Early Childhood Education Degree vs. Other Education Degrees

Posted On August 27,2024

Choosing a degree in education assures that you will always have a career that is in demand and well respected. If you are interested in teaching young children, you may be wondering if you should pursue a degree in early childhood education or elementary education. While there is some overlap, there are definite advantages to choosing a degree in early childhood education.

What is the Difference Between an Early Childhood Education Degree and other Education Degrees?

While you may not need a degree to work with young children in every setting, a degree is required to be a teacher. If you are interested in teaching young children, there are typically two options: Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. While elementary education always requires a bachelor’s degree from a four-year school, Early Childhood Education is offered as an associate’s degree as well as a bachelor’s. 

A degree in Early Childhood Education will allow you to teach students from age 3 through 5, and Elementary Education allows you to teach students from kindergarten through grade 6. While there is some overlap, a degree in Early Childhood Education will focus on developmental milestones in younger children, including child development and how to recognize and meet the needs of young learners. To finish your degree in elementary education you will need to pass certification exams, while this is not required for an early childhood education degree. If you are interested in working with younger children and want to begin your career more quickly, an associate’s degree in early childhood education may be the right choice.

Is There a Difference in the Coursework?

Both elementary education and early childhood education will have coursework that covers child development, curriculum planning, and teaching techniques. An elementary education curriculum will also focus on providing instruction in classroom management, instructional strategies, curriculum development, and subject specific education that covers the range of elementary curriculum. In an early childhood education program, a greater focus will be on child development, creating age-appropriate learning environments, and the advantages of play-based learning. Early childhood educators will focus on how to help develop social, emotional, and cognitive growth in children who are just beginning their educational journey. 

What Can You Do with a Degree in Early Childhood Education?

With an associate’s degree in early childhood education, you will have many different options for your career. 

• Early Childhood Centers: with an associate’s degree, you can work as a teacher, lead or head teacher, or administrator at an early childhood center. Your training will also prepare you to own or operate a childcare center.
• Play Specialist: Play specialists work in a variety of settings to help children process situations and emotions through play.
• Head Start: those with early childhood education degrees will be able to teach Head Start, as well as in Type A and Type B, and Step Up to Quality centers. 
• Children’s Director: with a degree in early childhood education, you can work as the children’s director on a cruise ship, resort, or camp.

What Classes Are Required?

The classes involved in an associate’s degree in early childhood education are substantial. They include classes in educational foundations, child development, creative art, music and play, early childhood literacy, infant and toddler care and development, safety, health, and nutrition for early childhood, behavior management, diversity, special needs and education, administration in early childhood, and more. In addition to the course hours, students will also have a practicum placement where they get hands-on experience.

Skills You Will Need as an Early Childhood Educator

Beyond the skills you will learn in your degree program, such as understanding of early childhood development, an understanding of development needs, and classroom management, early childhood educators will need other skills as well. While these skills may not be explicitly taught, they are nurtured in an early childhood education program to help ensure success. These skills include creativity, such as developing games and projects for young students, patience and empathy in working with young children, and effective communication skills for both communicating with students, staff, and parents. 

What are the Advantages of Choosing an Early Childhood Education Degree?

While there are advantages to a traditional four-year college or university, there are drawbacks as well. The financial investment can be substantial, the time commitment is longer, and many universities are less helpful with job placement. When you choose to pursue an early childhood education degree from a career academy, you will have the advantages of an intimate learning environment, one-on-one attention, low tuition, excellent career opportunities and job placement assistance, and an accelerated program that will allow you to begin working in half the time of a traditional degree program. Vocational schools like Athena Career Academy are also much more flexible, offering day or evening classes to meet the needs of all their students who may have other work or family obligations while earning their degree. Athena Career Academy offers an associate’s degree in early childhood education that is designed to be completed in two years.

Both early childhood and elementary education are important in developing the next generation of learners. Choosing between the two requires you to think about your natural skills and who you hope to work with. If you have a passion for reaching young children at the very beginning of their educational path and want to begin your career quickly with a lower financial investment, an associate’s degree in early childhood education can set you up for a rewarding career with plenty of opportunities to advance and grow. If you’ve been thinking about a career in education, now is a great time to enroll. Contact Athena Career Academy to learn more about our comprehensive two year early childhood education degree program. We offer flexible class times and no wait list with the faculty support you need to succeed!