Description

The Early Childhood Education Associate of Applied Science prepares students with a strong emphasis in the theories, curriculum goals, and developmentally appropriate teaching and guidance strategies necessary to lead an early childhood classroom program or to work as a paraprofessional in public schools.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

1. Support child development and learning by understanding primary theories used in early childhood development and education.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of children’s patterns of learning specific to developmental domains.
3. Build family and community relationships with particular attention to integrating knowledge of cultural diversity in educational learning environments and settings.
4. Observe, document, and assess learning and growth to support young children and families through program and curriculum planning.
5. Apply developmentally appropriate approaches to build meaningful curriculum and positive guidance strategies.
6. Apply knowledge of health and safety issues affecting child development within learning environments.
7. Prepare for professional expectations for the early childhood field by developing effective communication skills and demonstrating knowledge of professional standards, associations, licensures, and related laws governing early childhood education.

Entrance Requirements

Academic Entrance Requirements

Recommended:

• Complete ED 140 Introduction to Early Childhood Education before taking other Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses.

Other Entrance Requirements

Required:

• The ECE program requires a background check through the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) or other approved agency.
• Some field practicum sites may require documentation of current immunizations, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Please contact the program director if you have any questions.

• Students should review the program's policies and procedures in the COCC Early Childhood Student Handbook before beginning their coursework. 

Additional Program Costs (Beyond Standard Tuition/Fees and Textbooks)

Material Costs

• Background check ($0 to $70)
• Cost of mileage to and from field placement/practicum sites

Course Requirements

Advising Notes

This degree is designed for students planning to enter their chosen career upon graduation. Often, only selected credits are considered transferable to public or private baccalaureate institutions.

The College's Early Childhood Education program works closely with four-year programs to prepare students for transfer opportunities in early learning, elementary education, and human service-related programs. In addition to working closely with programs, including OSU-Cascades and George Fox, the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is fully articulated with Southern Oregon University’s Early Childhood Development program and allows students to transfer directly as juniors and to become admitted into the Early Childhood Development program at Southern Oregon University (SOU) with no loss of credits to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The program offers an excellent balance of early childhood and general education courses that support advanced study in the field of early childhood development.

Students should contact the SOU School of Education early in the beginning of their AAS in Early Childhood Education program to be advised about additional requirements and procedures for admission to the school or program. Students should be aware that if they transfer before completing this degree, their courses will be evaluated individually toward the general education requirements in effect at SOU. For more information, see the articulation agreement on the SOU website.

Students wishing to use the AAS in ECE as a foundation for future licensure in K-12 classrooms should work closely with academic advisors in the education program to ensure appropriate transfer preparation. Students who are considering the Elementary Education Licensure program through OSU-Cascades may be able to apply several course. Please connect with your advisor to explore options as well as additional classes which may be of benefit, such as College Success courses and LIB 100 Introduction to Finding Information.

For current and potential students who have obtained a Child Development Associate or Step 7 or higher on the Oregon Registry and who wish to apply this toward their AAS or certificates in Early Childhood Education, please speak with the program director, Amy Howell, to discuss options and next steps.

Performance Standards

• Academic Requirements:
  • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
  • All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Additional Requirements:
  • Must provide evidence of background check clearance, preferably from the Central Background Check from the Oregon Dept. Early Learning and Care (DELC)
  • Adhere to the field placement contract; and
  • Adhere to confidentiality, health-related and no-smoking policies as
    they pertain to field placement settings.

Sample Plan