Degrees & Certificates

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Degree

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Certificate

Early Childhood Educator I Career Pathway Certificate

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies

Associate of Applied Science Degree: 97 Credits
Career Pathways: Roadmap | Program of Study

Degree planning worksheet

Career Description

Teachers and home care providers of young children, ages birth through five, plan the environment, develop suitable learning experiences, and work closely with families in childhood care education situations. They also supervise play and physical needs of small children, organize daily activities, keep records of children’s progress and confer with parents. Early childhood education graduates may also work in related fields such as child care resource and referral.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to: 

• Use knowledge of child development and of individual children to create healthy, challenging learning environments and experiences.
• Use content knowledge and appropriate pedagogy to create/design, implement and assess learning experiences.
• Observe, document and assess children's development and learning in partnership with families.
• Build respectful partnerships with children's families and their communities.
• Use reflective practice to demonstrate professionalism.
• Identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession.
• Know and use ethical guidelines and professional standards related to early childhood practice.

Course of Study

The Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECEFS) Program is planned as a career ladder to accommodate the part-time as well as the full-time student. An ECEFS Certificate provides entry level child care skills and meets the minimum requirements for a child care teacher in an Oregon licensed child care facility. The Associate of Applied Science degree qualifies a student to become a head teacher in a child care facility licensed by the Oregon Child Care Division. The National Association for Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) minimum suggested training for teachers in early childhood programs is also an AAS degree in ECEFS. All required courses and competencies mastered for the certificate apply to the AAS degree. Certificate classes may apply toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. CDA and Oregon Registry credentials may articulate into certificate level coursework.

Students must also meet Associate degree comprehensive requirements and Associate of Applied Science degree requirements.

Additional Information

Refer to general Early Childhood Education and Family Studies program requirements.

Prerequisites

Placement into RD 115, WR 115, MTH 20. To be awarded this degree, students must also complete all core requirements for the Associate of Applied Science Degree.

Coursework

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Electives

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies

Career and Technical Education Certificate: 44 Credits
Career Pathways: Roadmap | Program of Study

Degree planning worksheet

Career Description

Teachers and home care providers of young children, ages birth through five, plan the environment, develop suitable learning experiences, and work closely with families in childhood care education situations. They also supervise play and physical needs of small children, organize daily activities, keep records of children’s progress and confer with parents. Early education graduates may also work in related fields such as child care resource and referral.

Program Outcomes

Students exiting the program with an Early Chldhood Education and Family Studies certificate will:

• Use knowledge of child development and of individual children to create healthy, challenging learning environments and experiences.
• Use content knowledge and appropriate pedagogy to create/design, implement and assess learning experiences.
• Observe, document and assess children's development and learning in partnership with families.
• Build respectful partnerships with children's families and their communities.
• Know and use professional standards related to early childhood practice.
• Use reflective practice to demonstrate professionalism.

Course of Study

The Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Program is planned as a career ladder to accommodate the part-time as well as the full-time student. An Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Certificate provides entry level child care skills and meets the minimum requirements for a child care teacher in an Oregon licensed child care facility. The Associate of Applied Science degree qualifies a student to become a head teacher in a child care facility  licensed by the Oregon Child Care Division. The National Association for Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) minimum suggested training for teachers in early childhood programs is also an AAS degree in ECEFS. All required courses and competencies mastered for the certificate apply to the AAS degree. Certificate classes may apply toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. CDA and Oregon Registry credentials may articulate into certificate level coursework.

Students must also meet general certificate requirements.

Additional Information

Refer to general Early Childhood Education and Family Studies program requirements.

Prerequisites

Placement into RD 115, WR 115, and MTH 20

Coursework

Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Electives

Early Childhood Educator I

Career Pathway Certificate (Parent degree - Early Childhood Education and Family Studies AAS): 23 Credits

Career Pathways: Roadmap | Program of Study

Degree planning worksheet

Career Description

Early childhood education providers for young children, ages birth through five, plan the environment, develop suitable learning experiences, and work closely with families in childhood care education situations. They also supervise play and physical needs of small children, organize daily activities, keep records of children’s progress and confer with parents. Early education graduates may also work in related fields such as child care resource and referral.

The 23 credit Early Childhood Educator I career pathway certificate will provide students with training that equals Level 7 on the Oregon Registry. (The Oregon Registry Steps are a sequence of 12 professional development categories that describe and acknowledge increasing education and training.) The certificate provides students with the 120 hours of training needed to sit for the nationally recognized, as well as industry recognized, exam to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate, students will be able to: 

• Use observation and documentation, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence children’s development and learning.
• Employ their understanding of and relationships with children and families and their understanding of developmentally and culturally effective approaches to teaching and learning to implement and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all young children.
• Know and use professional standards related to early childhood practice.

Course of Study

This 23 credit career pathway certificate is the initial rung on the Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECEFS) educational ladder. It represents the majority of the 24 credits required for the first two terms of the three-term (44 credits) ECEFS certificate. The ECEFS certificate is the first year of the ECEFS two-year AAS degree (97 credits.)

Additional Information

Refer to general Early Childhood Education and Family Studies program requirements.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of WR 90, or equivalent placement assessment scores. Recommended: Successful completion of MTH 20.

Coursework