Eastern Arizona’s early childhood education program offers two degrees with easy transfer to a four-year program, as well as a degree and certificate that build skills to take straight to the workforce and prepare you to apply for the National Child Development Association credential. You are invited to visit campus to explore the right program to achieve your goals in becoming an early childhood education professional.
The Early Childhood Education Certificate is designed for early childhood teacher training. The AAS degree builds on the ECE certificate, giving you additional skills to accompany certification in the field.
The Associate of Applied Science-Bachelor of Applied Science completes the first two years of a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Early Childhood Education. The BAS does not lead to teacher certification, but is a helpful degree for center directors, supervisors, and lead teachers.
Our Associate of Arts offers the courses needed to fulfill AGEC-A to ensure an easy transfer to a Bachelor of Arts program, which can lead to teacher certification and builds on the requirements for the national credential. This degree also prepares you to meet the Arizona Department of Education early childhood education content requirements.
*2021 national median pay, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
This course provides the student with an introduction to methods and materials to
assist young children three to five years of age in the learning process. Emphasis
will be placed on assessment of children’s learning, arrangement of indoor/outdoor
space, music and movement, dramatic play and creative media. Students will locate,
plan, implement, and evaluate creative learning activities using a variety of methods
and materials.
This course gives students a broad, comprehensive view of the science of
human development at each stage of development from conception through adolescence.
Considers the biological, cognitive, physical, and social aspects of development from
a knowledge base of theory, research, and current issues. Students will apply learning
to developmentally appropriate principles and practices that guide relationships and
learning experiences for children through adolescence. Substantial discussion will
include family, culture, ethnicity, and gender. This course is identical to PSY 171.