Early Childhood Education Major

• What is Early Childhood Education?
• What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?
• What Kinds of Students Major in Early Childhood Education?
• What Courses Do Early Childhood Education Majors Take?
• List of Early Childhood Education Jobs
• What is the Median Salary Range for Early Childhood Education Careers?
• College and University Departments to Consider

What is Early Childhood Education?

Early childhood development is a major taken by students who wish to work with infants and young children. In order to work with children from birth through to second grade, a student must receive a degree in early childhood development and then become licensed in their state. Licensure in early childhood development allows the student to work in schools, childcare programs or institutional settings. A major in early childhood development will be able to preliminarily evaluate young children to determine if they have special needs such as learning, behavioral, physical or emotional disabilities. Early identification of these problems is critical to the continued growth and development of the child.

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What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?

Various specializations related to a major in Early Childhood Education may be offered by colleges and universities. These specializations may be of greater or lesser interest to you. A few of these specializations related to this field include, but are not limited to:

Special Education Service

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What Kinds of Students Major in Early Childhood Education?

A student who majors in early childhood development must genuinely enjoy working with small children and desire to help them in their growth. Verbal and written communication skills are critical to this major because the student is not only working with the child but with their parents or guardians. This student can be characterized as compassionate, able to motive children and parents to complete tasks and able to work with all persons concerned with the child in a caring, yet professional way.

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What Courses Do Early Childhood Education Majors Take?

The required and elective courses you would take for Early Childhood Education majors vary considerably among institutions. Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth of topics you are likely to experience were you to major in this field.

General Psychology	Child Guidance
Early Childhood Education	Educational Psychology
Family Studies	Geography
Human Development	Literacy
Math	Parenting
Speech and Language Development	Writing

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List of Potential Jobs in Early Childhood Education

These professions and professional organizations illustrate the types of positions you might qualify for if you complete this major. Some majors are more directly related to employment than others, however. You should consider the likelihood of employment after graduation carefully, if you do not plan to go on for graduate work in a field. Even with the completion of graduate work in some fields, however, employment is difficult, so you should determine what the prospects are for this or any major. Employment possibilities are often enhanced by the selecting employment-related courses and by the enrollment in second major or in a minor.

Child Care Worker	Curriculum Specialist
Head Start Program	Parent Education Specialist
Parent Program Coordinator	Public School Teacher

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What is the Median Salary Range for Early Childhood Education Careers?

Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Are you interested in detailed information about the forecasted demand for a particular profession? Are you interested in the estimated salaries such positions are likely to pay? This government Web site allows you to search on a particular job, whether listed here or not, to give you this information.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Colleges and Universities offering majors in Early Childhood Education

MyMajors complete list has 837 schools in the USA with a major in Early Childhood Education.
-View the national listing!

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