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Online Early Care & Education for a Mobile Society Bachelor's Degree Completion Program
IDEA's online early care & education for a mobile society (ECEMS) bachelor's degree completion program prepares you to work with diverse groups of young children, families, and communities in a global society. This bachelor's completion program requires previously completed coursework, allowing you to focus directly on the curriculum that prepares you for rewarding careers in early childhood settings with young children and their families.
Through the ECEMS program, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child. There are two practicum experiences that span nine credit hours and can be completed while taking other courses.
How You Will Learn
Designed for working professionals, our courses are 100% online and asynchronous, except for two in-person practicums. The two practicum experiences are completed in person and can include experience in your current classroom or local community. You'll engage in coursework through a virtual classroom, with offerings available from four reputable universities. Start and end dates may vary depending on the universities instructing your courses each semester.
University Contacts
Click on the campus coordinator name to get their contact information. Click on the university name to learn more about how IDEA works at that campus.
Through IDEA’s ECEMS online bachelor’s completion program, you learn that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with children’s families and their surrounding communities. As part of this dynamic program, you will engage in sensitive interactions that reveal the complex characteristics of children’s families and communities.
It is an ideal program if you enjoy working directly with children and families in diverse populations and care deeply about improving the lives of others. Through the degree, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.
Designed for working professionals and those with busy schedules, the ECEMS degree is offered entirely online, offering flexibility and convenience, as well as affordability through a common price per credit hour through all universities.
Listen to how ECEMS graduate Jacy Phillips was able to balance her professional, personal, and academic responsibilities in this dynamic program.
What do you mean by "a mobile society"?
Today, children and families are increasingly mobile. This is especially true for military families, immigrant families, families who must travel to make a living, homeless families, and families living in poverty. Young children and their families need professional support from individuals with expertise in this area who are interested in working with them in a society that is always "on the go." That person could be you.
Listen to instructor Chris Kiewra from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln explain why this program was designed the way it is and how it helps students advance in the field of early childhood education.
Program Format of ECEMS
The bachelor’s degree in early care & education for a mobile society is a 120-credit hour baccalaureate program of study that includes completion of 48-51 credit hours of required coursework and other requirements unique to the home university where you are enrolled. The required coursework also includes two practicum experiences that span 9 credit hours and can be completed while taking other courses.
Please note that this degree program does not lead to licensure or teacher certification.
Your home university will be where you receive academic advising, manage your program, pay tuition, and meet graduation requirements. Although you will take classes online at each of the participating universities, your home university will award your diploma on completion of the baccalaureate program.
Degree and certificate titles vary by member university. Review the official degree names at our member institutions in our ECEMS Student Handbook.
"I have loved every minute of this program! The teachers are wonderful, the coursework is challenging and engaging, and I have been able to do it while also working full-time and taking care of my three children. During the day, I run a home daycare and I am able to use the techniques and ideas that I have learned in my classes to enhance the learning experience in my home. This degree program has given me the opportunity to learn and grow as an individual, as a mom, and as a teacher." Emily Buster, ECEMS Graduate
Transformative Early Childhood Education Curriculum
Following your admission to the online ECEMS program, you will complete 48-51 credit hours in 13 core courses and two practicum experiences through IDEA, plus any remaining credit hours required by the admitting institution for completion of a bachelor's degree. Learn more about the admissions process further down the page.
The engaging curriculum conveys the leading issues facing education for mobile populations; the skill-building course topics include:
Child Development
Diversity in the Lives of Young Children and Families
"I was approaching my third year volunteering in West Africa when I decided to find a degree program that would allow me to continue my work supporting children overseas. IDEA has been perfect! Learning online has allowed me to focus on the children I foster and my family while providing information that supports my work in child development and helping me care for children better. The incredible faculty have been flexible about the environmental challenges I face with unstable electricity, network, and time differences." Jennifer Theriac, graduate of the early care and education for a mobile society bachelor's degree program
Practicum for Early Care & Education
The ECEMS program requires two (2) practicum experiences, amounting to nine (9) credit hours. The practicum experiences can commence once the respective pre-practicum required courses are completed, as noted in the degree curriculum.
Practicum Experiences with Young Children (formerly called Practicum II): 3 credit course including 36 hours of field experience.
Prerequisites and Corequisites prior to enrolling in Practicum Experiences with Young Children, students must take six credit hours including Introduction to Early Care and Education in a Mobile Society (Professional Development), and either:
(a) Child Development―Birth to 3 (Infant/Toddler) or
(b) Child Development―4 to 8 (Early Childhood)
The Child Development course not previously taken must be taken concurrently with Practicum Experiences with Young Children.
Senior Capstone (formerly called Practicum III): 6 credit course including 108 hours of either field experience or action research.
Prior to enrolling in the Senior Capstone students must have senior standing and instructor permission to enroll.
The hands-on, in-person practicum experiences allow you to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to promote the development and learning of young children across the entire period of early childhood. Through these real-world experiences, you will use observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment to positively influence the development of every child.
