By studying early childhood education, you’ll learn how to nurture and educate young minds during their most critical developmental stages. We’ll prepare you to obtain your state of Illinois Professional Educator License in Early Childhood Education. Our alumni become teachers, child care administrators, family services workers, and resource and referral specialists. The average mid-career salary for graduates of this program is $60,135†.
Our experiential and research-informed program will provide you more than
500 hours of direct experience and prepares you to:
- Teach birth- through second grade-aged children in Illinois public schools.
- Teach children with disabilities aged 3-6 with our Early Childhood Special Education approval.
- Teach children with diverse language backgrounds with our English as a second language (ESL) approval.
- Apply for the Gateways to Opportunity Level 5 Early Childhood Education (ECE) credential.
Our program is approved by:
- Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
- Gateways to Opportunity.
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Reach out to the University Center at McHenry County College (UC MCC) at ucenter@mchenry.edu or 815-479-7600 to make your academic plan. |
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Apply to NIU as a UC MCC transfer student at niu.edu/apply. Email transfercenter@niu.edu with questions about your application or next steps. |
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Explore financial aid options at niu.edu/financial-aid and complete your FAFSA at fafsa.gov using NIU school code 001737. |
You have future plans. We’ll help you achieve them.
A.A.S. to B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Northern Illinois University at the University Center at McHenry County College
Year One - Semester I(16 Hours)
Year One - Semester II(16-17 Hours)
Year Two - Semester I(18 Hours)
Year Two - Semester II(16 Hours)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS COMPLETED AT MCC (66-67)
Year Three - Semester I(12 Hours)
Year Three - Semester II(15 Hours)
Year Four - Semester I(15 Hours)
Year Four - Semester II(15 Hours)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS COMPLETED AT NIU (57)
TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS FOR A B.S. DEGREE (120)
*Must be completed as part of the AAS degree at MCC.
**See MCC catalog or advisor for course options.
†Data source: Steppingblocks, 2023.
Disclaimer: Completing the AAS provides compact benefits that satisfy NIU General Education requirements. Use this guide to plan
your degree progress, but it does not guarantee program admission. Information was updated December 2024, this guide is subject to
changes in the Undergraduate Catalog. Contact your MCC academic advisor for help.
Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Printed by authority of the state of Illinois. niu.edu 56366 8/25
