As we all know that early childhood education plays a very important roe in someone’s life. We welcome everyone here in the world of learning, growth and development. From preschool programs to daycare centers, Chicago is dedicated to providing a strong foundation for kids’ learning, growth, and development. Now we’ll explore the importance of early childhood education, different institutions offering associate, bachelor, master. And Ph.D. programs. We’ll also take look in the different typrs of these programs. This guide can help you make informed decisions about selecting a well reputable institute for early chidhood education. So, let’s jump in and discover the world of early childhood education in the heart of Illinois.
Onground Associate Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the on-ground degree programs in early childhood education:
City College of Chicago – Associate in Applied Science in Child Development
In this associate in applied science program you’ll be able to get degree in child development. First you must have to get education in pre-school that can lead you to child development. You’ll also learn how to understand and treat with young kids. This associate program is specifically designed for the people who to start working in preschools right away after their degree, either as a teacher or as a assistant. You’ll also be able to work both in public and private schools, as well as childcare centers and nursery schools.
Harold Washington College – Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education
This program is specifically designed for the people who want to work with little kids, especially in preschools after completing their associate degree. This program is accredited by a group called the National Association for the Education of Young Children. If you want to start a career in education, this associate program is a great place to begin. This program also offer two options: an A.A.S. degree and an Advanced Certificate. Both of these programs teach you a lot about how to create the right learning activities for young children. And if you’re really interested in working with babies and toddlers (kids aged zero to three), they have a special certificate just for that.
Olive Harvey (City) College – Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education
Are you curious about how kids learn and grow? Do you want to be a sought-after childcare expert? If so, you might like the Child Development Early Childhood pathway at City Colleges. As a student in this program, you’ll discover how children develop socially, emotionally, and physically. Plus, you’ll learn the practical skills and theories needed to teach kids from birth to age 8. It’s an exciting way to prepare for a career in childcare!
Malcolm X College – Associate in Applied Science in Early Childhood Education
An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree is like a special certificate that helps you learn about taking care of kids and teaching them when they’re very young, like in preschool or daycare. If you get this degree, it means you’ve learned about how children grow and learn, and you know how to help them. After you finish this degree, you can start working as a teacher or helper in a preschool or daycare, whether it’s in a public school or a private one. Basically, it’s a degree that helps you get a job where you can take care of and teach young children.
Wilbur Wright College – Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education
Are you someone who loves the idea of understanding how kids learn and grow? Do you want to become a sought-after childcare expert? If yes, then the Child Development Early Childhood pathway is perfect for you. As a Child Development student at Wilbur Wright College, you’ll get to discover how children develop in their feelings, thoughts, and bodies. You’ll also learn the theories and practical skills needed to teach kids from when they’re born up to 8 years old. It’s all about helping little ones thrive and be happy.
Onground Bachelor Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the on-ground degree programs in early childhood education:
DePaul University – Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
This program, the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, is all about getting you ready to teach young kids from birth up to second grade. You’ll learn how to teach in different kinds of places, like big cities and quieter neighborhoods, and in schools that are either public or private. You’ll also be ready to work in childcare centers. In this program, you’ll get to know theories about education and learn how to be a great teacher. You won’t just sit in classrooms; you’ll also spend time in real schools, watching and even helping with teaching.
Loyola University Chicago – Bachelor of Science Education in Early Childhood Special Education
In this program, you’ll learn how to teach all kinds of young kids, from babies to second graders. You’ll become a teacher who can help children with and without special needs learn and grow together. When you graduate with a degree in early childhood special education from Loyola, you’ll have a license to teach kids from birth to second grade. You can work in regular classrooms, inclusive classrooms, or special education programs. This program will also help you to learn the important skills you need to make learning fun and effective for all kids.
National Louis University – Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education
This Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education program gets you ready to teach kids from when they’re babies up to second grade. In this program, you’ll take classes that follow the new teaching standards in Illinois. When you finish all your required classes successfully, you’ll get a teaching license that says you’re a pro at teaching young children from birth to second grade.
Chicago State University – Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) won’t give you the license you need to become a teacher in Illinois. Even though our program follows the rules set by the Illinois State Board of Education and meets their teaching standards in certain areas, it doesn’t automatically make you eligible for a teaching license in the state. So, if you want to be a licensed teacher in Illinois, you’ll need to do some extra steps beyond completing this degree.
Columbia College Chicago – Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education
The Bachelor of Arts program will get you ready to work with young kids in schools (from pre-K to 3rd grade), childcare centers, or early intervention programs. They focus mostly on kids aged 3 to 8, but you’ll also learn about younger kids in some of your classes and hands-on experiences. This program is recognized and approved by important organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the South Carolina State Board of Education.
