Early Care and Education - Child Care Professional, AAS (AAS.EARLCE.CCP)

Associate in Applied Science in Early Care and Education

Child Care Professional Career Path

66 Credit Hours

This degree pathway provides a solid foundation for graduates to use developmentally appropriate and research-based knowledge to build intentional teaching skills. Students construct a professional pedagogy they can use in the classroom with young children. Off-campus observation and field experiences are provided in settings that allow for quality practical and hands-on experiences.

The Child Care Professional pathway prepares students to work as teachers in child care centers or as teacher assistants in a public school early childhood program. Students learn to teach children from birth through age five and develop the knowledge and skills required to promote optimal development for all children, including all backgrounds and abilities. This career path also prepares students to operate child care centers or work in supervisory, management, or administrative positions in early care and education. This career path does not lead to teacher certification for public school teachers.

Students can earn only one ECD degree in a single career path.

Accreditation

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs.
1401 H Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005-4101
800.424.2460

General Education Core Requirements

ENG 101 - English Composition I Credit: 3
REQ HUM Select from
Humanities
Credit: 3
REQ MAT Select from
Mathematics/Natural Sciences
Credit: 3
REQ SSC Select from
Behavioral/Social Sciences
Credit: 3
REQ GEN Select from
General Education
Credit: 3

Total: 15

Major Requirements

ECD 101 - Introduction to Early Childhood Credit: 3
ECD 102 - Growth and Development I Credit: 3
ECD 105 - Guidance-Classroom Management Credit: 3
ECD 107 - Exceptional Children Credit: 3
ECD 108 - Family and Community Relations Credit: 3
ECD 109 - Administration and Supervision Credit: 3
ECD 131 - Language Arts Credit: 3
ECD 132 - Creative Experiences Credit: 3
ECD 133 - Science and Math Concepts Credit: 3
ECD 135 - Health, Safety and Nutrition Credit: 3
ECD 140 - Early Childhood Practicum I Credit: 2
ECD 201 - Principles of Ethics and Leadership in Early Care Credit: 3
ECD 203 - Growth and Development II Credit: 3
ECD 237 - Methods and Materials Credit: 3
ECD 243 - Supervised Field Experience I Credit: 3
ECD 252 - Diversity Issues in Early Care and Education Credit: 3
EDU 241 - Learners and Diversity Credit: 4

Total: 51

Admission Requirements

Admission into this program requires proof of high school graduation (or GED) and qualifying scores on SAT, ACT or the TTC placement test.

Note: The Early Care and Education associate degree also requires the following requirements as prerequisites to labs in licensed child care centers and/or public schools: a health assessment denoting good heath, a negative tuberculosis skin test, compliance with technical standards, and a clear criminal background check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). In addition to SLED background checks, some child development centers and schools may require fingerprinting. Students entering these laboratory or off campus observation courses may opt to be fingerprinted. Fingerprinting and a SLED background check are required for the Early Care and Education workforce.