Rasmussen College Launches Child Development Specialization for Early Childhood Education Bachelor's Degree

Minneapolis (September 19, 2016)–Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, recently launched a Child Development specialization for its Early Childhood Education (ECE) Bachelor’s degree-completion program. The new specialization allows students to go beyond the basics of child development to understand more deeply how and why children learn and develop the way they do. Skills learned include how to run an ECE program, communicate with families, develop curriculum and lead other teachers, while maintaining best practices working with young learners from infancy through preschool. Students can complete the non-licensure Bachelor’s degree-completion program in as few as 18 months*.

“The new Child Development specialization for the Rasmussen College Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s degree allows current ECE educators to build on their education and experience to make an even bigger impact on our youngest learners,” said Mary Muhs, department chair, Early Childhood Education at Rasmussen College. “Education during these early years is critical; it’s foundational for the child’s development academically, socially, emotionally and even physically. In fact, studies have shown 90 percent of brain development takes place before age three. Graduates of our Child Development specialization will not only be better prepared to educate today’s youngest learners but they will gain skills for evaluating their impact on the growth and development of children to help advance the profession.”

Increasing Demand for Early Childhood Educators with Bachelor’s Degrees

Early childhood educators are retiring, despite a steady 15 percent national increase in preschool-age children attending full-day programs since 1990. There is also an increasing trend nationwide of early childhood program accreditors, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, recommending programs or centers have more teachers with advanced degrees — as much as 75 percent of the entire teacher staff. Additionally, in April 2015, the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council issued a report, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation, that recommends all lead educators working with children from birth to age eight have a bachelor’s degree with specialized knowledge and competencies.

“The ECE profession has evolved significantly over the past decade as we continue to learn more about brain development in young children,” Muhs said. “We know learning doesn’t start at age four, rather at infancy, which is why the need for a more educated ECE workforce continues to grow. The new Child Development specialization for the ECE Bachelor’s degree at Rasmussen College gives early childhood educators the opportunity to lead from wherever they are and truly become the best educator of young children they can be.”

The Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s degree-completion program at Rasmussen College is also available with Flex Choice®. This learning option allows students to combine traditional courses and self-directed assessments to save time and money.

To learn more about the new Child Development specialization of the Rasmussen College ECE Bachelor’s degree, please visit http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/child-development/bachelors/.

*Completion time is dependent on transfer credits accepted and courses completed each term.
See www.rasmussen.edu/sid for information about our graduation rates, median debt of students who completed the program and other important information.