Early Childhood Development A.A.S.

The Early Childhood Development A.A.S. prepares students to work in child care centers, Head Start programs, nursery schools, and as self-employed family child care providers or nannies. Program courses fulfill the educational requirements for senior staff, group leader, and director and also meet the Maryland child care credential and state requirements.

A grade of “C” or better must be earned in all Departmental Requirements courses.

Success in the program is defined by your ability to apply what you’ve learned in real-world scenarios. This program ensures that every student achieves the following core competencies:

• Apply major concepts, principles, and theories related to child development.
• Demonstrate developmentally appropriate curriculum and materials for infancy to eight years old.
• Demonstrate characteristics of future teachers by behaving professionally at events and experiences both on and off campus, and utilizing college-level skills.
• Synthesize the fundamentals and practices of early childhood development through a directed practicum/internship experience.
• Communicate appropriate guidance and behavior modification techniques and theories.
• Explain, identify, and discuss duties of administrators of child care settings.
• Generate resources on appropriate children’s literature based on in-depth review.
• Explain and identify the major theories, historical roots, and theorists in the field of early childhood education.

Success starts with a solid plan. Your program's course sequence is designed to build your skills step-by-step. By following this plan, you ensure you're meeting all program requirements and staying on track.

Program Pathway