Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership

Background Information

Wheelock College Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation

Wheelock College’s Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation was established in 1992 to develop and deliver globally a range of academic degree programs, innovative seminars, and professional development programs. The Center coordinates all of Wheelock College's global endeavors, including its most significant degree-granting programs to date, in Asia and the Caribbean. In 1998, Wheelock College’s Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Teaching program in Bermuda was the first to be evaluated and approved for accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Wheelock College's programs, including international programs leading to a bachelor of science and a master of science, were also evaluated by NEASC in 2004.

The Center’s most distinctive feature is its capability to offer associate of science, bachelor of science, and master of science degree programs that lead seamlessly from one level to the next. The Center collaborates with ministries of education and health, universities, junior colleges, trade unions, and others to implement state-of-the-art educational programs. Working with these partners, the Center designs and delivers relevant programs tailored specifically for the professionals enrolled. Programs are structured to allow an individual to study while continuing to work and live in their own country. Learners are able to pursue an accredited master of science degree and, if desired, subsequently pursue a doctoral degree in the country of their choice. The Center invites senior professors to assist and enhance the learning process. These professors have extensive experience educating adult learners and hold doctorates in their fields of expertise, including lifespan development, curriculum development, special education, inclusionary practice, evaluation, and multicultural education.

Accreditation & Awards

Wheelock College

Wheelock College is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Bachelor and Master of Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Teacher preparation programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels are approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Education. They are also recognized by the following national specialty organizations:

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
• International Reading Association (IRA)

Wheelock's focused commitment, coupled with solid academic programs, has won it an international reputation for leadership, innovation, and excellence. Wheelock College was identified in 2006 by Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, founder and co-director of Stanford University’s Educational and Leadership Institute and the School Redesign Network, as one of four, highly-successful, longstanding four year teacher education programs in her recent publication Powerful Teacher Education. Also in 2006, Wheelock College was selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) as a leadership institution for the new program, Teachers for the 21st Century, for its role in strengthening teacher preparation programs. Again in that same year, the College of Distinction, an independent committee of high school and college admissions professionals included Wheelock College in the inaugural edition of The College of Distinction Guidebook. In 1998, Parents Magazine honored Wheelock College as an outstanding teaching institution with its first Education Award at their National Child Care Awards presentation. In extending this honor, they noted that Wheelock "is one of only a few colleges in the country that includes a focus on preparing professionals for preschool education, and the College is widely recognized for the excellence of its graduates." The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching (NCREST) ranked Wheelock among the top seven schools for teacher preparation in the U.S. in 1997.

Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation

All programs offered by the Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation carry international accreditation. These offerings are also consistent with the educational objectives of the institution, maintain the same academic standards as courses and programs offered on the Boston campus, receive sufficient support for instructional and other needs, and have reasonable access to appropriate learning resources. Wheelock College maintains direct and sole responsibility for the academic aspects of all programs and assures adequate resources to maintain high quality. Faculty and administrators have a substantive role in the design and implementation of all off-campus programs. Programs and courses are reviewed extensively and every course is designed for the needs of an individual country. Learners are admitted to degree programs through the Wheelock College Office of Admissions using the same criteria as other Wheelock College programs.

In 1998, as standards were first being established for international programs, Wheelock College’s Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Teaching program in Bermuda, sponsored by the Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation, was the first to be evaluated and approved for accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Wheelock College’s programs, including international programs leading to a bachelor of science and a master of science, were also evaluated by NEASC in 2004. This voluntary accreditation serves the dual purpose of quality assurance and quality improvement. NEASC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation as being a reliable authority on the quality of institutions of higher education. Other degree programs offered by the Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation are designed to meet all standards established by relevant accrediting bodies.