is ideal for students interested in teaching young children in a range of private early childhood settings.

Career Options

  • infant/toddler teacher
  • private preschool teacher
  • out-of-school programming coordinator

Pre-licensure Pathway

Students who are currently working full or part-time in early education and care settings, who want to continue in their jobs while they complete their degree, but who are interested in earning a public school teaching license in the future should follow this pathway. This path will allow students to pick up EEC credentials on the way to licensure.

Immediately upon graduation, students will be eligible to continue their career in early education and care. However, they are in an excellent position to go directly into a graduate licensure program to earn the credentials needed to teach in the public schools.

Career Options

  • infant/toddler teacher
  • private preschool teacher
  • out-of-school programming coordinator

After completing a 1-year M.Ed. in Early Childhood

  • Preschool through second grade public school teacher

NOTE: Fellowships are available to cover the tuition and fees for the fall and spring terms of the M.Ed. Required summer classes are not covered by the fellowship.

Early Intervention Pathway

The early intervention pathway is the right fit for the student who is interested in being an early interventionist who provides important services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays or who are at risk for them.

Career Options

  • early intervention specialist
  • early intervention service coordinator

Administration Pathway

Students who already hold lead teacher certification and are interested in becoming the director of a preschool or childcare center will find this pathway to be the best choice.

Career Options

  • preschool/childcare administrator

Entrepreneurship Pathway

For students with the goal of opening their own in-home or small childcare programs, the entrepreneurship pathway is the ideal choice. This program provides a blend of education and business classes to set a new business owner up for success.

Career Options

  • Open home-based childcare center
  • Purchase and run childcare franchise

Advanced Topics Pathway

Students who are happy in their early education and care career and who want to complete their bachelor's degree while continuing in their current career will find the flexibility of this pathway an excellent match.

Early Childhood Educators Scholarship

Students currently working in early education and care are strongly encouraged to apply for the EEC scholarship. Applications are available annually on April 1. Applicants are required to complete a FASFA, but this is not an income-based scholarship. Check eligibility here: Apply for the Early Childhood Educators (ECE) scholarship

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