Online bachelor degree programs for early childhood education

Program Overview

Prepare yourself to shape the future of young children by earning your degree online from The University of Alabama. Through the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education program, you will gain an understanding of the growth and development of children from birth to age eight so you can guide them through some of their most important developmental stages.

• Program Format

  Online

• Credit Hours

  120

• Tuition Per Hour

  $385

Invest in Your Career for a Brighter Future

Through your coursework, you will understand parent/child relationships, as well as the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of young children. You’ll learn how to design, implement and evaluate programs for children in preschool. The knowledge and skills you gain through this program prepare you to help children and families solve problems and successfully interact with others, benefitting your community for years to come.

Eligible students may apply for teacher certification (Pre-Kindergarten: Birth to Age 4 Child Development Teaching Certificate). Learn more about this approach to certification in Alabama by visiting The Alabama State Department of Education website. To ensure that completion of this program will lead to an equivalent certification or licensure in your home state, contact your home state’s department of education (office of certification or licensure) for verification.

• Recognized as a Leader in Online Education
  
  

• Application DeadlineApplications accepted year round
• RankingRanked #3 by TheBestSchools.org
• AccreditationNational Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• InternshipYes (one semester)
• Are test scores required?ACT and SAT scores are not required through the Fall 2022 entry term

Curriculum

The BS in Early Childhood Education (ECE) is designed for those who are currently working in or interested in working in early child development programs. The ECE program requires the completion of 120 hours with a minimum of 30 hours from The University of Alabama. No more than 60 hours can be transferred from a two-year institution.

Students will be required to complete an internship (6 credit hours) and any courses needed to satisfy the core curriculum as well as additional major courses, which will be offered online. Please note that courses are subject to change.

• HD 101 Life Span Human Development
• HD 202* Infancy and Toddlerhood
• HD 205* Preschool Development
• HD 215   Foundations of Early Childhood Education
• HD 321* Curriculum Planning in ECE I
• HD 322* Curriculum Planning in ECE II
• HD 327   Assessment of Young Children
• HD 382 Parent and Family Development
• HD 422 Child Centers and Programs
• HD 472 Program Evaluation
• HD 495* Early Childhood Education/Development Internship
• BER 345 Educational Statistics
• BSC 109 Intro Biology for Non Majors
• PY 101 Intro to Psychology
• SPE 471 Developmental Perspectives of Young Children with Disabilities

*Course requires a field placement component at a NAEYC accredited preschool.

It is the student’s responsibility to secure a site for the field placement. Educators are advised to contact their individual school districts as to whether this program may qualify for salary advancement.

Admission

To apply for formal admission to any of the undergraduate degree programs offered through UA Online, you must complete an admissions application and submit transcripts from all colleges previously attended (and a high school transcript if you have less than 24 semester hours of college coursework). Alabama transfer students considering enrollment should follow the transfer guide.

Applicants must meet one of the following admission requirements:

• If you have earned more than 24 college-level credit hours at the time of your application to the University, you will need to meet the transfer student admission requirement of a minimum 2.0 overall college GPA.
• If you have earned less than 24 college-level credit hours at the time of your application to the University, you will need to meet both the 2.0 overall college GPA required for transfer students, as well as Admission Requirements for Freshmen Students.  If high school graduation was more than four years ago, ACT/SAT scores are not required.

The Child Development Research Center (CDRC) is dedicated to being a leader in the study of young children. The CDRC is a state-of-the-art, 64,000 sq-ft research facility equipped with the latest multi-media research technology, 7 large research suites, and 8 research rooms. Each research room has an adjoining observation and research booths. The CDRC also has 10 children’s classrooms, complete with research and observation booths and access to a playground, which accommodate an on-site children’s program. The Children’s Program is a laboratory school that enrolls approximately 112 students ages 0 – 5 yrs.

In addition the CDRC houses Child Development Resources, which helps families across the state of Alabama provide a safe, loving, and enriching life for their young children.

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