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The faith-filled community at SWU is comprised of students, faculty and staff who are passionate about learning and growing, both inside and outside of the classroom.

BS in Early Childhood and Family Studies

 

 

Turn your passion for working with children into a career!

You are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young children, but not sure what that should look like.  The Early Childhood and Family Studies degree is an interdisciplinary program that prepares you to work in a variety of school or family service settings. Through this program, students acquire the values, knowledge, skills and dispositions within a “Christian ethic of care” necessary to positively impact contemporary families in the areas of early childhood and family studies.

Helping kids, Impacting Communities

As a student in the Early Childhood and Family Studies degree program, you will learn a lot about child development, as well as how to best serve families in every stage of life. You'll learn responsible assessment and professional best practices through faith-filled curriculum. Our approach is that of whole-child development: physical, emotional, and spiritual! You will be able to take the knowledge you gain to build meaningful curriculum and engage in informed advocacy for young children, their families and the early childhood profession.

Is the Early Childhood and Family Studies Degree Right for you?

If you are looking to work with children and families in educational or family service setting, but are unsure about pursuing K12 teacher certification, this is the program for you! You will get the skills you need to succeed in the world of early care and development. In addition to jobs in Head Start, jobs are available in public and private schools and family service organizations.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for preschool teachers is expected to grow by 17 percent from 2012 to 2022.

The Early Childhood and Family Studies program does not lead to teacher certification or a teaching degree.

 

LOOKING FOR APPLICATION SUPPORT?

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® SOUTH CAROLINA provides scholarships for teachers, directors, owners, and family/group providers working in childcare to complete coursework in early childhood education. Scholarships for credentials, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees are offered to qualifying recipients. For more information, click the SC Endeavors link below.

SC Endeavors

 

Career Preparation

This program opens the door to many career possibilities including:

  • Early Childhood/Preschool Teacher
  • Preschool/Day Care Administrator
  • After School Program Director
  • Family resource coordinator
  • Social Work Case Manager
  • Family Support Worker
  • Recreation/Activity Director
  • Family support counselor (graduate work required)
  • Grant Writer

Graduate Experience

Our early childhood graduates have gone into a number of careers and have held jobs with employers such as:

  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Head Start Programs
  • Day Care/Child Development Centers
  • Libraries