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Early Childhood Education

Prepare to teach and support children from birth through second grade. EIU combines child development, early learning methods and extensive classroom experience on the path to Illinois teacher licensure.

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Early Childhood Education

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Degree Level
Bachelor of Science in Education
Delivery
In Person
Time to Degree
8 Semesters
Credit Hours
125 Total, 73 in Major
Careers
Postsecondary, Teachers

Why Study Early Childhood Education at EIU?

  • Prepare for Illinois licensure to teach children from birth through grade 2
  • Learn how young children develop and how to create engaging, age-appropriate instruction
  • Build expertise in early literacy, curriculum, assessment and inclusive teaching
  • Work closely with faculty in small classes and receive personal guidance
  • Connect theory with practice through field-based coursework and a full semester of student teaching
See it for yourself Schedule a Visit
"Before our freshman year, I attended her EIU Orientation with her and fell in love with the campus. I immediately went home and told my parents that we needed to go for a proper tour day in the upcoming fall semester. ... On larger campuses, such as state schools, I felt that I would be seen as a number rather than an individual."
Courtney Atkinson
Early Childhood Education | Class of 2026
Courtney Atkinson, Early Childhood Education at EIU

Hands-On Experience

  • bserve and work with children in preschool and primary-grade learning environments
  • Plan lessons and assess learning during field-based education courses
  • Practice teaching literacy, math, science, social studies, art and music
  • Learn to support multilingual learners and children with exceptional learning needs
  • Complete a full semester of supervised student teaching
Explore Courses
Hands-On Experience, Early Childhood Education students at EIU

What You'll Learn

Early Childhood Education prepares you to teach and support young children from birth through second grade. It's a good fit for you if you are patient, creative and energized by helping little learners grow. Your coursework explores child development, early literacy, curriculum, assessment, family partnerships and inclusive teaching practices.

4-Year Sequence
View in Catalog
$43,190
Median Salary for These CareersMedian salaryThe median is the middle value: half of the people counted earn more and half earn less. It is an estimate for a typical graduate, not a promise of what you will earn. Pay varies by employer, location, experience and the specific job.

Career OutcomesCareer outcomesThese are example careers that graduates of this program often pursue, taken from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET occupation list. They are examples, not job guarantees, and many graduates work in other fields.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

  • Education Teachers, Postsecondary
  • Preschool Teachers
  • Kindergarten Teachers

Career Insights

Job Outlook Average Outlook Average OutlookO*NET doesn't currently flag any of the careers linked to this program as Bright Outlook. That doesn't mean jobs aren't out there. It just means these careers aren't expected to grow quickly, don't have 75,000 or more projected openings, and aren't new and emerging.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor
Preparation Needed Extensive (5/5)Job Zone 5: Extensive preparationMost of these careers require graduate school, and many also call for more than five years of experience.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor
Personality Fit SocialSocial interest typeYou like helping people. This work centers on supporting others by helping, teaching, advising or serving them.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

Connect With Us

Julie Viertel
Senior Academic Advisor (TLF)
jviertel@eiu.edu
2170 Buzzard Hall
217-581-7893
Julie Viertel Message Julie

Message Julie

or email jviertel@eiu.edu directly
Kiran Padmaraju
Professor, Assistant Chair (TLF)
kpadmaraju@eiu.edu
2174 Buzzard Hall
217-581-5728
Kiran Padmaraju Message Kiran

Message Kiran

or email kpadmaraju@eiu.edu directly
Billy Panther
Head of Panther Pride
Old Main
217-581-2223
Billy the Panther Message Billy

Message Billy

or email billy@eiu.edu directly

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Early Childhood Program Administration Elementary Education Middle Level Education with Licensure > View All Programs

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