About the B.A. in Applied Educational Studies
Our Bachelor of Arts in Applied Educational Studies degree program prepares you to work with children and families in education adjacent roles such as family specialist, child family life educator, home visitor, or social service roles related to serving children and families. The program is offered both fully online and in blended formats.
The program provides a solid foundation in education preparation with options to study infant and toddler care and education, ECE administration, or teaching methods. Coursework includes topics in management and leadership, working with children and families under stress, special education and English as an additional language in educational settings.
Coursework completed in this program can lead to the State of Illinois’ Gateways Level 5 Family Specialist Credential (FSC) as well as prepare students to take the exam for the National Council on Family Relations’ (NCFR) Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) certification.
The following specific course is needed, as elective credit, in order to achieve the FSC Level 5 credential: HSM 306
The following three specific social and behavior studies courses are needed, as elective credit, in order to prepare for the CFLE exam: PSY 450, PSY 311 and HSM 306.
What You Will Learn
67% Major, Concentration, or Minor Coursework, 33% General Skills Development: The program coursework is customizable, as you'll be able to choose from one of three concentrations: Infant and Toddler Studies, Early Care and Education Administration, or Teaching Methods.
Through the B.A. in Applied Educational Studies, you'll learn:
- Principles of child development that affect teaching and learning.
- Introduction to various assessment techniques.
- Culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy.
- How to incorporate technology into practice.
- Techniques for teaching young children with special needs.
- An appreciation of diverse needs and perspectives in working with children and families.
- Topics in psychology and human services.
Students will graduate with hands-on experience gained through field hours, which vary depending on the student's concentration.
Career Outlook
A degree in Applied Educational Studies opens the door to a variety of different career paths in fast-growing fields within Illinois and the Chicagoland area, specifically. Governor Pritzker announced Illinois will be expanding universal home visiting services for vulnerable kids by 2025 on 1/25/20. These programs currently serve 20,000 families and will be expanded to an additional 12,500 over the next 5 years. Additionally, in early 2020, Bellwether and Associates (contracted by the city of Chicago) determined that one of the four focus areas for the ECE workforce between 2018 – 2025 is to develop a “Focus on Family Support Specialists”. This translates to a need for 500 family service specialist positions needed in Chicago alone.
A degree in Applied Educational Studies can also lead to opportunities in these fast-growing careers:
- Child Support Services, +16%
- Community Service Manager, +18%
- Special Education Assistant in a Public School Setting +8%
- Child Care Center Program Director (with Administration Concentration), +6%
- Parent Educator
- Child-Family Life Educator
- Family Specialist
