ECE Pathways

Consider your career goals and personal interests to determine which of the following Heartland pathways is best for you.

Earn your associate’s degree and transfer to ISU or another four-year institution to earn your Bachelor’s Degree.

Associate in in Arts – Concentration in Early Childhood Education

You will take more general education classes with this degree and it should transfer to most four-year institutions.

Associate in Applied Science – Early Childhood Education

This degree also will transfer to four-year institutions and once you have earned your AAS and Gateways to Opportunity® ECE Credential Level 4 at Heartland, you may qualify for ISU’s ECE Online Workforce Program and earn your bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in two years. Learn more about ISU’s ECE Online Workforce program here.

Associate in Applied Science – Early Childhood Paraprofessional

If your goal is to work as a teacher assistant in a public school, choose the AAS – Early Childhood Paraprofessional option.

Earn your Associate’s Degree, professional certificate or industry credential and enter the workforce.

If you plan to enter the workforce immediately, consider the Early Childhood Education Credential sequence or the Infant Toddler Credential sequence. Both offer ways to earn Gateways to Opportunity® Level 2, 3 and 4 credentials.  In addition, Heartland Community College now offers the Family Specialist Credential, levels 2 and 3. All these professional credentials are valued by ECE employers and, in most cases, increase your salary.