What do you learn in a bachelor's in early childhood education?
Written by: Sarah Edwards, Edited by: Arthur McMahon
Published: March 4, 2025
Do you love working with young children? If so, a role as an early childhood educator may be for you. Learn what type of coursework you'll complete in a bachelor's in early childhood education program in preparation for this in-demand career.
What to expect from an early childhood education bachelor's program
The goal of any early childhood education bachelor's program is to give you the fundamental knowledge you need to help young children of all backgrounds learn and grow.
Because you're earning a bachelor's degree, it may take you as many as four school years (eight semesters) to complete. You will likely need 120 semester hours, which includes student teaching, clinical experience, or internship.
What to expect from an early childhood education bachelor's program
When pursuing this degree, you may encounter coursework in child development, health and wellness, behavioral psychology, and core academic subjects like math, science, literature, and social studies.
To graduate, you may need to participate in a real-world practicum, student teaching, or curriculum planning experience.
Bachelor's in early childhood education curriculum
In a , you may have coursework in all four core academic subjects to ensure you're familiar with the content you may be teaching.
Additionally, you may take courses pertaining to socio-cultural issues in education, physical and cognitive development, and teaching methods. Core courses may include:
- Introduction to child development: Presents the major theories and research governing physical, cognitive, intellectual, social, and emotional development
- Methods of teaching: Shows students how to plan and teach developmentally appropriate lessons in all core subjects
- Program organization and administration: Highlights how to plan and implement quality educational programs and child behavior guidance strategies
Your education will likely be well rounded, so that you are fully equipped to understand children's needs, teach effectively, and engage with stakeholders at every level.
Specializations and concentrations
Some concentrations that pair well with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education include:
- Psychology: Understand what drives student behavior and cognitive development so you can develop appropriate teaching approaches
- Sociology: Learn how cultural backgrounds and personal life circumstances affect the issues students face and how they show up in the classroom
- Communications: Discover how to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with young children, their families, and other stakeholders
The degree-granting institution will decide whether you have access to courses in a particular specialization or concentration. Be sure to research which schools' offerings best align with your academic goals.
Graduation requirements for an early childhood education bachelor's degree
In an early childhood education program, there may be two routes to graduation — one that requires certification and one that does not. If you are pursuing certification, you may be required to participate in one or two semesters of student teaching, also known as a "clinical experience."
This experience entails teaching full time in a classroom under the supervision of a certified teacher. You will also likely have to pass an exam to obtain certification, but it is up to individual institutions whether taking the exam is part of your graduation requirements.
If you are not pursuing certification, you may still be required to take on a supervised internship with an experienced professional.
It's also important to note that, in many programs, you are required to maintain a satisfactory grade of "C" or higher (and sometimes "B" or higher) to get credit for the course. Schools do this to ensure you can meet the requirements for certification in your state.
Explore bachelor's degrees in early childhood education
Ready to start your journey to becoming an educator? Find online bachelor's in early childhood education programs from top universities on edX.