Program(s) Available: B.S.Ed.
Shape foundational learning experiences for our youngest students with a degree in early childhood education from Northwest. Northwest Missouri State University’s bachelor of science in education - early childhood education prepares you to become an influential teacher during students’ most formative years from your first semester. You’ll gain profession-based classroom experiences alongside expert instruction that focuses on children’s strengths and individual needs. With access to the on-campus Horace Mann Laboratory School – the only one of its kind in the Midwest – you’ll graduate with more than 550 hours of clinical practice and ample job opportunities.
This traditional four-year early childhood education bachelor’s degree prepares you to teach children from birth through third grade in settings like public and private schools, preschools, Head Start programs and childcare centers. The program emphasizes a strengths-based, constructivist approach where you’ll learn to create child-centered, culturally sensitive curriculum.
The B.S.ED. requires a minimum of 126 credit hours, including early childhood education courses in:
The Northwest early childhood education major also includes immersive field experiences that begin in your first year and culminate with student teaching, preparing you for Missouri teacher licensure/certification. This program also offers an early childhood special education certification, which allows you to teach in settings with diverse special populations from birth through third grade.
Becoming an exceptional educator begins with real classroom experiences, which is why you’ll start teaching as early as your freshman year at Northwest. Our unique on-campus laboratory school provides opportunities to observe and practice teaching strategies with real students while receiving immediate feedback from expert faculty. You’ll build confidence through a supportive community that’s invested in your success, developing the skills that make Northwest graduates the #1 choice among principals and school administrators.
Immediately apply what you learn in your early childhood education courses within an actual classroom setting. Northwest’s Horace Mann Laboratory School and Phyllis and Richard Leet Center offer an on-campus infant, toddler, preschool and K-3 environment. By graduation, you’ll have more than 550 hours of high-quality clinical practice across urban, rural and suburban settings with students of all ability levels.
Learn to implement a strengths-based, constructivist approach that supports children’s natural curiosity and development. Northwest’s bachelor’s in early childhood education degree emphasizes integrated, project-based learning experiences that are culturally sensitive and trauma-informed. This innovative approach gives you outstanding preparation to adapt your teaching to nurture every child’s growth and potential.
Benefit from Northwest’s strong partnerships with more than 85 school districts across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. These connections provide a wide range of student teaching experiences in rural, suburban and urban areas that help you build real-world skills and stand out to future employers. With a 97.5% job placement rate for early childhood education graduates, Northwest produces some of the most sought-after educators in Missouri.
School of Education
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As an early childhood education graduate from Northwest, you’ll be prepared to support learners through the earliest stages of development. By completing training in both traditional and special education settings, you can pursue careers in public and private schools, childcare centers and community programs.
Specific jobs for early childhood education majors include:
You’ll also have a solid foundation for graduate studies in specialized early childhood fields. With these skills, you can advance your career wherever your passion for teaching young children leads you.
Northwest offers multiple pathways to support your early education degree. The School of Education offers specialized scholarships for education students, complemented by general academic scholarships and need-based financial aid options. Thanks to Northwest's dedication to making education affordable, you can concentrate on building your teaching skills rather than stressing about educational costs. Search early childhood education scholarships or browse all aid below.
Northwest’s early childhood education program is one of 200 majors and programs designed to help you achieve your goals. Our faculty are renowned educators who are passionate about early childhood development and devoted to your success. With an emphasis on self-care embedded in our coursework, we prepare you for your first year of teaching and for a sustainable, fulfilling career.
Connect with like-minded peers in organizations such as Kind Individuals Dedicated to Students (KIDS), where you’ll mentor local elementary students, Education Around the World for global perspectives, BookCats to promote literacy, or Student Missouri State Teachers Association (SMSTA) for professional development.
As a Bearcat, you’ll join a tight-knit community that feels like family. Our faculty will know you by name, invest in your growth and celebrate your successes. The green and white Bearcat spirit extends beyond the classroom to NCAA Division II athletics events, where you’ll build lifelong friendships with peers who share your passion for education.
“I came to Northwest because of the welcoming, community-oriented campus that Northwest portrays. The population was another additional outlook for me as I came from a rural area. I was very impressed with the education department and their involvement with the children. I knew I was right where I needed to be coming into the environment.”
Devin Isaacson | First Grade Teacher, Southwest Valley School District | Early Childhood Education w/ Early Childhood Special Education Certification (2023)
Early childhood education focuses on the learning and development of children from birth through age eight (typically third grade). It’s a specialized field that recognizes these years as a unique and critical period when children develop foundational cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills that influence their lifelong learning and well-being.
Early childhood education teachers use developmentally appropriate practices to create play-based learning environments that nurture children’s natural curiosity and support development.
Early childhood education is crucial because the first eight years of life represent a period of extraordinary brain development – children form more than one million neural connections every second. Quality early learning experiences during this time establish the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. Research consistently shows that children who receive high-quality early education demonstrate better academic achievement, social skills and even long-term outcomes like higher employment rates and better health in adulthood.
While daycare provides necessary childcare services, true early childhood education offers intentional, developmentally appropriate learning experiences guided by trained professionals.
At Northwest, we teach a constructivist approach where children actively build knowledge through meaningful play, exploration and social interaction. Our early childhood education major prepares you to design environments that foster critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills while contributing to children’s social-emotional development. This builds a foundation for lifelong learning that goes far beyond supervision.
With an early education degree from Northwest, you’ll be qualified for career paths such as pre-kindergarten teacher, elementary school teacher (K-3), early childhood special education teacher, childcare center director, early intervention specialist, child development specialist, family resource coordinator and early childhood program administrator.
Our graduates find early childhood education jobs in public and private schools, Head Start programs, community centers, childcare facilities and early intervention services. The current teacher shortage, particularly in early childhood, means Northwest graduates are in high demand across our four-state region and beyond.
Trauma-informed care is essential in early childhood education because adverse childhood experiences can significantly impact brain development, behavior and learning capacity. At Northwest, we prepare future teachers to recognize signs of trauma, create safe and supportive classroom environments and implement strategies to help students regulate emotions and build resilience.
Our specialized early childhood education courses in trauma-informed practices ensure you’ll be equipped to support all children, including those who have experienced difficult circumstances, helping them develop the security and confidence needed to thrive academically and socially.
Learn early childhood education from faculty who have taught in numerous classroom settings, implemented innovative curriculum approaches and researched child development best practices. Their connections to school districts and early learning centers give you access to field experiences and career opportunities, helping you secure job placement following graduation.
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