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Early Childhood Education

Develop your expertise as an early childhood professional with both thorough classroom instruction and meaningful experiences in the field. 

Whether you want to nurture young minds as a preschool teacher or run a child care facility, the early childhood degree will equip you to reach your goals.

• About the Degree

  Experience is the best educator. That鈥檚 why the early childhood program is full of opportunities to engage in the field, apply classroom knowledge, and work with kids.

  With this major, you鈥檒l develop a comprehensive understanding of early childhood development from birth to preschool. In your first semester, you鈥檒l get an introduction to the basics of early childhood education, psychology, and teaching, learning about teaching ethics, culture, human behavior, personality, emotion, and how to create appropriate environments. 
  

  In following semesters, you鈥檒l dive even deeper into the principles of early childhood education, exploring physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development; the impact of family relationships on development; methods of effective discipline; and diversity and disabilities in early childhood. You鈥檒l practice designing curriculum for effective, progressive development and develop skills for listening and talking to children. With a course in program administration, you鈥檒l learn the practical aspects of operating a facility, including budgeting, developing an environment, standards of quality, safety and nutrition, hiring, leadership, and supervision. You鈥檒l also research issues in early childhood education such as child abuse, parent rights, high-risk children, and advocacy.
  

  You鈥檒l gain field experience from semester one. Nearly every course will require you to interact and observe in a childcare setting, and a required 192-hour internship ensures you鈥檒l graduate with maximum experience. An on-campus Head Start early childhood center and a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Michiana鈥檚 birth-to-preschool program provide even more opportunities for observation and experiential learning.
  

  You鈥檒l graduate equipped to care for infants, teach a preschool classroom, run a childcare facility, and more.
  

  This program is offered on both the Dowagiac and Niles campuses.
  

  This is a two-year degree program designed for immediate employment in the field or for transfer to a four-year school for a bachelor鈥檚 degree. Popular transfer schools include Central Michigan University and Indiana University South Bend, and we continue to build partnerships with four-year schools that offer teacher鈥檚 certification. This program is especially helpful for laying foundations that will meet the Michigan Department of Education鈥檚 soon-to-be-revised teacher certification structure. After transferring to a bachelor鈥檚 program, you鈥檒l be able to pursue the structure鈥檚 birth-to-pre-K certification and pre-K-to-3rd-grade certification. 

  You can also use the early childhood degree as a minor in Ferris State University鈥檚 elementary education bachelor鈥檚 degree program on SMC鈥檚 Dowagiac campus.

• What You’ll Learn

  View the full curriculum guide for the Associate in Applied Science in Early Childhood Education.

• What Can I Do With a Early Childhood Education Degree?

  Early childhood education is the care and teaching of children from birth through preschool. Graduates may find employment in child care facilities or preschools. Duties may include supervising a classroom, developing age-appropriate curriculum, teaching developmental concepts, caring for children’s basic needs, communicating with parents, and more.

  Careers and Salaries

  Career Option	Salary
  Preschool Teachers:	$37,130
  Preschool and Childcare Center Directors:	$54,290
  Teacher Assistants:	$35,550
  Childcare Workers:	$30,370

  2023 median pay. Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics.