The Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education seeks to elevate the knowledge, skills, and performance of the early childhood educator in Jewish educational settings. Using a cohort-based model, the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education will bring current early childhood educators together to grow as educators. This will include acquiring skills to manage classrooms and centers, successfully work with families, incorporate Torah, mitzvot (good deed) and traditions into daily lesson plans, and prepare for careers as teachers or administrators in Jewish early childhood settings.

This program is available as an ONLINE curriculum. 

Students who wish to apply and be accepted to the BA program in ECE must first complete a minimum of 60 lower division units at a community college or other university as our program will only have upper division courses related to the major.  Students must complete a minimum of 60 upper division credits in residence at AJU.

Students who complete the program will develop the skills necessary to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging.
  • Demonstrate orally and in writing, knowledge, understanding and value of the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities.
  • Understand and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in an ethical manner in partnership with families and other professionals to positively influence children’s development and learning.
  • Design, implement and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all children.
  • Use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children.
  • Use a wide array of effective approaches, strategies, and tools to positively influence children’s development and learning.
  • Understand the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas including academic subjects and identify resources to deepen their understanding.
  • Use their own experience, knowledge, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for all young children.
  • Use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice.

This BA program integrates a focused field work course each semester. Teaching is a contact profession wherein almost 100% of the work requires skills in planning for, working with, teaching to, and assessing children in an academic environment. This program requires that students complete field work assignments as they are learning the theory and methods and will be evaluated on their ability to plan for, implement and assess specific areas of the curriculum.

PROGRAM

The program is structured to include 6 semesters, including two summer semesters, so that students may complete the degree within 2 years while working full time. Course load is 10 credits per semester.

Each course includes traditional online components and synchronized live discussions. Students will be required to join one weekly online discussion with the professor and up to four other fellow students. Students will also be assigned a mentor to provide assistance through the online learning process.

TUITION

Tuition costs are $9270 per year (total program costs expected at $18,540).

To learn more, contact Early Childhood Coordinator Megan Blicha at blicha.megan [at] aju.edu.

Request more information HERE.