Northwestern adds online early childhood program leading to teaching licensure

 
Northwestern College is launching a new online bachelor’s degree in early childhood that leads to teaching licensure, preparing graduates to teach PK through third grade. The program begins Jan. 10.

The only Iowa program of its kind, Northwestern’s is designed for students who have already earned an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. It can be completed in three years or less. All coursework will be online, with field experience hours and student teaching arranged in schools near the student. Interested students can begin the program in any fall, spring or summer semester.

“I’m really excited about this new program, because it will help address the shortage of early childhood teachers in Iowa and throughout the country,” says Dr. Angila Moffitt, assistant professor of education and director of Northwestern’s early childhood programs. “Because students can have a majority of their educational expenses covered by the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship, they will be able to earn a degree without accruing much or any debt.”

The bachelor’s in early childhood–licensure program is designed for working adults, with eight-week courses and a flexible pace. Students will explore how their faith interacts with their role as an early childhood educator, and they will be guided by professors with extensive classroom experience. “Our students are not numbers but people who receive a personal touch from their professors,” says Moffitt.

The new program joins a non-licensure degree-completion online bachelor’s degree in early childhood that prepares graduates to teach and lead in child care settings and Head Start programs.

For more information about the licensure program, visit nwciowa.edu/baec-licensure.