The practicum placements must meet the following qualifications:
In at least two (2) different settings
With two (2) different age groups and
With two (2) different cooperating teachers
Visit the course planner to see how the practicum experiences fit within the overall degree coursework.
"The flexibility of learning online provides me with the opportunity to learn while still working and expanding my professional skills. Not only will this degree help me to make a lasting impact on families, but it will also allow me to set an example for my two children. I want to show them the importance of hard work, resilience, and education." Tyra Franklin, ECEMS graduate and recipient of the 2022 Student Excellence Award
Admission to the Online ECEMS Program
The online early care & education for a mobile society degree is a bachelor’s completion program. This unique undergraduate degree is designed specifically for those who have previous academic experience at a higher education institution.
To become part of the ECEMS program, you must apply for admission as an undergraduate student at one of the four universities partnering in the delivery of this program through IDEA. This will become the home university where you'll receive academic advising, pay tuition, and meet graduation requirements. Although you will take classes online at each of the participating universities, the home university will award the diploma upon successful completion of the baccalaureate program.
Regardless of the home university, admission to the ECEMS program is a two-step process:
First, students must be admitted to the university.
Second, students must be admitted to the degree program.
To be admitted to the ECEMS program, students must complete a Human Lifespan Development course. Depending on the home university, students may need to complete at least 30 credits (applicable to graduation requirements) and have a minimum GPA
Students may transfer up to 12 credit hours of core course equivalents. Students may not transfer equivalents for the Professional Development course or either practicum course. The home university will determine the number of credit hours from previous studies that may be transferred in to meet other degree requirements.
Rewarding Program Outcomes
Graduates of the online early care & education undergraduate program are well-positioned to become effective leaders in education, youth development, and community advocacy.
You will be able to use your refined knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for every young child, especially for those in more mobile, and at times unstable, environments.
The curriculum and hands-on practicum experience provide exceptional preparation for fulfilling careers in a variety of programs that offer early care and education in the community, including locations such as:
Childcare centers and homes
Infant/toddler and preschool programs
Head Start programs
Before and after-school programs for children ages birth to eight
700+ childcare facilities on military installations around the world
"After graduation, I was hired as the preschool teacher and onsite supervisor/team leader at the center where I did my last practicum. After a year-and-a-half at that center, I became the Assistant Director at a KinderCare. I love my new position and balancing time in the classroom with administrative work."
Sunshine Huisman, ECEMS graduate, Iowa State University
Collaborate with Leading Education Faculty Members Nationwide
IDEA’s ECEMS faculty have in-depth practical knowledge of social-emotional learning and development across the human lifespan. They come from different home universities, blending a range of perspectives and experiences for a unique and enriching online academic environment.
Our faculty are dedicated to your success and care about supporting your academic, personal, and professional goals. They will collaborate directly with you, providing resources and expertise from their extensive experience as practitioners in the field.
Faculty in the early care & education for a mobile society bachelor's degree completion program have put together activity plans with best practices and activity ideas. These resources help you to maximize your skillset in order to make a larger, more immediate impact in your community.
All IDEA member universities are accredited by regional agencies, aligning with requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education. This ensures that students pursuing their degrees through IDEA are met with a high standard of academic excellence, which is essential in sitting for certification exams and pursuing future employment. Learn more about the accreditation of our member universities.
Make an Impact with an Early Care & Education Bachelor's Degree
The online early care & education for a mobile society bachelor’s completion degree through IDEA prepares you to become a confident educator and early childhood expert in diverse, ever-evolving families.
You will learn from expert faculty who bring real-life experience to the coursework and are committed to helping you transition your learning beyond the online classroom into your career.
HearWhat Our Students Say
I have loved every minute of this program! The teachers are wonderful, the coursework is engaging, and I have been able to do it while working full time and caring for my children. During the day, I run a daycare and I use the techniques I've learned to enhance the learning experience. This degree program has given me the opportunity to learn and grow as an individual, mom, and teacher.
I was approaching my third year volunteering in West Africa when I decided to find a degree program that would allow me to continue my work supporting children overseas. IDEA has been perfect! Learning online has allowed me to focus on the children I foster and my family while providing information that supports my work in child development and helping me care for children better.
"The flexibility of learning online provides me with the opportunity to learn while still working and expanding my professional skills. Not only will this degree help me to make a lasting impact on families, but it will also allow me to set an example for my two children. I want to show them the importance of hard work, resilience, and education."
What You Will Learn
How You Will Learn
"I was approaching my third year volunteering in West Africa when I decided to find a degree program that would allow me to continue my work supporting children overseas. IDEA has been perfect! Learning online has allowed me to focus on the children I foster and my family while providing information that supports my work in child development and helping me care for children better. The incredible faculty have been flexible about the environmental challenges I face with unstable electricity, network, and time differences." 
"The flexibility of learning online provides me with the opportunity to learn while still working and expanding my professional skills. Not only will this degree help me to make a lasting impact on families, but it will also allow me to set an example for my two children. I want to show them the importance of hard work, resilience, and education." 
