Online Associate of Arts degree with an Emphasis in Early Childhood Education (AA/ECE)
The AA degree program is offered completely online and is designed for individuals with little or no previous college experience. It includes general education credits from various academic disciplines providing students with a foundation for critically examining the world from unique perspectives. The online AA program prepares students with the foundational courses to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Completing the ECE emphasis will help students maintain a professional edge in the early childhood education field. The objectives of the AA with an Early Childhood Education emphasis are:
- Learn about early childhood theories and apply them to the early childhood setting
- Discover the latest research in the field
- Gain confidence in both knowledge and skills
- Have the opportunity to interact with others from the field
The AA degree with an Early Childhood emphasis focuses on the knowledge and skills required to meet the emerging standards for early childhood educators and who work with children from birth to grade three, while meeting the training requirements of the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program.
There are no academic prerequisites or residency requirements for enrolling in the AA-ECE Degree Program
| Orientation course -The Innereview | 2 |
| Biology | 4 |
| Communication | 4 |
| Fine Arts | 4 |
| Global Studies | 4 |
| Health/Physical Education | 3 |
| History/ Political Science | 4 |
| Literature | 4 |
| Math | 3 |
| Physical/Earth Science | 4 |
| Social/Behavior Science | 4 |
| Theology | 4 |
| Writing | 4 |
| Electives (or specialization) | 16 |
Twelve credits from the list of the Early Childhood classes below will complete the Early Childhood emphasis. Twelve or more credits can be chosen from the following:
| Satisfies 12 electives credits in the B.A. Child Development program Certificate classes: | ||
| CHD310 | Growth and Development of Children | 4 credits |
| CHD330 | Best Practices in Early Childhood | 4 credits |
| CHD320 | Role of Early Childhood Educator | 4 credits |
| If your long term educational goal is to earn an Associate in Arts degree with an Early Childhood emphasis to satisfy the 120 credit hour requirement for a CDA, then choose the certificate courses for your emphasis. | ||
| Satisfies 12 credits in the B.A. Child Development program | ||
| CHD435 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices in ECE | 3 credits |
| CHD440 | Children's Play and Learning | 3 credits |
| CHD430 | Infants and Toddlers | 3 credits |
| CHD445 | Language Development/Literacy | 3 credits |
Search for AA classes on the Continuing Studies website choosing the AA catagory drop down.
To learn more about admission to an AA degree program please call 800-293-7075 Visiting Students information
