Notre Dame College’s online early childhood education licensure program has been honored by another national ratings organization.
The College has been ranked No. 28 among the Best Online Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs for 2021, according to the online learning platform Study.com. Study.com also has placed Notre Dame No. 40 on their list of best bachelor’s degrees in education. Previously, Notre Dame’s Division of Professional Education was rated No. 41 among the 50 Best Online Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education Programs in 2020 by SuperScholar.org.
ECE involves teaching children from birth to 8 years old, a period of critical caring that influences a child’s mental and emotional as well as physical development. According to Study.com, “those entrusted with positions in ECE require specific knowledge and skills which help foster that development.”
Excellent Quality
Notre Dame was selected by Study.com for excellence based on the quality of its education, faculty and academic and career resources. The organization compiled the top degree programs from among hundreds of universities across the country.
Notre Dame College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Division of Professional Education is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP).
Classes cover integrated technology, curriculum principles, educational psychology, collaborative teaming, developmental reading instruction, classroom management, and assessment techniques for special education, among other topics.
Another feature of the program that adds to its high ranking is the extensive amount of field work opportunities offered. Student receive more than 1,000 hours of actual education experience, in addition to student teaching.
Flexibility and Convenience
Flexibility and convenience make the College’s online degree in ECE a great choice. Students can take classes on a full- or part-time basis, in 8- or 16 -week course cycles. Those who enroll also can begin the degree program at any one of six different term times each year.
Students also can transfer up to 90 credit hours toward the Notre Dame undergraduate degree. Those enrolled need a total of 120 credit hours of coursework to graduate, so the program can be completed in one to four years, depending on transfer credits.
All courses while online are provided synchronously, which means students work together and with faculty in real-time, building community and professional networks as well as education competencies.
Notre Dame has been training successful educators for nearly 100 years, and teaching continues to be a career in high demand. Projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate the field of special education, in particular, is growing, with job opportunities expected to increase up to 8 percent by 2026.
February 2021
updated March 2021
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information, contact pr@ndc.edu.