From birth until grade 2, children’s minds develop at an incredible rate, and shaping those minds requires the kind of training that only a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education can provide.
Great teachers know that they have to keep pace not only with each child’s development, but with the rapid, constant evolution of early childhood education.
Monroe University’s School of Educationwill show you how to do all of that and more. Just as early childhood education has adapted to the changing conditions of childhood over the years, we adapt along with it.
We’re proud that the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has recognized our Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education for its commitment to excellence, and we’re proud to be able to share our innovative program with our passionate, dedicated teachers-in-training.
They’re making a difference in young lives… and so can you.
Monroe gave me real-world teaching experience, and I landed a job straight out of college.
Soraya Robinson
BS Early Childhood Education, Head Teacher, Family Life Academy Charter School
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Behind that quote is one of the fundamental ideas of early childhood education. It’s not enough to just get up in front of a class and talk, especially with our youngest learners. Truly great teachers know how to involve their students with creative, hands-on learning experiences.
At our School of Education, we believe those principles apply to your education as well. In your early childhood education courses, you’ll learn how to develop strategies for students at every level of development. Then, you’ll put those strategies into action with hundreds of hours of student teaching experience. Our BS in Early Childhood Education doesn’t just teach you; it involves you.
By the time you graduate, you’ll be fully prepared to take your New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE). You’ll have formed professional relationships in the very environments where you’ll begin your teaching career, and you’ll know how to effectively advocate for the needs of diverse children and their families.
When you know how to involve your students in a meaningful way, they’ll never forget what you teach them. And they’ll never forget you.
A degree program has to meet five comprehensive standards to earn a prestigious CAEP accreditation:
Curriculum content
Clinical partnerships for observerships and student teaching opportunities
Candidate quality, recruitment, and selectivity
The impact of our graduates in real-world classrooms
Infrastructure to support the program’s continuous improvement
Our Early Childhood Education program meets every one of those standards, beginning with an expansive, in-depth curriculum. From a faculty of teacher trainers, active and retired school teachers, superintendents, and education directors, you’ll learn about the history and theory of early childhood education, as well as:
Curriculum design
Educational and developmental psychology
How to create an inclusive teaching environment
Literacy and numeracy in early childhood
English language learners and multicultural issues
Parenting perspectives and issues
By the time you finish your degree, you’ll have a firm grasp of various theories of child development, as well as their impact on early childhood education and care.
You’ll also be able to usethat knowledge to address the many cognitive, cultural, developmental, and linguistic needs of young learners from diverse backgrounds. In addition to 180 hours of fieldwork, you’ll complete a minimum of 400 hours of supervised student teaching in private, charter, and public schools throughout New York City and Westchester County. That’s nearly 600 hours of field experience in a wide range of teaching styles and environments.
While all Early Childhood Education majors take a foreign language requirement, students who intend to teach in both Spanish and English may also add a 15-credit Bilingual Education Extension Certificate.
We’re proud of the program we’ve created at the School of Education. We’re even more proud of the graduates we produce. For us to earn a CAEP accreditation, they’ve had to go out and prove themselves in the real world. They’ve had to make an impact.
Earning an Early Childhood Education Degree: How Long Does It Take?
Full-time students in our Early Childhood Education program will complete their degree in eight (8) semesters: that’s less than three (3) years with our three (3)-semester academic calendar.
Early Childhood Education Degree Requirements:
120 total credits
57 credits of major-related credits
39 credits of general education and related courses
24 credits for a concentration in English and Social Science
Mentored Education Internship I and II (Birth- Grade 2: General and Special Needs Education)
In conjunction with Education Student Teaching I and II, this course provides majors with opportunities to apply early childhood education theory in academic settings through lectures, discussions, and analysis. Students will also receive training in school violence prevention and intervention.
Through both their internships and student teaching experiences, students will graduate from the program having developed an educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) portfolio, which helps demonstrate their readiness to teach.
First-time applicants to our undergraduate programs must fulfill the following admissions requirements:
Candidates must possess either a high school diploma or GED credential, or a recognized college associate degree or higher (as listed in the transfer admissions policy).
Candidates must also submit a completed application for admission, as well as a personal statement or essay.
In addition to the general admissions and educational requirements, applicants must also:
Have a high school grade average of 80 or higher, or a college GPA of 2.75 or higher
Place into college-level math and English via the math and English Language Arts Accuplacer exams
Interview with School of Education faculty or staff
Everyone deserves a great education. That goes for the children you’ll work with — and it goes for you too. Monroe is proud to offer affordable tuition and fees as well as manageable payment plans. In addition, ourfinancial aidoffice will help you find every scholarship, grant, and loan for which you qualify.
The NYSED created the Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) to increase the representation of underserved individuals in teaching careers. TOC II funds our Teaching Professions Scholarship (TPS), which offers qualified candidates the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree with no out-of-pocket tuition costs.
The AmeriCorps Jumpstart Program trains college students to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. In exchange for either tuition support or a direct salary, participating students complete more than 300 hours of experience as an early childhood education teacher.
Your fieldwork begins in your very first semester as an Early Childhood Education major. In real time, you’ll see how the lessons you learn in yourclassroom play out in someone else’s. In addition to providing valuable professional development, your fieldwork will also allow you to network with the teachers and administrators you’ll one day call your colleagues.
Our School of Education is also a member of several professional associations, including:
AlphaBet Club (ABC) - An international not-for-profit organization, AlphaBet Club’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty through education.
New opportunities come with every academic year. As you choose the ones that fit your individual goals, our dedicated support team will be there to help guide you.
Discover What You Can Achieve
With an Early Childhood Education degree, you’ll be ready to advocate for your students’ needs, at a time in their lives when they need it the most. The lessons you teach them now can make a positive impact on the rest of their lives.
Find out more about earning your Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education.
