Early Childhood Education, A.A.S.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Contact Information: Program Office 615-353-3020, E-mail: early.childhood@nscc.edu

General Info
Course Requirements
Recommended Schedule
Program Website
Course Descriptions

General Information

Early Childhood Education prepares the student for employment in the field of child care and early education. The program includes theoretical and practical components, preparing early education professionals to work effectively with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and primary age children birth to age nine.

Graduates of the program should be able to:
• Promote child development and learning of young children.
• Build family and community relationships.
• Observe, document, and assess to support young children and families.
• Design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all children.
• Identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession.

Admission Requirements
Meet regular degree-seeking admission requirements for A.A.S.

Career Opportunities
• Teacher
• Assistant Teacher
• Caregiver
• Administrator

Students may be employed in child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start programs, before and after school programs, pre-k programs, and preschools.

Clinical Practicum Courses I, II, and III
Students who wish to register for any of the three clinical practicum courses (ECED 2130, 2140, or 2150) should contact an advisor for information about clinical requirements prior to enrolling. Before registering for the practicum courses, a student must have:
• Attained a grade of "C" or higher in all ECED courses taken.
• Met all prerequisite requirements.

Grading Policy
A grade of "C" or above must be earned in all early childhood courses prior to graduation. The student majoring in ECED must receive a "C" or above in each course in order to meet prerequisite requirements for subsequent courses.

Background Check for Employment
Students who wish to become employed in child care programs licensed by Department of Human Services, State of Tennessee must undergo a criminal history and abuse registry background check. Tennessee law requires a satisfactory background check prior to employment. This is initiated by the employer.

Transfer/Advising
The A.A.S. degree is designed to prepare a student for employment upon graduation. Some universities, at their discretion, accept some technical courses for transfer. A student who plans to transfer to a university should consult his/her advisor and the receiving university about transfer and articulation policies. Failure to do so could result in loss of transfer credits.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

RUBRIC	COURSE	CLASS	LAB	CREDITS
English
ENGL 1111	English Composition I	3	0	3
SPCH 1111	Speech	3	0	3
Mathematics Elective
	MATH 1010 recommended	3	0	3
Natural Sciences Elective (must include lab)
	BIOL 1010 recommended	3	3	4
Social Sciences Elective
	GEOG 1020 or PSYC 1111 recommended	3	0	3
Humanities Elective
	MUS 1030 or ART 1030 recommended	3	0	3
General Education Elective
	ENGL 1020 & HIST 2010 or 2020 recommended	6	0	6
ECED Required Courses
ECED 1010	Introduction to Early Childhood Educ	2	0	2
ECED 2010	Safe, Healthy, Learning Env	3	0	3
ECED 2015	Early Childhood Curriculum	3	0	3
ECED 2020	Infant, Toddler, and Child Dev	3	0	3
ECED 2040	Fam Dynamics and Comm Involvement	3	0	3
ECED 2060	Dev of Exceptional Children	3	0	3
ECED 2070	Developmental Assessment	3	0	3
ECED 2080	Language and Literacy in ECE	3	0	3
ECED 2085	Math and Science in ECE	3	0	3
ECED 2130	Clinical Practicum I	1	1	2
ECED 2140	Clinical Practicum II	1	1	2
ECED 2150	Clinical Practicum III	1	1	2
ECED Elective (choose one of the following)
ECED 2030	Infant and Toddler Care	3	0	3
ECED 2090	Creative Development	3	0	3
ECED 2120	Admin of Child Care Centers	3	0	3
ECED 2260	Elementary Children's Lit	3	0	3
TOTAL REQUIRED - ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE				60

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Recommended Full-Time Schedule

First Year

Fall Semester	Course	Credits
ENGL 1010	English Composition	3
	Math Elective (MATH 1010 recommended)	3
ECED 1010	Intro to Early Childhood Educ	2
ECED 2010	Safe, Heatlhy, Learning Env	3
ECED 2130	Clinical Practicum I	2
Spring Semester	Course	Credits
	Natural Science with Lab (BIOL 1010 recommended)	4
	General Education Elective (ENGL 1020 recommended)	3
SPCH 1010	Speech	3
ECED 2015	Early Childhood Curriculum	3
ECED 2020	Infant, Toddler, Child Dev	3

Second Year

Fall Semester	Course	Credits
ECED 2040	Family Dynamics and Comm Involve	3
ECED 2085	Math & Science in ECE	3
ECED 2060	Dev of Exceptional Children	3
ECED 2140	Clinical Practicum II	2
	General Education Elective (HIST 2010 or 2020 recommended)	3
Spring Semester	Course	Credits
ECED 2080	Language and Literacy in ECE	3
ECED 2070	Developmental Assessment	3
ECED 2150	Clinical Practicum III	2
	ECED Elective	3
	Humanities Elective (ART 1030 or MUS 1030 recommended)	3
	Social Sciences Elective (GEOG 1020 or PSYC 1111 recommended)	3

Part-time Schedule: Many students may wish to enroll in the ECED program on a part-time basis. Students are encouraged to enroll in at least 2 semester courses each semester (including summer) in order to complete the degree in approximately four years. Courses are offered during the daytime, evenings, Saturdays and on-line. A student should be able to complete most requirements for the degree in the evening/weekend program.

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