Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education: B.S.

What You Need to Know About the B.S. in Early Childhood Education

Starting in the fall 2024, SUNY Empire will be offering a BS in Early Childhood Education leading to New York State B-2 Initial Certification. The majority of this program will be online with some virtual study groups on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Since this is a teacher certification program, there will be both clinical and certification requirements.  Program faculty and SUNY Empire’s Clinical Services & Licensure Office will assist students with these requirements throughout the program. 

As a completion program, students applying for the BS in Early Childhood Education will be required to have 60 credits with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. Students will be eligible to apply for the program once they have completed 50-60 credits or have a concurred degree plan for an AA/AS from SUNY Empire, with admission occurring after students have earned at least 60 credits. 

General Admissions Requirements: 
1.    2.5 GPA
2.    Essay
3.    One letter of recommendation (Optional)
4.    Liberal arts and sciences transcript review. 

Undergraduate courses with a grade below C cannot count towards the program requirements. To meet New York State certification requirements, applicants to the Early Childhood Education program must have 30 credits in a liberal arts and sciences core. To determine eligibility, students should complete one of the following worksheets:

Liberal Arts and Sciences Core (PDF 80kB)

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribute Core (PDF 122kB)

I am working on a degree in Educational Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Studies. Will it still be available?

Yes! We will continue to offer a program in Educational Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Studies. It is best for students who wish to work in childcare programs, childcare administration, or other informal settings. These programs do not lead to initial teaching certification and do not have requirements such as observation hours and student teaching. If you have a concurred degree plan in Educational Studies, you can continue taking courses until graduation.  

Scholarship Opportunity: Equity in Action

SUNY Empire is pleased to announce the Equity in Action scholarship. This exciting opportunity will fund twenty-four (24) paraprofessionals through the new Early Childhood Education program starting in the 24/25 academic year. Once accepted into the program, you may be eligible to apply! Awardees will receive tuition, fees, books, a stipend during required components, and opportunities to participate in a symposium/residency and professional development activities during the four years it will take them to complete the program.

Eligibility requires:

Acceptance into the BS in Early Childhood Education
Evidence of a valid NYS certification as a Teaching Assistant.
Documentation of current employment as a paraprofessional.
Commitment to program completion in four years on a part-time basis. 
An interview by program faculty.

Additional information on applying for this unique scholarship will be sent to students upon admission to the Early Childhood Education program.