Online Education Degrees: Illinois

Founded in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university located in the twin Illinois cities of Champaign and Urbana. As the state’s flagship institution, UIUC is is home to one one of the oldest and topmost ranking colleges of education in the nation. Some of University of Illinois’ other academic programs are among the most celebrated in the country, ranking consistently among the United States’ Top 50 schools for several decades. As one of the forerunners of online education, many of UIUC’s degree programs are fully online, making it an excellent choice for early childhood educators who want to pursue any of its eight master’s degrees in subject areas related to their field.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 8 online degree programs in education offer some of the best graduate degree programs in early childhood education in the United States. In addition to the more traditional master’s programs in Education, UIUC’s Master of Education (M.Ed) in Learning Design & Leadership: New Learning (P-12 Education) is especially suited to students who want to start or advance a forward-thinking career in early childhood education, which might lead to more advanced administrative roles as School Principals, Professors of Education, and education policy makers. The M.Ed. in Diversity and Equity Issues in Education is sure to go a long way toward securing higher level employment as one of Illinois’s high-demand second-language educators for underserved communities. Truly, any of UIUC’s graduate programs in education have great potential increase both the job prospects and earning potential of early childhood educators who want to become leaders of their profession.

Established in 1945, Roosevelt University is a private coeducational university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Roosevelt is particularly known for being one of the larger private institutions of higher learning in the state of Illinois, as well as for hosting one of the best colleges of performing arts in the United States. Roosevelt University also ranks consistently among the top 100 Regional Universities in the MIdwest, and a growing portion of Roosevelt students attend online classes and earn online degrees.

Roosevelt University’s 4 online degrees in education offer some of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in early childhood education the state of Illinois. In addition to the traditional master’s degrees in Teaching (MAT), which includes an emphasis in Adolescent Literacy, Roosevelt’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in Child and Family Studies offers an excellent pathway to pursuing administrative and leadership roles in the early childhood education arena that may involve counseling families with how to prepare food for and optimally parent their children. The Master of Arts in Human Performance Improvement or Master of Arts in Training and Development also offer unique opportunities for students who might like to pursue graduate work while teaching or working either full- or part-time. All of these options, and their attendant flexibilities, make Roosevelt University a perfect fit for busy working Illinoisans who are looking to add another line to their educational résumés.

Founded in 1920, the University of St. Francis (USF) is a private Catholic university located in Joliet, Illinois. USF is particularly known for serving one of the largest student populations of any online Catholic university in the state of Illinois, as well as the United States, with over 1,900 graduate students who learn off campus and over 250 adult undergraduates who learn off campus. The University of St. Francis also supports a gender-diverse student enrollment, with women comprising nearly two in every three students for the 2016-2017 school year. A growing portion of USF students attend online classes and earn online degrees.

The University of St. Francis’s 6 online degrees in education offer some of the best graduate programs in early childhood education the state of Illinois. In addition to a number of traditional master’s degrees in Education and Teaching, USF’s Master of Education with Teaching Licensure (M.Ed) provides an excellent path to pursue administrative and leadership roles in the early childhood education arena. The Master of Science in Teaching and Learning and the Master of Science for Reading Specialists also offer unique opportunities for students who might like to teach reading, as well as thorough preparation for teaching children while also teaching or working either full- or part-time. All of these options, and their attendant flexibilities, make the University of St. Francis a perfect fit for busy working Illinoisans who are looking to add another line to their educational résumés.

Established in 1895 as a teacher’s college, Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public state university located in Charleston, Illinois. EIU is particularly well-known for its large and forward-thinking College of Education, its selective admissions process and long list of notable alumni, as well as for its historical architecture. EIU is one of only a handful of public universities to rank among the Top 5 Best Universities in the midwestern region of the United States. A growing portion of Eastern Illinois University students attend online classes and earn online degrees.

Eastern Illinois University’s 6 online degrees in education offer some of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in early childhood education the United States. In addition to the traditional bachelor’s degrees in Education, which include emphases in Elementary Education and Special Education, St. Thomas University’s unique Master of Science in Counseling offers a specialized pathway to pursuing more administrative and leadership roles in teaching and caring for children with special educational needs. The master’s degrees in Elementary Education or Educational Leadership also offer great opportunities to train for leadership roles in a setting conducive to early childhood education. All of these options, time-tested education pedigree, and their attendant flexibilities, make Eastern Illinois University a perfect fit for busy working Illinoisans who are looking to add another line to their educational résumés.

Founded in 1879, DePaul University is a private Catholic university located in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest Catholic university in the United States, having traditionally placed an emphasis on enrolling first-generation college students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. DePaul University maintains one of the most specialized education programs for teaching in multicultural urban environments in the state. DePaul also maintains a Continuing and Professional Education programs, which has grown over the past several years to offer courses and certificates in 20 different topic areas.

DePaul University’s 3 online degrees related to early childhood education include the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MA), the Master of Education in Higher Education (M.Ed), and the Master of Science in Sport, Fitness and Recreation Leadership (MS). The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership includes the option to specialize in Higher Education and is ideal for prospective early childhood leaders who want to become professors of early childhood education. The Master of Education in Educational Leadership with the same concentration would help accomplish the same, while also potentially leaving the door open to enter more educational policymaking roles for early childhood educators. And finally, the Master of Science in Sport, Fitness, and Recreation Leadership will prepare prospective early childhood educators to lead physical education for children, as well as enter administrative roles in the same capacity.