ECE: Early Care & Education

Prepares students for careers in the Early Care & Education field as child care directors, teachers, leads, and assistant child care providers.

To obtain the degree, a student will complete the required courses and elective credits. Students participate in practicum experiences at the campus Child Development Center or in an approved local child care center.

Students will complete four practicum experiences. The fourth practicum will be in an area of the student’s choice: Leadership in ECE, Child Development -- Infant/Toddler, Child Development -- Preschool, Child Development -- School Age, Family Childcare Professional, or Special Needs. Degree candidates may petition for credits based on possession of a current CDA credential.

Students are required to develop a program portfolio to be completed and presented prior to graduation.

This program is approximately eight to ten quarters in length, depending on the time students need to satisfactorily complete all graduation requirements and hours of enrollment. All courses must be completed with a minimum of C grade to graduate. The Foundation Certificate and Specialist Certificate are embedded in the degree program so the student may earn stepping stone credentials on their way to completing an Associate degree.

Proficiency in reading, writing, and an understanding of the English language is required. ENGL& 101 must be completed by the end of the fourth quarter. Students are required to take the COMPASS test before entry into the program and meet with an ECE faculty advisor. All degree students must fulfill portfolio requirements, which are to be completed by the time of graduation from the program.

In addition to the program course requirements, students must also complete the general education requirements for the degree they seek to obtain. The two degree options in this program are the Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) or the Associate of Applied Science–T (AAS-T). The different requirements for each degree are listed below.

AAT Degree General Education Requirements (15 credits):

1. ENGL& 101 English Composition or CMST& 220 (or higher)
2. MAT 105 Math for Industrial Professions (or higher)
3. PSYC& 100 General Psychology (or other social science or humanities class)

AAS-T Degree General Education Requirements (20 credits):

All AAS-T degrees must have a minimum of 20 credits of transferable general education. These credits replace the academic courses required for the AAT degree. Required credits include:

1. 5 credits in Communication: ENGL& 101

2. 5 credits in quantitative reasoning: MATH 110, MATH& 141, MATH& 142, MATH& 146 or MATH& 151

3. 10 credits in social science, humanities, or science - choose two from the following: PSYC& 100, PSYC& 200, PSY 210, PSYC& 220, SOC& 101, ART& 100, MUS& 105, ASL& 121, BIOL 118, BIOL& 241, BIOL& 242, CHEM& 121, CHEM& 110, GEOL& 110, PHYS& 121, ECON 101, ECON& 201, or ECON& 202

Students pursuing an AAT or AAS-T degree must complete all college degree requirements prior to graduation. This includes courses that meet the capstone project, diversity, and computer literacy requirements.

Prerequisites: COMPASS Reading 68 and Writing 33, or successful completion of ENG 82.

Admission Dates: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer quarters

AAT Program Requirements

Students must choose one of the following Practicum IV Courses:

Students must complete a minimum of 6 elective credits:

Degree Electives:

AAS-T Program Requirements

To review course descriptions, please click here.