Bachelor's Degrees in Early Childhood Education

Begin a Rewarding Teaching Career with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at BSU

Is education your calling? Are you ready to make a positive difference in the lives of young children up to second grade? With a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Bridgewater State University’s Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, you’ll have the credentials to do just that.

Early childhood educators are some of the first influences in a child’s life. Our early childhood education undergraduate degree and minor programs will provide you with the coursework and field experiences necessary to help you understand and teach children during their critical developmental years.

Combine this knowledge with your passion for education, and you’ll have everything you need to profoundly and positively impact how children learn, grow and develop passions of their own.

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education Program Highlights

a female student giving a poster presentation on her research

Learn while doing

From our virtual reality teaching simulations with Mursion and student teaching abroad to undergraduate research under the mentorship of faculty, options abound for hands-on learning while earning your Bachelor of Early Childhood Education degree.

Dr. Steven Greenberg teaching and Elementary Education class

Learn from education experts

BSU faculty members bring years of early childhood education teaching experience to the classroom. As you earn a minor in childhood studies or a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education, you’ll learn from leaders in professional educational organizations, published researchers and more.

BSU student helps elementary school student with an experiment

Choose your specialty

Tailor your studies to your goals while earning your early childhood education undergraduate degree. Choose a childhood studies minor, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with an accelerated path to a master’s degree, or major in early education and care.

Small class sizes, huge benefits

While working toward your childhood studies minor or early childhood education undergraduate degree, you’ll learn in classrooms with 15–20 students. This intimate environment will provide you with one-on-one attention from your instructors, constructive feedback so you may improve your teaching and collaboration opportunities with your classmates.

Flexibility to learn on your schedule

BSU’s College of Continuing Studies gives you maximum flexibility to complete your degree. The Early Education and Care, Birth–K BSE program may be taken on Bridgewater’s main campus during the day, or you may pursue your degree at night. Our night program follows the same requirements and curriculum as our day program, and many of our faculty members teach during the day as well as at night.

Guidance and support—whenever you need it

As you earn your Bachelor of Science in early childhood education, your instructors can help you manage your responsibilities and plan your future. Should you need help job searching, our Office of Career Services can connect you with area school districts and other potential employers.

Program of Study for Early Childhood Education Majors and Childhood Studies Minors

Through BSU’s early childhood education undergraduate degree programs, you’ll learn research-based teaching strategies to encourage children’s development.

Each bachelor’s degree in early childhood education program is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Choose from:

Early Childhood Education, BSE, where you’ll select an additional major in liberal arts or sciences and prepare for licensure.
Early Education and Care, Birth–K, BSE, which will prepare you for certification through the state for several teaching and directing jobs.
Childhood Studies Minor, which will provide you with an integrated approach to understanding the life experiences of children.

Click any link below to reveal each program's course detail.

Program details from 2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Careers in Early Childhood Education

Curious about what you can do with a Bachelor of Education in early childhood education? The need for well-prepared early childhood educators and caregivers is expected to continue to increase. If you want to become a teacher, it’s a great time to begin your Bachelor of Science in early childhood education and gain your initial licensure.

BSU’s Bachelor of Education in early childhood education will give you the teaching skills and classroom experience you need to land your first teaching job. While many BSU graduates with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education go on to teach in public schools, you may also teach in parochial or private schools, community programs or other learning institutions.

Should you major in early education and care, you’ll be prepared for certification through the state to become a lead teacher, infant-toddler teacher and childcare director. This will prepare you for a variety of careers in working with young children from infancy through age six in the mixed-delivery system outside the public schools.

Nearly

79%

of BSU alumni who complete our early childhood education undergraduate degree programs remain employed in Massachusetts public schools two years after graduation.

a female student in an Elementary Education class at BSU

Beyond Your Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education

If you would like to continue your education after earning your Bachelor of Science in early childhood education, BSU has several options for you.

Early Childhood Education, MEd, Postbaccalaureate Licensure and others
PreK–12 Education (Non-Licensure), MEd
Bilingual Education, Graduate Certificate and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Graduate Certificate
Digital Technology for Educators, Graduate Certificate

View BSU Graduate Programs »

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