May I receive a degree for both Early Childhood Education and Liberal Arts/Education Option? A May I receive a degree for both Early Childhood Education and Liberal Arts/Education Option? Yes. Many of the courses in both programs are the same. The major difference is the requirement of Student Teaching for the Early Childhood Education Degree. If a student wishes to earn an additional associate degree they must: meet all specific requirements for each degree program; complete at least 15 credits of coursework beyond the previous degree awarded; and of those 15 additional credits, at least 12 must be completed at GCC.