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Associate in Applied Science
Career Pathway—Human Services and Education
The Early Childhood Education Program prepares individuals to work in the child care field as preschool teachers, child care providers, licensed home child care providers, early childhood paraprofessionals, program directors, and assistant teachers. Students learn how to design, manage, and apply age-appropriate programming for children ages birth to 8 years. Graduates of the associate degree program meet the education requirements necessary for program directors under the state of Michigan Child Care Licensing Regulations. Some field work experience is required. This curriculum leads to an Associate in Applied Science and is designed for career entry and/or educational advancement. All students are encouraged to meet with the Early Childhood Education Program Manager before registering for classes. For more information call (269) 965-3931, extension 2399.
Prerequisites
Students should see the individual course descriptions section of this catalog for specific prerequisite information. Some early childhood course prerequisites may be waived, based on an individual’s experience with approval from the Early Childhood Education Program Manager.
General Education
The following courses provide general skills in speaking, writing, thinking, analyzing, cooperating, making choices and judgments, integrating, and creating that are required in many problem-solving and task-oriented situations.
| CREDITS | |
|---|---|
| Communication 101, Foundations of Interpersonal Communication
or 111, Business and Technical Communication
|
3 |
| Critical Thinking Elective° | 4 |
| Creativity Elective° | 2-3 |
| English 151, Freshman Composition | 3 |
| Psychology 201, Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Sociology 201, Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| 18-19 |
° For options to fulfill the Critical Thinking and Creativity Electives, see page 33.
Early Childhood Education Majors
| CREDITS | |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education 209, Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 210, Child Growth and Development | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 214, Appropriate Assessment With Young Children | 2 |
| Early Childhood Education 215, Positive Child Guidance | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 218, Anti-Bias Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 221, Early Childhood Internship I | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 222, Early Childhood Internship II | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 224, Introduction to Child Care | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 231, Early Childhood Literacy | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 232, Early Childhood Learning Environments I | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 233, Early Childhood Learning Environments II | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 237, Young Children with Special Needs | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 240, Child Care Administration | 3 |
| 38 |
and six credits selected from the following electives:
| CREDITS | |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education 212, Selected Topics in Child Care | 1-6 |
| Early Childhood Education 217, School-Age Learning Environments | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 219, Creative Arts and Movement for Young Children | 3 |
| Early Childhood Education 220, Early Childhood Education Topics | 1-6 |
| Early Childhood Education 228, Early Childhood Curriculum Development | 1-4 |
| Human Services 210, Child Psychology | 3 |
| Human Services 211, Psychosocial Maladjustment in Children | 3 |
| Human Services 225, Culturally-Sensitive Practice in Social Work | 3 |
| Human Services 230, Nutrition | 3 |
NOTE: In order for work experience to be used toward completing the requirements of the Early Childhood Internships, it must be currently observable and in a licensed early childhood setting. Call the Early Childhood Education Program Manager for more information at (269) 965-3931, ext. 2399.
Recommended Course Sequence
The four-semester sequence of courses recommended for the full-time student is:
| I | II | III | IV |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECE 210 |
COMM 101 or 111
|
ECE 209 | ECE 218 |
| ECE 224 | ECE 214 | ECE 222 | |
| ECE 232 | ECE 215 | ECE 221 | ECE 240 |
| ENGL 151 | ECE 231 | ECE 237 | Gen Educ Elective |
| Gen Educ Elective | ECE 233 | Gen Educ Elective | |
| Gen Educ Elective |
NOTE: This is a recommended sequence only. Students should work with the Early Childhood Education Program Manager to individualize their education plans for this program.