Early Childhood Education in Virginia
Early childhood education is a wonderful specialty that gives people the chance to shape the young minds of children. It’s a popular degree option as many want to help children get a good start in education and life in general. Fortunately, Virginia has many great universities with outstanding early childhood education programs.
Whether you only want to study a bachelor’s degree program or deepen your knowledge and skills with a master’s degree, Virginia’s universities are sure to prepare you as an early childhood educator.
Early Childhood Education Programs in Virginia
Although there are numerous options for early childhood education programs in Virginia, following are some of the popular schools offering early childhood education undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Virginia:
- Liberty University
- Bluefield University
- Walden University
- Regent University
- Purdue Global
- Bryant & Stratton College – Virginia Beach
- Capella University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
Liberty University
Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it has been around since 1971. It aims to give people a Christian foundation and high-quality education during their years spent studying. The university has 15 schools and colleges with programs including law, cinematic arts, business, counseling, religion, education, and others.
Liberty has a total enrollment of over 130,000 and provides 300 residential programs, as well as 450 online programs.
Early Childhood Education Programs
Liberty University can teach you how to work with the young generations through a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education Degree Online and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education Online.
Both programs will prepare you for a career in early childhood development, a time in children’s lives when they need good examples and special teaching methods to establish good foundations for the future.
There’s an increasing need for good early childhood experts, and Liberty University is aware of that. And while they know that you need high-quality education, which they provide, they also know you have a life that you cannot put on hold, thus they came up with an online program that ensures you take care of both aspects.
Their bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education will teach you important things, such as:
- Different learning styles and theories
- Basic principles and theories regarding child development and growth
- Developing your own philosophy which you will then apply to your teaching, lesson plan, and delivery
- Different approaches to teaching, reading, vocabulary, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and development of language
- The way early childhood education is affected by family relationships, content knowledge, and development
- Various classroom management methods
- Ideal mathematics teaching practices
The program lasts 3.5 years on average and has 120 credit hours in total. Some of the important courses that students will go through include:
- Wellness in the Early Childhood Setting
- Psychology of Childhood
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Childhood Education Fundamentals
To be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree program, all applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or more. On top of that, they must submit:
- High School Self-Certification form, as well as official high school transcripts during the first 12 credit hours
- Evidence of their English proficiency (if their native language is not English)
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts (must come with a completed official transcript request form)
- Admission application
The Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education is useful for students who want to boost their knowledge and skills and train even more for their desired career path. The program includes various methods for teaching young children and helping them develop.
This program features courses such as:
- Elementary Curriculum and Methods
- Instructional Methods for Behavior and Learning
- Educational Research and Assessment
- Advanced Child Development
On average, it takes 1.5 years to complete the Master’s program. You will also have 36 credit hours.
If you want to apply for this program, you need a nationally or regionally accredited bachelor’s degree for approval. Moreover, your GPA must be 2.5 or above. You must also submit the following documents:
- Admission application
- English proficiency evidence (if your native language is not English)
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts (must come with a completed official transcript request form)
Bluefield University
Found in Bluefield, Virginia, Bluefield University was established a century ago. It was founded following an appointment from the Baptist General Association in Virginia to study the need for a junior college in the southwestern area of the state. The university now helps thousands of students.
They have 1,200 students from 32 states and 16 countries and feature more than 70 academic programs offered either on campus or online.
Early Childhood Education Programs
If you want to study early childhood education in Virginia, Bluefield University has you covered with an online Bachelor of Science degree. Their program is designed to train you in how to shape future generations of children by helping them in their early years of life.
The Director of Early Childhood Education knows how important the first six years of a child’s life are, as it’s when they grow and develop very fast. So, the Bachelor of Science program was made to help you establish a foundation as an educator for young children and ensure you become a high-quality and compassionate worker.
Even though it’s an online program, the degree includes everything you need to get started as an early childhood educator. You can intern with a mentor teacher after finishing two semesters, getting the chance to practice in real life with very young children and gain experience.
The program can be completed in 2-4 years, and there is a total of 120 credit hours.
