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Studies & Degrees in Early Childhood Teaching & Leadership

Early childhood teaching and leadership prepares people to educate and care for young children and, with experience, to run the centres where that work happens. In the United States the field usually covers children from birth to about age eight, that is, from infant care through preschool to the first grades of primary school. In Spain the equivalent stage is educación infantil, for children up to six years old.

Students learn how children develop, how to teach them through play and structured activities, and how to observe and document their progress. Florida International University (FIU), for example, lists child development, learning environments, language and literacy, classroom management, student assessment and family engagement among the topics of its bachelor's degree. The leadership side adds what a centre director needs: supervising staff, designing programme plans, overseeing daily activities and preparing budgets.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate degrees and certificates (United States). Preschool teachers typically need at least an associate's degree, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Community colleges teach these two-year programmes. Montgomery College in Maryland offers an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education Technology that prepares students to work with children from infancy through age eight and is designed to be completed within four semesters. Delaware Technical & Community College has an associate degree in Early Care and Education (Birth to Second Grade) of at least 62 credits, designed for transfer to a four-year institution; the college points out that students must go on to graduate with a bachelor's degree to be licensed to teach primary grades.
  • Bachelor's degrees. In US public schools, preschool teachers are generally required to have at least a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field and must hold a state licence, which covers preschool through third grade. FIU's Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education requires a minimum of 120 credits and has two majors: one leads to Florida teacher certification for age 3 through grade 3, and the other, Early Childhood Development, does not lead to teacher certification.
  • Master's degrees. A master's degree deepens teaching practice and prepares for leadership roles. FIU's Master of Science in Early Childhood Education requires a minimum of 30 credits and is offered fully online or in hybrid format.
  • Spain. Teaching in educación infantil is a regulated profession that requires an official bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits, the Grado en Educación Infantil, which includes a supervised teaching placement (Practicum) in schools. The higher vocational training (FP) qualification Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil lasts 2,000 hours and qualifies graduates to work as educators in the first cycle of educación infantil, with children aged 0 to 3.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for early childhood teaching and leadership: ten in the United States and one each in Canada, Spain and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The US schools include community colleges such as Tacoma Community College, Broward College, Montgomery College, Delaware Technical & Community College and County College of Morris, and universities such as Florida International University, Tennessee Tech University, Susquehanna University and the University of Scranton.

Programmes in the United States and Canada are taught in English. Teacher licensing in the United States is decided by each state, so a degree that leads to certification in one state does not automatically allow teaching in another state or country. International students who want to teach in their home country should ask their education authority how a foreign degree is recognised before they enrol. Some entries in the list are language centres or schools for children rather than teacher-training programmes, so check each school's page for its current courses.

Careers

Graduates work as preschool teachers, childcare educators, teaching assistants, family support workers and, later, as lead teachers or directors of preschools and childcare centres. The BLS notes that those with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education frequently are qualified to teach kindergarten through grade 3 as well as preschool. In Spain, FP graduates work as early years educators (educador or educadora infantil) and graduates of the Grado en Educación Infantil as teachers.

According to the BLS, preschool teachers held about 583,200 jobs in the United States in 2025, 65 percent of them in child daycare services, and employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Preschool and childcare centre directors held about 91,900 jobs in 2025; their employment is projected to decline 3 percent over the same period, although about 5,200 openings a year are expected. A bachelor's degree and experience in early childhood education are typically required to become a director. These figures describe the US labour market only.

Frequently asked questions

Which degree do I need to teach young children?

It depends on the country and the setting. In the United States an associate's degree is the usual minimum for preschool teachers, and public schools generally require a bachelor's degree and a state licence. In Spain, teachers need the Grado en Educación Infantil; the Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil qualifies for work with children aged 0 to 3.

What does the leadership part of the subject cover?

It prepares for running a preschool or childcare centre: supervising and leading staff, designing programme plans, overseeing daily activities and preparing budgets. Most director positions also require several years of experience in early childhood education.

Does every early childhood degree lead to teacher certification?

No. FIU, for example, states that its Early Childhood Development major does not lead to teacher certification, while its Prekindergarten/Primary Education major does. Ask the school before you enrol.