Early Childhood Care and Education (EC13) Associate of Applied Science Degree
Campus Availability and Advisement:
Program offered on the Catoosa, Floyd, Gordon, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield Murray campuses. Contact
Tracy Wimberley or
Jennifer Dixon for advisement on any campus.
Program Description:
The Early Childhood Care/Education associate of applied science degree program is a sequence of courses designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in the field of early childhood education. The program emphasizes a combination of early childhood care and education theory and practical application as well as general core competencies necessary for successful employment. Graduates have qualifications to be employed in early care and education settings including child care centers, Head Start, Georgia Pre-K programs, and elementary school paraprofessional positions. Graduates of this program will receive one of six areas of specialization: exceptionalities, infant/toddler, program administration, paraprofessional, school age, or family child care.
Entrance Requirements: Prior to enrolling in a lab course (ECCE 1121, ECCE 2245, ECCE 2246), students must provide the following documentation: (1) DECAL Clearance Letter, (2) CPR/First Aid certification.
General Education Core (Minimum 18 Credit Hours)
| ENGL 1101 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| XXXX xxxx | Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | 3 |
| XXXX xxxx | Language Arts/Communication Elective | 3 |
| PSYC 1101 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| | | |
| MATH 1103 | Quantitative Skills and Reasoning | 3 |
| | OR | |
| MATH 1101 | Mathematical Modeling | 3 |
| | OR | |
| MATH 1111 | College Algebra | 3 |
| | | |
| XXXX xxxx | General Education Core Elective | 3 |
Occupational Curriculum (48 Credit Hours)
| COMP 1000 | Introduction to Computer Literacy | 3 |
| ECCE 1101 | Introduction to Early Childhood Care and Education | 3 |
| ECCE 1103 | Child Growth and Development | 3 |
| ECCE 1105 | Health, Safety and Nutrition | 3 |
| ECCE 1112 | Curriculum and Assessment | 3 |
| ECCE 1113 | Creative Activities for Children | 3 |
| ECCE 2115 | Language and Literacy | 3 |
| ECCE 2201 | Exceptionalities | 3 |
| ECCE 2202 | Social Issues and Family Involvement | 3 |
| ECCE 2203 | Guidance and Classroom Management | 3 |
| ECCE 1121 | Early Childhood Care and Education Practicum | 3 |
| ECCE 2116 | Math and Science | 3 |
| ECCE 2245 | Early Childhood Care and Education Internship I | 6 |
| | | |
| ECCE 2246 | Early Childhood Care and Education Internship II | 6 |
| | OR | |
| XXXX xxxx | Guided Electives | 6 |
And completion of one of the following specializations (6 Credit Hours):
Exceptionalities Specialization (6 credit hours)
| ECCE 2360 | Classroom Strategies for Exceptional Children | 3 |
| ECCE 2362 | Exploring Your Role in the Exceptional Environment | 3 |
Infant and Toddler Specialization (6 credit hours)
Paraprofessional Specialization (6 credit hours)
| ECCE 2310 | Paraprofessional Methods and Materials | 3 |
| ECCE 2312 | Paraprofessional Roles and Practices | 3 |
Program Administration Specialization (6 credit hours)
School Age and Youth Care Specialization (6 credit hours)
| ECCE 2350 | Early Adolescent Development | 3 |
| ECCE 2352 | Designing Programs and Environments for School Age Children and Youth | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 72 Minimum Credit Hours for Graduation