Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 2)

This program begins in the fall. The Fall 2027 application will open in mid-September. Sign up for an alert when the application is available.

Application Deadlines

• Applications are reviewed in rounds to ensure you receive a timely decision.
• You will have five business days after the application deadlines to finish providing any missing required materials. Incomplete applications will be moved to the next round for consideration.
• In some cases, applications submitted after the final deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis.
• We strongly encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. This guarantees the most timely admissions decision and the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid.

Admissions Criteria

For all program options, please review How to Apply for full details on the application process, admissions criteria, and application requirements.

Tuition

At Bank Street, tuition is charged per credit. The Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 2) program requires 33 credits for completion. Read more on our Tuition page

Financial Aid

The majority of Bank Street students receive some type of financial aid. We strongly recommend applying early and submitting your FAFSA at the time you apply for the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid. Read more on our Financial Aid page

Technology Requirements

Students enrolling in the online options must secure access to the following required technology for all online courses:

• A personal computer with:
  • Broadband Internet access
  • Speakers, microphone, and camera
  • Headphones, if participating from a public or shared space
  • An updated version of the Chrome or Firefox browser and a free Zoom account
• A recording device for supervised fieldwork (such as a smartphone, laptop, or iPad) suitable for use in classrooms

These are required components of your program. It is your responsibility to ensure you have access to each item on this list. Bank Street does not provide or lend access to these devices and platforms.

Our Approach

Our curriculum centers on active, inquiry-driven learning that mirrors how children learn best—through exploration, collaboration, and reflection. We engage you in rigorous study of educational theory, human development, and inclusive practice while you apply that learning immediately in classroom settings. Through rich dialogue, purposeful assignments, and collaborative projects, you will refine your ability to think critically, teach responsively, and support diverse learners. By the end of the program, you will have deepened your professional judgment, strengthened your reflective capacities, and grown as an educator ready to lead and innovate in early childhood contexts.

Time Commitment

This program takes under two years to complete.

In the online option, each course typically meets once per week in a live, synchronous online session from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET. In some cases, a class session may be replaced with asynchronous coursework assignments for that week, which are completed on your own schedule and must be submitted by the posted deadlines. Classes are not held on Fridays. Students should plan to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to program-related study and activities.

In the on-campus option, each course typically meets once per week, either from 4:45 PM to 6:45 PM or 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET. Classes are not typically held on Fridays. Depending on a student’s course schedule for that term, you can expect to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to program-related study and activities. Over the summer, classes typically meet twice a week from 5:15 PM to 9:00 PM ET.

Course Plan

33 Credits Total

Fall Start

Learning Through Experience and Reflection

Supervised fieldwork, which can be completed as a working teacher or through a student teaching placement, integrates hands-on teaching with intentional reflection, allowing you to see how young children from birth through grade 2 learn through play, relationships, and active exploration. You will engage in ongoing cycles of observation, documentation, planning, teaching, and reflection, developing the skills to study children closely and respond to the wide range of developmental paths and learning styles in early childhood. This experiential approach supports you in creating responsive environments that foster early learning while strengthening your practice as a thoughtful, reflective educator.

If you are a working teacher, you may be able to use your place of work for your yearlong fieldwork experience with the approval of the program director, as long as your classroom serves children from birth to second grade. If you are completing fieldwork as a working teacher, you will need to complete additional field hours with alternate age groups and/or setting types depending on your workplace. Bank Street will work with you to identify a series of times (summer break, spring break, etc.) when you can complete these additional field requirements.

Alongside your fieldwork placements, you will meet each week with your advisor and a small group of peers in a conference designed to support you as you grow into your role as an educator. This is a space where you can bring the real experiences, questions, and challenges that arise in your field placement and explore them openly with others who are learning alongside you. Together, you will reflect on your practice, learn from one another’s perspectives, and support each other through the complexities of teaching. Over time, these conversations help you deepen your understanding of your work, grow in confidence and skill, and build meaningful relationships that become the foundation of your lifelong professional network.

Advisement and Mentorship

At Bank Street Graduate School of Education, your fieldwork is closely supervised through an ongoing advisement process that integrates observation, mentoring, and reflective dialogue. In the online program, you document your teaching through recorded lessons and classroom interactions, which you share with your faculty advisor for review and feedback. In the on-campus option, your advisor will periodically visit your field placement site for observation.

Through these observations and follow-up conversations, your advisor provides individualized guidance, modeling, and support while conferring with you about your teaching practice and experiences in the field. This sustained mentorship helps you navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and deepen your understanding of child-centered, equitable teaching while developing practical skills, professional confidence, and the ability to advocate for all children while addressing their individualized needs in collaborative, inclusive settings.

Certification

When you successfully complete the program, you will be eligible for New York State certification in Early Childhood Education, Birth–Grade 2, provided you complete all other State certification requirements. Read more on our Certification page

Careers

After graduation, students secure head, associate, or assistant teacher positions in public, charter, and independent schools in New York City and beyond with children from birth through grade 2. Additionally, students who are currently in associate or assistant teacher positions can move to head teacher positions. Head teachers who continue in their positions often develop teacher/leadership roles in public, charter, or independent schools.

As a student at Bank Street, you will have full access to our robust Career Services, including the CareerConnect job site, job fairs and workshops, and connections to our alumni network nationwide.