Western Governors University

The learning a child does from birth through Grade 3 is critical to his or her intellectual and emotional development, as well as in the creation of a "sense of self." With an online B.A. in Early Childhood Education (Birth through Grade 3) from WGU, you will have the content knowledge and skills to become a certified instructor and nurture the children to whom we've entrusted the future. Built in alignment with the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young People, this program includes four domains of study, supervised practice teaching in an actual classroom and requires the completion of a professional portfolio.

With flexible schedules and no fixed class times, this program is for people who want to become a certified instructor of children from birth through age eight and need a bachelor's degree to do it. It may also be of particular interest to unlicensed substitute teachers, retired military, and career changers who feel the call to teach. This program is well suited for people who have completed at least one year of college. You can expect to spend at least 20 hours per week on your studies. Your prior college experience may waive some degree requirements.

Depending on state licensure options, this program leads to initial licensure in early childhood education, PK-3, K-3, etc., and includes supervised practice teaching in an actual classroom setting.

The WGU Teachers College is the first and only online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

WGU is the recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for 2011, awarded in recognition of our success in expanding access to higher education. Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams in the "What Works" segment, WGU has also been declared by TIME Magazine to be "the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."