B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
The B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education degree offered at National Louis University is designed to meet the academic requirements for teacher licensure in Illinois. The program is offered through the Undergraduate College of National Louis University.
A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Early Childhood and Elementary Education is an undergraduate teacher-licensure degree. This degree program combines early childhood and elementary education, so that students can receive a single credential to teach in a wide age range of children. The typical age range for this degree is from birth through grade 6. Many universities offer this type of degree. National Louis University offers a B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education through its Undergraduate College.
What Is a B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education?
Early Childhood and Elementary Education major (B.A.) programs build a foundation in child development and a variety of teaching methods, and include a study of the core content areas, typically covering both the early childhood and elementary years. The curriculum includes studies of best practices for teaching and assessing early childhood and elementary curricula, as well as literacy, math, science, social studies, and other issues that affect teaching and learning. Many programs incorporate issues of equity and include a study of culturally relevant pedagogy.
National Louis University’s B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education is a program that leads to the awarding of a Professional Educator License (PEL) with two endorsements, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, upon completion of the program. Additionally, students can add an ESL/Bilingual endorsement and a Special Education endorsement to their already-licensed status. This program is offered entirely online and in a blended format, allowing students to complete coursework as they see fit.
Why Pursue This Combined Degree?
This is a very good program for individuals who are not yet sure if they want to teach the very youngest children or slightly older elementary students. In this program, students can get both licenses with a single license: the Professional Educator License (PEL) with Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education endorsements. After graduation, this kind of Teacher can apply for jobs in a wider range of settings than a teacher licensed only to teach a specific age range. In many school districts, there are fewer early childhood positions than there are positions to teach older elementary students.
Another reason to pursue this combined degree is that you can better understand children’s development as a connected, ongoing process from infancy through the elementary years. Some educators can’t tell you enough about how skills and needs develop as children progress through the early years of education, and how early childhood and elementary education are not two separate fields but two areas that are actually connected in children’s lives.
The fact that you can get early childhood and elementary education in the same degree as opposed to having to get two separate degrees is, to many people, a huge plus. Yes, having two separate degrees would allow you to specialize more. Still, in terms of being able to apply for jobs right away, it is better to get a degree in which you can get licensed to teach the entire spectrum of early childhood and elementary education, as you will have more flexibility in terms of being able to apply for jobs a year or two down the line when certain grade levels are in greater need of teachers.
Key Questions About This Degree
What ages does this license cover?
The grade levels licensed to teach are determined by the state in which the student completes their teacher-licensure program. For example, National Louis University’s Undergraduate College offers a B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education that leads to a Professional Educator License (PEL) with endorsements in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education. The Illinois State Board of Education approves this program and leads to licensure to teach in Illinois’ preschools, Head Start programs, and in elementary school classrooms in grades K-6.
Is this degree more work than a standalone early childhood or elementary degree?
Though this combined degree is supposed to be more than the sum of its two single degrees, it won’t be substantially more. At National Louis University, for example, the combined B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education requires about 162-164 credits and therefore takes about the same number of credit hours as either single degree. This means that students can complete this degree in about four years of study, just as they would for either of the two single degrees.
Can I add additional endorsements to this degree?
Subsequent endorsements, such as ESL/Bilingual education and/or Special Education, can be earned by graduates of this program to enable them to teach in a variety of settings and with a range of student populations, in addition to those teaching in the early childhood and elementary grades with the core Early Childhood and Elementary Education endorsements.
National Louis University has done a wonderful job of crafting a unified curriculum for the early childhood and elementary grades. In other words, there is no lack of depth in either of the two areas of study!
Note that both of these alternatives are offered as separate programs of study that enable students to delve even deeper into the study of children and their development in early childhood. In particular, the Infant/Toddler Education program, which is similar in design to the Early Childhood Program outlined above, provides students with the opportunity to specialize in the care and education of children from birth to age 3 or 4. The program includes courses and practicum experiences that focus on the very youngest children and their families and allows consideration of a specific endorsement in Infant/Toddler Education.
Career Outcomes
Teaching in early childhood and elementary school settings, including public and private preschools, Head Start programs, and elementary school classrooms serving kindergarten through grade 6 students. As licensure is granted for birth through grade 6, the Teacher can apply for available jobs in early childhood and elementary school settings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Projections and Wage Data for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers and Preschool Teachers are available in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers and Preschool Teachers entries.
Upon earning the ESL/Bilingual and/or Special Education endorsements, the graduate is prepared for roles in school settings, including instructional coach, curriculum developer, and administrator, as well as opportunities for employment in a wider array of early childhood and elementary settings.
B.A. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at National Louis University
Early Childhood and Elementary Education (Birth – Grade 6), Bachelor of Arts Degree Program (Professional Educator License with Early Childhood Education Endorsement and Elementary Education Endorsement) – Online and Blended. This program can also be pursued by adding the ESL/Bilingual Education Endorsement and the Special Education Endorsement.
