About the B.A. in Infant-Toddler Studies
National Louis University’s Bachelor of Arts in Infant-Toddler Studies program is designed for students who want a well-rounded knowledge base and skill set for working as leaders in the field of infant and toddler care and education, but who do not wish to be licensed teachers.
Coursework includes advanced topics such as trauma-informed practice, ECE mental health and specialized focus on infant/toddler early brain development and responsive caregiving. All courses lead to the ECE and Infant/Toddler Gateways Credentials, with additional options to obtain the Illinois Director Level II and the Illinois Early Intervention/Developmental Therapy (EI/DT) Credentials.
Choose Our Infant-Toddler Studies Bachelor's Degree if You:
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Want to work in child care, infant/toddler care, early childhood social service or other settings that do not require state licensure.
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Want to obtain up to three statewide, widely-recognized Gateways to Professional Opportunity credentials, including the ECE Level5, Infant Toddler Care Level 5 and the Family Child Care Level 5, and/or the Illinois Director Credential Level II.
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Are looking for a well-established and highly regarded program with a history of preparing excellent education professionals.
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Would like to study with a group of students who will work together and support one another throughout the program.
National Louis has a 130-year-old reputation for its teacher training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In addition, this program is aligned with the standards determined by the State of Illinois’ Professional Development System, the Gateways to Opportunity Credentialing system, which is, in effect, aligned with National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards, to foster the ongoing professional development of teachers.
Career Outlook
Job prospects for graduates with a B.A. in Infant-Toddler Studies are strong. Governor Pritzker has announced an initiative in Illinois designed to focus on expanding the access to and quality of infant and toddler care and education. This project will expand the need for highly qualified infant and toddler specialists because of an anticipated 100,000 additional infant/toddler child care slots for low-income families in Illinois by 2025.
Center-based child care should continue to expand its share of the industry because an increasing number of parents prefer its more formal setting and believe that it provides a better foundation for children before they begin traditional schooling. However, family child care providers will continue to remain an important source of care for many young children because some parents prefer the more personal attention that such a setting can provide. Subsidies for children from low-income families attending child care programs also could result in more children being served in centers, as could the increasing involvement of employers in funding and operating child care centers. Legislation requiring more welfare recipients to work also could contribute to growing demand for child care services.
Graduates qualify to:
- Work in programs serving children from birth to 5 years old, if those programs do not require licensure but do require Gateways to Opportunity credentials.
- Work in environments requiring an early childhood education background, and coursework relevant to supporting infant/toddler development and working with families.
