As an early childhood educator, you can provide a stronger, brighter start and a lifelong love of learning to young students. What better place to start than at a college ranked #1 in the region for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
As an early childhood educator, you can provide a stronger, brighter start and a lifelong love of learning to young students. What better place to start than at a college ranked #1 in the region for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
Early Childhood Education
Make a big difference for little learners.
Children are complex individuals with multiple influences, unique personalities, and different ways of reaching their potential. Our Early Childhood Education program helps you develop expertise in working with children age three to eleven and acquire a deeper understanding of childhood development and innovative, proven pathways to success.
Through John Carroll’s liberal arts core curriculum, you’ll improve communication skills and hone your critical thinking. Your Early Childhood Education major program offers courses specific to grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and provides the academic, collegiate, and personal support you need to thrive.
The breadth of knowledge and depth of experience you’ll gain will matter to your future students and your career. The Early Childhood Education program can lead to a job as a preschool, kindergarten, or elementary school teacher, a Head Start teacher, a curriculum specialist, or a child development educator.
Our Early Childhood program will nurture you as you learn to nurture others. Expect a 13:1 student to faculty ratio; engaged, caring professors; and small, supportive classes.
Early Childhood Program
Nationally recognized by the Specialized Professional Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), our program provides a well-rounded, well-thought curriculum. In addition to preparing you for a variety of careers, you may also qualify for the Early Childhood Generalist Endorsement, which broadens your pre-K through grade three teaching license to include grades four and five.
Top Employers
JCU’s Pass rate for Initial Licensure-Early Childhood (2019-20)
3 to 4 year-olds enrolled in Pre-K in the USA in 2020
Cleveland Metro Schools are in the top 4% for Performance Index Growth
In this course, you’ll gain a greater understanding of child development, from birth through age 8. You’ll explore the role of home and early childhood environments on development and, possibly, participate in fieldwork in various settings.
Designed for Early Childhood students only, this upper-level course delves into the various genres of children’s literature with a focus on multicultural literature. You’ll also analyze literature’s relevance to child development across disciplines.
Notable Alum
Status: President, Lakewood Catholic Academy
Focus: Educational Innovation
Honors: Fulbright Fellowship Study/Research Award, 2018
“As a school leader, some of the very best teachers I have hired have been John Carroll University graduates. Their professional training is second to none and their background in liberal arts education sets them apart from other applicants. Their well rounded formation has equipped them with intelligent curiosity, strength of character, and compassionate concern for others. Carroll graduates see a wider world and then make the world a better place through inspiring the minds and touching the hearts of their students.”
John Carroll University alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the region from Northeast Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.