Early Childhood Education, A.A.S.

Program Description

The Early Childhood Education Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program provides the educational background to teach preschool children in private early childhood centers and to direct early childhood centers.

Students in this program are required to submit to a medical and criminal background check in order to participate in the required fieldwork courses. More information about the procedure, cost, timeline, etc. can be obtained through the Education Department Advisor. 

Participation in the required fieldwork courses is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the medical and criminal background check. If a student is denied a fieldwork placement (which is required to complete the program) due to a medical and/or background check result, the student will meet with his or her advisor to discuss options, which could include dropping the course and changing program of study.
 

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Early Childhood Education A.A.S. will be able to:

• Apply child development and learning theories when choosing developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum for specific and groups of children.
• Write effective and developmentally appropriate lesson plans.
• Differentiate lessons and activities for a variety of purposes and groups of children.
• Discuss the skills needed to be an effective part of an educational team.
• Demonstrate the skills necessary to direct a large group child care facility.
• Discuss the skills necessary to effectively communicate with families and the community.
• Plan, implement, assess and evaluate student learning outcomes for a variety of purposes.
• Apply multicultural principles and strategies to the planning, instruction, pedagogical, and assessment processes in a classroom.
• Demonstrate the dispositions and behaviors consistent with professional practice and ethical standards as outlined in the National Association for the Education for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), and other current professional standards.

Note: All TED courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

Sequence of Study - Early Childhood Education A.A.S.

Below are the required courses for your program arranged in a suggested sequence. Please note that the sequence does not include developmental coursework. See Academic Preparation  for the developmental course sequence if applicable to you.

Required Courses (in expected order)

• EGL-1010 Composition I: Expository Writing Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)

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• MAT-1130 Mathematical Ideas Credits: 3 (Mathematics General Education Elective) or
• MAT-1050 Elements of Numbers and Operations Credits: 4 (Mathematics General Education Elective)

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• NTR-1010 Introductory Nutrition Credits: 3 (Science No Lab General Education Elective) or
• BIO-1110 Environmental Biology Credits: 3 (Science No Lab General Education Elective) or
• PSC-1010 Introduction to Astronomy Credits: 3 (Science No Lab General Education Elective)

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• TED-1100 Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• TED-1200 Child Growth and Development Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• EGL-1020 Composition II: Writing About Literature Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)
• PAS-1000 First Year Experience Credits: 1 (Institutional Requirement)
• PSY-1010 General Psychology Credits: 3 (Social Science General Education Requirement)
• TED-1110 Professional Dispositions and Behaviors for Educational Settings Credits: 2 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• TED-1300 Methods and Materials in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• TED-1400 Introduction to Multicultural Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• INT-1010 Introduction to Information Technology Credits: 3 (Computer Literacy Institutional Requirement)

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• ART-2730 Integrated Arts Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• ACC-1000 Fundamentals of Accounting Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• BMT-1010 Introduction to Business Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• BMT-1570 Small Business Management Credits: 3 (Program Elective)

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• TED-2110 Infant and Toddler Curriculum and Teaching Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• TED-2200 Guiding Behavior in Educational Settings Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• TED-2350 Early Childhood Special Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)

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• COM-1010 Foundations of Communication Credits: 3 (Arts/Humanities General Education Elective) or
• COM-1090 Interpersonal Communication Credits: 3 (Arts/Humanities General Education Elective)

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• HST-1410 History of the United States to 1877 Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• GEO-1010 Physical Geography Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• HLE-1150 Personal and Community Health Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• EGL-2230 Children’s Literature Credits: 3 (Program Elective)

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• TED-2100 Processes and Acquisition of Reading Credits: 3 (Program Elective) or
• TED-2400 Language Arts in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Elective)

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• TED-2750 Field Work in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Elective; Critical Course) or
• TED-2751 Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education Credits: 3 (Program Elective; Critical Course)

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• TED-2650 Child Care Center Administration and Management Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)

Program Total: 60 Credits

Transferability

Credit earned at any public institution in the state shall be transferable to any other institution if the:

• Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
• Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.00 or higher; and
• Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program. Refer to ARTSYS at artweb.usmd.edu and the receiving institution’s catalog to select transferable courses.

Need Help?

For help selecting an academic program or courses, consider using Career Coach, available at www.pgcc.edu/go/careercoach.