Are Online Early Childhood Education Degrees Legitimate?

For those interested in working with young children as an educator, a degree in early childhood education is the perfect one to pursue. These degrees can lead to jobs like preschool teacher, kindergarten teacher, childcare worker, and more.

Many of the degree options for early childhood education programs can be completed online. Even though online degrees are extremely common, some students may still worry about applying for one and ask themselves if online early childhood education degrees are legit.

Luckily, online programs are a legitimate way to get your degree in early childhood education. Here we will break down what to look for when choosing your online degree and explore options for online early childhood education programs.

Do Employers Respect Online Early Childhood Education Degrees?

Whether employers will respect an online degree or not is a common worry for students to have. This is understandable given how online degrees may have been viewed over time, but the perception of completing a degree online has changed drastically in recent years.

Not only have online degrees become more and more common, but they are also now comparable to an on-campus education. Opinions may vary by individual, but in general, employers respect online early childhood education degrees.

An important factor to keep in mind is that nothing on your degree will indicate that it was completed online; you will have the same degree as someone who attended classes in person. Unless an employer specifically asks, it is unlikely they will even know your degree was completed online, and with online schooling so common, it is unlikely they will care.

If an employer does ask, it can be used to highlight the qualities needed to complete an online degree that employers will want to know about. These include skills like time management, task organization, self-motivation, and determination.

What To Look for in an Online Early Childhood Education Degree

Here are some of the important criteria to use when looking for an online early childhood education degree.

Accreditation

Accreditation is the most important factor you should look for when picking an online university. It means that the school has been recognized as meeting a certain standard of quality in the education that it provides to students. This comes from an evaluation by an accrediting agency, which is given legitimacy by recognition from the U.S. Department of Education.

The reason accreditation is so essential is that students can be reasonably certain they will be getting a good education. Not only that, but it means degrees from the school will be recognized by other institutions and respected by employers. If you have any doubts about a program, there are multiple ways to verify the accreditation of an education program.

Reputation

It can sometimes be difficult to get an idea of the reputation of a school. A good starting place is to consider the factors mentioned in this list. Ask yourself:

• Is the school accredited?
• Is the school nonprofit or for-profit?
• Does the school have a good graduation rate?

You can also look at data like the employment rates of graduates, whether they are working in their field or not, etc. This can give you an idea of how graduates of the school are regarded by employers.

Graduation Rates

Graduation rates can tell you a lot about a university. Graduation rates are a statistic that is the percentage of students who started their degree in the same period who graduated within a certain period. Usually, it is within six years for four-year degrees and within three years for two-year degrees.

A high graduation rate is indicative of a good education environment. It means students were able to finish their degrees and do so within a reasonable time frame. Students enrolled at this school will most likely have instructors committed to their success, support resources, and more.

Differences Between Online and Traditional Early Childhood Education Degrees

Online and traditional programs are becoming more and more similar each year. The curriculum between the programs is more or less unchanged. The most significant difference is that online classes can be completed in whichever location the student chooses, and at whichever time fits their schedule.

Something to keep in mind with online early childhood education degrees is that they require student teaching and field experience. Many online programs allow students to complete this requirement at a participating school near them. Make sure you are not required to complete field experience at a specific location before enrolling in an online program.

Benefits of Earning Your Early Childhood Education Degree Online

Online degrees are typically involved with working adults in mind, including online early childhood education degrees. This means they provide two very important features: convenience and flexibility.

Students can complete their online early childhood education coursework at their own pace. Whenever students have the time, they will be having their classes. This allows them to complete their degree while also managing other aspects of their lives like work, childcare, family obligations, and more.

Featured Online Early Childhood Education Degrees

Here are some options for online early childhood education degrees.

1. Arizona State University

Arizona State University is an accredited institution with a graduation rate of nearly 70%. The school also has a student-to-faculty ratio of 18 to one. ASU offers two undergraduate online early childhood education degrees, as well as graduate programs.

• Bachelor of Arts in Education - early childhood studies
• Bachelor of Applied Science in early childhood studies
• Master of Education in early childhood education
• Master of Education in elementary education

2. Purdue Global

Purdue Global is an online, public, and nonprofit university. The school offers two online early childhood education degrees, one associate's and one bachelor's.

• Associate of Applied Science in early childhood development
• Bachelor of Science in early childhood development

3. Eastern Oregon University

Eastern Oregon University is an accredited, public university that offers degree programs online. The school has two degree programs and a certificate program in early childhood education that can be completed online.

• Associate of Arts in early childhood education
• Bachelor of Arts/Science in early childhood education
• Certificate in early childhood education

4. Florida International University

A public research university, Florida International University offers many degrees on campus and online. The school has over 50,000 students and offers both a bachelor's and a master's degree in early childhood education.

• Bachelor of Science in early childhood education
• Master of Science in early childhood education

5. Western Governors University

Western Governors University is a private, nonprofit online university based in Utah. Students at the school can enroll to complete a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a path to teacher licensure.