Northeastern Illinois University – Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education
Northeastern University has a special agreement that allows its students to earn important teaching credentials while they’re studying for their Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s degree. This agreement lasts until 2023. So, when students take certain courses or finish their Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Northeastern, they can also earn official teaching credentials from the state of Illinois. Plus, Northeastern’s Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s program is accredited by a respected organization called the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Governors State University – Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education
The College of Education has a program where you can study to become a teacher for young children, from babies to eight years old. This program offers two different ways to study. In the first option, when you finish the program, you get a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and you also get a license to teach. So, you can become a certified teacher for young kids. In the second option, you also get a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, but you don’t get a teaching license.
Onground Master Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the on-ground degree programs in early childhood education:
Loyola University Chicago – Master of Education in Elementary Education
This program is designed to help you reach your career goals by focusing on supporting students from various backgrounds in grades 1 to 6. During this master’s program, you’ll learn all about teaching in elementary schools, including how to create effective lesson plans, assess student progress, manage your classroom, and much more. Plus, you’ll even earn your Professional Educator License (PEL) with endorsements in elementary and ESL, which means you’ll be fully qualified to teach in elementary classrooms.
University of Ilinois Chicago – Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
When it comes to getting into this program, They look at each person individually. They do have some basic requirements that their criteria suggest you meet, but they’re open to considering your unique circumstances. These requirements are just the starting point. They will make decisions based on your academic and professional abilities, and of course, whether they have room for you in the program.
Columbia University – Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education M.A. Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, helps students become experts in teaching young children. They learn how to deal with important issues in early education from different angles, like how to teach, how it relates to politics, how kids think, and how society plays a role. You can choose to go to school full-time or part-time, but there’s a rule in New York that says everyone has to do one semester of full-time student teaching.
National Louis University – Master of Education in Early Childhood Administration
If you have a bachelor’s degree and a dream of running early childhood programs, NLU’s M.Ed. in Early Childhood Administration might be perfect for you. In this program, you’ll discover how to lead teacher teams and get really good at handling the money and legal stuff in childcare management. Plus, you’ll understand how families, communities, and schools all work together. After finishing this program, you’ll have what it takes to lead and make early childhood programs even better.
Northeastern Illinois University – Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Early Childhood Education is for folks who want to become teachers for young kids from birth to 2nd grade. You can get a graduate degree along with the teaching license, or just the license through the Teacher Licensure Program. This program will teach you lots of important stuff and give you practical experiences to be a great teacher. You’ll learn how to work with all kinds of kids, whether they’re developing typically or not, and in all sorts of different classrooms.
Onground Ph.D. Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the on-ground degree programs in early childhood education:
Loyola University Chicago — Doctorate of Education in Curriculum with Specialization in Early Childhood Education
Loyola University Chicago offers an EdD program called Curriculum that’s perfect for teachers, nonprofit leaders, and anyone passionate about improving education and communities. This program teaches you valuable research, teaching, and leadership skills to make a positive impact. You can choose to study full-time or part-time, and classes are held in the evenings at Loyola’s Water Tower Campus in Chicago, making it convenient for working professionals.
DePaul University – Doctorate of Education in Early Childhood Education
DePaul University’s EdD program has a special focus on Early Childhood Education because there’s a shortage of well-trained teachers for young kids all across the country. This program helps you understand both the theories and how to actually teach young children. Plus, it teaches you about the rules and decisions that affect early childhood education. So, you’ll be well-prepared to make a positive impact in this important field.
National Louis University – Ph.D. in Community Psychology with a Focus on Early Childhood Development
National Louis University’s Ph.D. in Community Psychology is all about helping you make a big impact on communities and people’s lives. In this program, you’ll learn important skills in psychology, research, and working together with others to tackle social issues like poverty, housing, education, child abuse, and more. After this program, you could work as a teacher, professor, program leader, policy maker, advisor, or researcher in universities, government, or community groups, and many other areas. It’s all about making a positive difference in the world.
Concordia University Chicago – Ph.D. in Leadership With Emphasis on Early Childhood Education
This Ph.D. program is a chance for both current leaders and those who want to lead in the future to dig deep into the world of early childhood education. You’ll get to learn more about this field through classes, hands-on experiences, and research. It’s all about growing your knowledge and understanding of what’s happening now and what’s coming up in the world of early childhood education. To join this program, you should already have some experience in the field.
