Early Childhood Development AAS
The Early Childhood Development associate of applied science degree is a 60-credit option that prepares students with necessary skills to be qualified for a variety of early childhood positions. The program emphasizes observation, assessment and planning of curriculum activities to support cognitive development, fine/gross motor physical development, social and emotional development, language and literacy development, and self-help skills of children birth through age eight. Credits earned while completing the educational requirements for the AAS articulate directly into the LC State General Studies: Education BA/BS degree option offered through the Teacher Education Division.
The AAS degree offers basic early childhood education which prepares students for careers in the following areas:
- Early childhood assistant teacher
- Lead teacher position in private childcare facilities
- State quality systems consultant
- Parent educator
- Home-based education service provider
- Resource and referral specialist
- Special education teaching aide
Entry into the AAS degree option requires students to work with children at approved internship settings. Students enrolling in this program must complete an application packet including:
- ECD Program Application
- Criminal Background Check and Fingerprinting
- Current Certification in Pediatric CPR/First Aid
- TB Clearance
- Proof of a Physical Exam
Students will not be allowed to register for Early Childhood Development Program coursework beyond the first semester without a completed and submitted application packet. Instructions for completing the application packet will be provided by the program advisor.
Upon completion of this degree, students will be able to:
- Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
- Advance physical, intellectual, and linguistic competence
- Support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance for young children
- Foster positive and productive relationships with families and the community
- Ensure well-run, purposeful programs responsive to participant needs
- Maintain professionalism and ethical conduct
Completion of a Technical Skills Assessment is required
General Education Requirement
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | ||
| ENGL-101 | WRITING AND RHETORIC I | 3.00 |
| Oral Communication | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3.00 | |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION | ||
| PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
| Mathematical Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00-5.00 | |
| MATH IN MODERN SOCIETY | ||
| FINITE MATHEMATICS | ||
| COLLEGE ALGEBRA | ||
| COLLEGE ALGEBRA AND TRIGONOMETRY (or MATH-147A & MATH-147B) | ||
| STATISTICAL REASONING | ||
| CALCULUS I | ||
| STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE SCIENCES | ||
| MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS II | ||
| FINITE MATHEMATICS | ||
| MATH FOR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| STATISTICAL REASONING | ||
| Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00 | |
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| Additional General Education Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00-4.00 | |
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| WORLD PREHISTORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| RACE AND ETHNICITY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS | ||
| CONCEPTS OF BIOLOGY | ||
| PLANTS AND PEOPLE | ||
| BIOLOGY IN FILM | ||
| HUMAN BIOLOGY | ||
| HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I | ||
| CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY | ||
| GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE | ||
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | ||
| WRITING AND RHETORIC II | ||
| COLLEGE WRITING AND RESEARCH | ||
| LITERATURE AND IDEAS | ||
| WORLD CLASSICS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| MYTHOLOGIES | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN WRITTEN LITERATURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY | ||
| PHYSICAL GEOLOGY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SYSTEMS | ||
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
| THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS | ||
| WORLD HISTORY I | ||
| WORLD HISTORY II | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY I | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY II | ||
| INTEGRATED SCIENCE II | ||
ID-300A - 300Z (see course descriptions for options) | ||
| HELLS CANYON INSTITUTE | ||
| SOCIAL-CULTURAL ASPECTS OF SPORTS | ||
| SURVEY OF MUSIC | ||
| MUSIC IN AMERICA | ||
| WORLD MUSIC | ||
| HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY | ||
| INTEGRATED SCIENCE I | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL SCIENCES | ||
| NATURAL SCIENCE FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I | ||
or PHYS-112 | GENERAL PHYSICS II | |
| PHYS SCIENCES FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS | ||
| DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY | ||
| PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I | ||
| AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICS | ||
| COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | ||
| INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II | ||
| SURVEY OF THE THEATER | ||
| Total Credits | 15.00-18.00 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECDPT-100 | HEALTH, SAFETY AND NUTRITION | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-104 | INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-108 | CHILD DEVELOPMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-112 | INFANT TODDLER DEVELOPMENT | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-150 | OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-155 | CHILD FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-205 | GUIDING YOUNG CHILDREN | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-208 | CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-209 | PROFESSIONALISM | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-211 | EXCEPTIONAL CHILD | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-255 | CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT II | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-194B | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT II | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-294A | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT I | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-294B | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT II | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-250 | PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION | 3.00 |
| RE-301 | PSYCHOLINGUISTICS, LITERACY, AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | 3.00 |
| Completion of a Technical Skills Assessment is required | ||
| Total Credits | 44.00 | |
Sequential Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ECDPT-100 | HEALTH, SAFETY AND NUTRITION | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-104 | INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-108 | CHILD DEVELOPMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-205 | GUIDING YOUNG CHILDREN | 2.00 |
| ENGL-101 | WRITING AND RHETORIC I | 3.00 |
| Credits | 14.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CORE | Mathematical Ways of Knowing | 4.00 |
| CORE | Oral Communication | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-112 | INFANT TODDLER DEVELOPMENT | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-150 | OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-155 | CHILD FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES | 2.00 |
| ECDPT-194B | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT II | 2.00 |
| Credits | 16.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE | Select PSYC-101, HRPT-184 or HRPT-185 | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-208 | CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-211 | EXCEPTIONAL CHILD | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-294A | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT I | 3.00 |
| RE-301 | PSYCHOLINGUISTICS, LITERACY, AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | 3.00 |
| Credits | 15.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CORE | Additional General Education Course | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-209 | PROFESSIONALISM | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-250 | PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-255 | CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT II | 3.00 |
| ECDPT-294B | INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT II | 3.00 |
| Credits | 15.00 | |
| Total Credits | 60.00 | |
Graduates from Early Childhood Development programs go on to obtain careers in a variety of fields:
- Early childhood assistant teacher
- Lead teacher position in private childcare facilities
- State quality systems consultant
- Parent educator
- Home-based education service provider
- Resource and referral specialist
- Special education teaching aide
Check out the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website for more information about the potential careers above.