The earliest years are the most important — and teachers who shape them are among the most impactful professionals there are. GCU's Early Childhood Education (P–3) program prepares you to teach in preschool through Grade 3 settings, across general, inclusive, and special education environments. Combined with your content area major, you'll graduate with both a bachelor's degree AND New Jersey certification in Early Childhood Education with Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TOSD) Endorsement.
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GCU's Early Childhood Education (P–3) program doesn't just prepare you to teach in general education classrooms — it includes the Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TOSD) Endorsement in every certification. You'll graduate qualified to teach in general, inclusive, AND special education settings from preschool through Grade 3. In New Jersey's inclusive education landscape, this dual qualification significantly broadens your employment options and increases your competitiveness in the job market.
New Jersey's early childhood classrooms are among the most linguistically diverse in the country. GCU's Early Childhood Education program offers an optional ESL (English as a Second Language) Endorsement, providing additional coursework in second language acquisition, phonology and structure of English, and culturally responsive teaching for English Language Learners. Completing the ESL endorsement is a meaningful professional credential that makes you a more effective and more versatile early childhood educator.
You won't enter a real classroom for the first time during your student teaching. GCU's early childhood program builds clinical experience progressively — 25 hours in Foundations of Special Education, 75 hours in part-time clinical practice I, 100 hours in part-time clinical practice II, and 175 hours in collaborative planning — before the 14-week full-time student teaching placement in your senior year. By the time you student teach, you've had hundreds of real classroom hours.
Eligible undergraduate students can apply for Advanced Admission to GCU's M.A.T. in Early Childhood Education program — enrolling in up to 12 graduate credits during the senior year that count toward BOTH the bachelor's degree AND the M.A.T. After completing the bachelor's, candidates continue for three semesters to complete the M.A.T. and earn the Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS). Requirements: 108 undergraduate credits, 3.0+ GPA, B or better in Child and Adolescent Development, and passing Praxis II scores.
Georgian Court University Teacher Education (Initial-Licensure) and Advanced Level Programs are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Early childhood education is a field defined by urgency and joy — the urgency of knowing that what happens in the first years of a child’s life shapes everything that follows, and the joy of being present for those discoveries every day. GCU’s Early Childhood Education (P–3) program prepares teachers who are ready for both.
The program is built around the conviction that excellent early childhood educators need two things simultaneously: deep knowledge of their content area AND genuine pedagogical expertise for working with young children with diverse learning needs. That’s exactly what GCU delivers — a 30-credit content major in biology, chemistry, English, history, interdisciplinary studies, mathematics, psychology, or visual art, combined with 46 credits of professional education coursework designed specifically for the early childhood and inclusive education context.
The professional coursework sequence moves candidates through a carefully designed progression: foundational knowledge of ethics, special education, and early childhood instruction in the second year; application of math and literacy instruction, assessment, and foundational literacy in the third year; and the full collaborative planning and student teaching experience in the fourth year. Each stage includes clinical hours in real classroom settings — building the experience, confidence, and reflective practice that defines excellent teachers.
The program’s inclusion of the TOSD Endorsement in every certification track reflects GCU’s commitment to preparing teachers who can serve ALL students — not just those who happen to arrive in general education classrooms with no identified special needs. New Jersey’s inclusive education model requires exactly this kind of preparation.
GCU’s Early Childhood Education (P–3) program is a great fit if you:
| Career | Entry Salary | Mid-Career Salary | Experienced Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten & Elementary Teachers | $52,000–$62,000 | $76,200 | $90,000–$105,000+ |
| Special Education Teachers (TOSD) | $54,000–$65,000 | $73,800 | $92,000+ |
| Preschool Teachers | $32,000–$45,000 | $43,200 | $58,000+ |
Job Outlook
To earn this degree, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including General Education requirements and the major requirements below.
Requirements include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Education Courses 1 | ||
| ED3110 | Ethics & Foundations of American Ed | 3.0 |
| SPE3030 | Foundations of Special Education | 3.0 |
| EE3114 | Essentials of Instr for ECE | 3.0 |
| ED3242 | Foundational Literacy Instruction | 3.0 |
| SPE5032 | Assessment in Special Education | 3.0 |
| ED3209 | Math Instruct. in EC & ELEM Ed | 3.0 |
| ED3222 | Lit Integ in EC & Elem Social St | 3.0 |
| EE3244 | Screen and Assess Reading Diff in ECE | 3.0 |
| ED3306 | Assess & Remediate Math Diffic | 3.0 |
| SPE5031 | Literacy & Curriculum Planning | 3.0 |
| EE4303 | Reflective Practice in EC & SpEd | 3.0 |
| EE4302 | Early Childhood Ed Clinical Practice | 9.0 |
| Total Credits | 42.0 | |
Praxis Tests Early Childhood Teacher candidates are required to pass the applicable Praxis II tests prior to part-time clinical practice: Early Childhood Content. For fall clinical practice, passing scores must be submitted by July 15; for spring clinical practice, they must be submitted by December 15.
Step 1 — Apply to GCU: (Same as general GCU admissions — rolling, priority deadlines November 1, January 1, March 1)
Step 2 — Apply to the Teacher Education Program:
Step 3 — Praxis II:
Step 4 — Clinical Clearances:
Upon completing the Early Childhood Education (P–3) program, candidates will:
Q: Do I earn a degree in Early Childhood Education? A: No — at GCU, you earn a bachelor’s degree in your content major (for example, B.A. in English, B.A. in Psychology, or B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies) PLUS New Jersey teacher certification in Early Childhood Education (P–3) with TOSD Endorsement. The teacher certification is earned through the professional education coursework sequence, not a separate major.
Q: What content majors are available for the Early Childhood certification? A: Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mathematics, Psychology, and Visual Art.
Q: What does TOSD Endorsement mean, and why is it included in every GCU certification? A: TOSD stands for Teacher of Students with Disabilities. It’s a New Jersey-specific endorsement that prepares teachers to work with students who have identified disabilities in inclusive and special education settings. GCU includes TOSD in every teacher certification track because New Jersey’s inclusive education model means nearly all general education classrooms include students with diverse learning needs. A TOSD-endorsed teacher is simply a more complete, more versatile professional.
Q: What is the NJ state policy change about certification without a liberal arts major? A: As of 2026, New Jersey allows candidates for K–6 or P–3 certification to qualify with either a traditional liberal arts major OR a minimum of 30 semester-hour credits in core content subject areas (English, mathematics, social studies/history, and/or science). This means students who have taken significant coursework across multiple disciplines — even if not in a single traditional major — may now qualify. Speak with an advisor to determine if this applies to your situation.
Q: When should I apply? A: Apply to GCU on a rolling basis — priority deadlines are November 1, January 1, and March 1. Speak with an education advisor as early as possible to plan your four-year sequence, including the prerequisite courses that must be completed before the junior-year education sequence begins.
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