Online Associate Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the online degree programs in early childhood education:
City Colleges of Chicago – Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education
At City Colleges, as a Child Development student, you’ll dive into understanding how children develop socially, emotionally, and physically. You’ll also learn about the theories and practical skills needed to teach kids from birth to 8 years old. There are various education paths to explore, but we recommend starting with an Associate in Arts degree, which includes a Basic Certificate in Child Development for preschool education. This sets you up for a smooth transition to a four-year college.
Online Bachelor Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the online degree programs in early childhood education:
National Louis University – Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education
The Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECL) is a degree for folks who want to teach kids from birth to 6th grade. When you finish this program, you’ll get a license to be a professional educator with qualifications in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. You can also add on extra qualifications in ESL/Bilingual and Special Education if you want. This program comes in two flavors: one where you can do everything online, and another where you mix online learning with some in-person stuff.
Concordia University Chicago – Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
At Concordia University Chicago, their hybrid bachelor of science program is all about getting you ready to work with, lead, and guide little kids as they grow up. If you choose this major, you’ll learn how to teach children from when they’re tiny babies all the way up to second graders. What’s really cool about this program is that they actually believe in hands-on learning. You’ll actually spend time in real classrooms, watching, helping, and even doing some teaching yourself.
Online Master’s Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the online degree programs in early childhood education:
Loyola University Chicago – Master of Education in Elementary Education
In the master’s in elementary education program, you’ll learn all about teaching young kids in elementary school. You’ll study things like how to plan lessons, make a good curriculum, test students, and handle the classroom. You’ll also get a special teaching license that lets you teach in elementary schools. The program takes two years to finish, and classes are in the afternoons and evenings on some days or online.
DePaul University – Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
If you want to get your Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education online, you’ll discover fun and clever ways to create safe and exciting play spaces for little kids to learn and develop. This program will teach in city and suburban preschools, both public and private elementary schools, child development centers, daycares, and Head Start programs. You can even work towards getting a special teaching license for little ones from birth to second grade. It’s a great way to help young children grow and learn while having a rewarding career!
National Louis University – Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
National Louis University offers a Master of Education program focused on Early Childhood Faculty Preparation. This program is specifically for the experienced professionals in the Early Childhood field who want to become educators in higher education. This amazing program all about training the next generation. The good news is that this program is funded by the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity. This means that for up to 25 qualified students, the program will cover full tuition, books, and materials and everything.
Concordia University Chicago – Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education
In this program, you’ll learn about kids, how they grow and earn little things, how they start feeing and their behaviour as well. You’ll aso be able to get knowledge about families and communitiers and their importance in everyone life. You’ll get hands-on experience about how to check if kids are doing something good or bad. This program helps it students to learn latest methods of teaching for kids from birth to age 8. You can use what you learn in lots of different places, like schools, community centers, and even non-profit groups. It’s all about helping kids have the best start in life. The Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education is a program that’s gotten a big thumbs-up from the National Association.
Governors State University – Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education
In this MA program, you’ll get real life experiences while learning. It’s called “job-embedded field experiences,” which means you can keep working at your childcare center while you do some of your coursework. So, if the field experience matches the grade levels you’re interested in, you can do it right where you work. Now, here’s the thing: If you’re doing student teaching, it can also be job-embedded, but there’s a catch. It has to be in a preschool setting, which means kids who are 4-5 years old.
Online Ph.D. Degree Program in Early Childhood
Here are the online degree programs in early childhood education:
Loyola University Chicago – Doctorate of Education in Curriculum
Loyola University Chicago offers an EdD program called Curriculum for educators, nonprofit leaders, and change-makers. This program helps you become a culturally responsive leader in education. Whether you prefer full-time or part-time study, you can attend classes in the evenings at Loyola’s Water Tower Campus in Chicago or online. It’s a most amazing and accessible way to gain research, teaching, and leadership skills that will enable all Ph.D students to have a positive impact on communities in the field of education.
DePaul University – Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in Early Childhood Education
This is an online program for the people who want to get education in leadership. One thing that is amazing and unique about this program is that it stringy emphasis on fairness and critical thinking. In this program, all their students dive into studying how policies of getting and delivering education, teaching methods, and educational practices are influenced by global trends. The ultimate goal is to conduct their own in-depth research project, called a dissertation, on a topic they’re passionate about. It’s a challenging but rewarding journey that allows educators to make a significant impact in the world of education.
Conclusion
To sum it up, If you want a degree in early childhood education in Chicago, then these programs are a great way to help you grow and learn. You’ll learn how to give young children the best start in their education. After getting an education in these programs you’ll be provided opportunities to work in public schools, private daycares, or other places where kids learn. Such jobs are very important because they help you get experience and learn about children’s habits. With a variety of reputable institutions offering these programs, aspiring educators can gain the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality learning experiences.