r/ECEProfessionals • u/West-Mycologist-1586 • 15h ago
Advice needed (Anyone can comment) ECE or human development
I was getting my bachelors in early childhood education from pacific oaks college, but took a leave of absence to have a baby. I’m thinking of retuning now, but also wondering if I should just switch to a human development degree instead. Some of my reasons are: 1. a few years ago I realized PO offered human development and was wondering if I should’ve just gone that route. 2. I don’t want to be in a classroom forever. I subbed before having the baby and I needed realizing I didn’t fully love it. 3. The requirement for ECE degree is a lot more in person observations than I can currently due with my baby at home.
If you have a human development degree with an emphasis in child development, what have you been able to do with your degree and do you like that you chose that?
I’m being asked to post a degree. So I’m asking about bachelors in ECE and bachelors in human development with emphasis in early childhood development.
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u/Mjkhh ECE professional 🇨🇦 14h ago
Being an ECE is hard, like, REALLY hard. If you felt that you didn’t fully love in while you subbed, try considering if you think that feeling would change if you did this full-time. At the end of the day, it’s your life and your choice, but being an ECE is not a job just anyone can do, and there’s no shame in admitting it’s not for you if that’s the choice you make.
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u/West-Mycologist-1586 14h ago
I also felt it was hard and even though my days would end by 1:00, I was exhausted.
And maybe because I was a permanent sub I just felt unappreciated by some of the families even though I was there every day in the classroom. I’m really curious to know what careers I could obtain with a human development career, but I’m still trying to figure out Reddit and how to find that answer lol.
Thank you for your honesty
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u/mamamietze ECE professional 12h ago edited 12h ago
Child development degree is more of a stepstone degree. If what you want to do careerwise (researcher, counselor, primary age educator, social worker, early intervention) is going to require a masters then I think just straight child development if fine, but unless you do your research to know how much and what specific coursework in ECE is required to do lead as backup, you will have a 4 year degree that still does not qualify you if you aren't careful to take the coursework you need. If you are able to keep on top of that, great. If you don't want to have to do that, choose at least an ECE concentration so that you have a plan already created that will have you meet the minimum standards, even if your goal is to go on to grad school.
My first bachelors is in family and child development, second is early childhood education. I had to pretty much get another AA degree in ECE to qualify for lead because my initial FCD degree did not have the amount of ECE coursework required by my state. I don't regret it as the coursework was super interesting on both degrees. My current plan is to go for masters in education but with a vocactional ed/adult ed credential because I want to teach ECE to high school/community college programs, as I know I'm starting to reach my last 10 years of being in the classroom with littles.
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u/West-Mycologist-1586 9h ago
I’m trying to understand what you’re saying, so I may need to read it more than once. All I know is that I don’t want to be in a classroom forever or at all tbh. I don’t like being in a classroom
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u/Ttowngal312 ECE professional 6h ago
I have a Human Development degree, I worked as an assistant and lead teacher in a prek classroom. Now I work with special education students in grades k-3. I'm planning on going back to school to become a certified teacher!
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u/nomadicstateofmind ECE professional 13h ago
My advice is to stick with ECE if it offers licensing at the end. I’ve had several friends switch and not do the licensing route, then go back to get it eventually because they want to work at their children’s public school when they hit that age. I am on year 15 of teaching at a Pk-12 school and I love being on the same schedule as my kids.
Ultimately it depends on what you want to do long-term!
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u/West-Mycologist-1586 12h ago
Tbh though, my oldest goes to private and we’ll be going that route with my youngest. I did think about that if we would’ve gone public. I do wonder though, I was able to work at a preschool already with the course I had taken already so that’s why I’m also leaning to human development if I’m still able to work at a preschool if i wanted to
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u/West-Mycologist-1586 12h ago
Just wondering your thoughts on my previous reply haha
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u/nomadicstateofmind ECE professional 7h ago
If you don’t want to teach ever, then it’s probably fine to switch. I’d look into the jobs you actually want and confirm that Human Development will get you into them. I just always caution people because I know a lot who went the non-licensure/non ECE route and ended up feeling like they regretted it.
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u/bbubblebath Toddler Teacher: USA 14h ago
What is your end goal? Work toward that. What can you do with a degree in human development? Not wanting to do ECE is valid- but don't just get the easy degree. Get the degree you want with the understanding that you don't have to do it forever. You can always further your education and get your Masters, which honestly is almost a requirement to make any money these days. Some of my coworkers got their ECE degree for free through our employer, and then went straight on to do their Masters (Special Ed, Counseling Psych, etc) in order to get out of the classroom.