The courses you will have to study under this program include:
- Science
- Math
- Bluefield Core
- Christian Studies
- Composition
- Macroeconomics
- Literature
- History
- Fine Arts
- Speech
- Social Science
There are also a few requirements for this major, such as:
- Integrating Science, Math, & Social Studies into Early Childhood Education
- Family, School & Community Involvement
- Infant/Toddler/Child Development
- Safe & Healthy Settings for the Young Child
- Foundations of Early Childhood Development
- Literature for Young Children
- Program Development for the Young Child
- Observing & Assessing Young Children
- Introduction to the Exceptional Child
- Body-Brain Based Learning
- Guiding Young Children
You will also need a total of 120 practicum hours. You can apply for this program by submitting:
- An online application
- Official transcripts from your high school
- Official college transcripts in case you previously went to any other colleges or took dual enrollment courses
Regent University
Regent University is one of the top national universities as ranked by the U.S. News & World Report. The University was founded in 1978 and is a Christian one. It enrolls more than 11,000 students. It’s located in Virginia Beach, and it has more than 150 programs in different study categories.
Early Childhood Education Programs
Regent University offers you two options if you want to study Early Childhood Education. You can choose between enrolling in an online program or studying on campus.
The online Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education is a great option when you don’t have the opportunity to study on campus, yet still want to learn how to become an educator for young minds. The program is taught from a Christian worldview, and it can help you establish a foundation as an early childhood educator.
In total, you will complete 120 credit hours over 4 years. The online B.S. in Early Childhood Education is a non-licensure one. During your studies, you will learn how to:
- Improve your assessment techniques
- Use proven teaching methods to make effective lesson plans
- Understand the ideal techniques for establishing high-quality services and innovative center designs
Some of the core courses of the program include:
- Ethics
- Business Law
- Marketing Principles
- Introduction to Business
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- Guiding Young Children
- Child and Adolescent Growth and Development
- Students with Disabilities
- Orientation to Teaching
- Wellness in Childcare Programs
If you want to apply for this program, you will have to:
- Submit an application
- Submit an admissions questionnaire
- Send your unofficial high school or college transcripts
- Provide your Government-Issued ID
- Submit the FAFSA
If you want to study on campus, you can opt for the Bachelor of Education in Early and Primary Education instead. It also has a total of 120 credit hours, and it can help you become the professional educator you want to be.
The courses you will go through during this program include:
- Introduction to Integrated Science
- Topics in Geometry for Teachers
- Character Education
- Orientation to Teaching
- Foundations of Education
- World Geography
- Teaching Reading in the Elementary Grades
- Students with Disabilities
The application requirements are the same as for the online degree program.
Bryant & Stratton College – Virginia Beach
The Bryant & Stratton College – Virginia Beach is a private college. It has been around for 165 years, and it has more than 45 associate, diploma, and bachelor’s degree programs. Students can either study online or on campus.
Early Childhood Education Programs
There are two programs available in early childhood education at this university. One of them is an Associate of Applied Science Degree, and the Other is a Diploma program.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree is available both online and on campus, and it meets the 120-hour requirement for the CDA Credential. The total credit requirement is 39. Key courses include:
- Creative & Language Arts for Children
- Computing Skills
- Family & Community Connections
- Child Growth & Development
- Child Behavior, Observation & Evaluation
- Workplace Mathematics
Meanwhile, the diploma program has a total credit requirement of 36. It includes some of the same key courses as the Associate of Applied Science Degree. Both programs are available online in all states apart from New York. To apply for one of the programs, you have to:
- Submit a college application
- Go for a campus visit
- Go to an interview with your admissions representative
- Fill out a FAFSA application
- Submit your high school transcripts
- Submit vaccination records
Early Childhood Education Work Opportunities in Virginia
What makes early childhood education degrees a great option is the fact that they offer you the opportunity to work different jobs in this field. Whether you live in a big city or a rural area, your services can help shape future generations regardless of the career path you take with early childhood education.
If you want, you can work as a teacher, which is one of the main reasons why some people study early childhood education, to begin with. However, you can find other jobs in this field, such as education consultant, teaching assistant, social worker, family support worker, play therapist, and others.
In Virginia, many institutions seek people like you. The state has many opportunities to work in early childhood education. For instance, you can work for the Virginia Department of Education as an early childhood special education coordinator, or work for the Fairfax County Government as a school health aide. You can even become an early childhood special education teacher for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
Depending on the early childhood education job you obtain in Virginia, the salary can be quite enticing. Many individuals earn over $50,000 per year in this field. The average salary for an early childhood educator in the U.S. is currently $42,523. Factors such as your skill and experience may increase your pay in Virginia, though.
So, if you want to become an early childhood educator in Virginia, check the universities and programs above and see which one suits your preferences and requests.