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
Credits to Complete Degree
| Academic Discipline | Credits |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education (ECE) | 58 |
| Health Education (HE) | 4 |
| Consumer & Family Studies (HEC) | 7 |
| Writing (WR) | 8 |
| General Education Electives | 12 |
| Mathematics (MTH) | 4 |
| Early Childhood Education & Family Studies (ECEFS) Elective | 4 |
| Credit Total | 97 |
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
| Course | Name | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECE 120 | Introduction to Early Education and Family Studies | 3 | |
| ECE 121 | Observation & Guidance I | 3 | |
| ECE 122 | Environments and Curriculum in Early Childhood Ed I | 4 | |
| ECE 123 | Environments and Curriculum in Early Childhood Ed II | 4 | |
| ECE 124 | Multicultural Practice: Exploring Our Views | 3 | |
| ECE 130A | Practicum Orientation | 2 | |
| ECE 130B | Practicum Seminar 1 | 2 | |
| ECE 130C | Practicum Seminar 2 | 2 | |
| ECE 134 | Practicum 1 | 3 | |
| ECE 135 | Practicum 2 | 3 | |
| ECE 200 | The Professional in ECE & Family Studies | 3 | |
| ECE 221 | Observation & Guidance II | 3 | |
| ECE 224 | Multicultural Practices: Curriculum & Implementation | 3 | |
| ECE 234 | Introduction to Children with Special Needs in ECE&FS | 3 | |
| ECE 236 | Language & Literacy in Early Childhood Education | 3 | |
| ECE 260A | Advanced Practicum Seminar 1 | 3 | |
| ECE 260B | Advanced Practicum Seminar 2 | 3 | |
| ECE 264 | Advanced Practicum 1 | 4 | |
| ECE 265 | Advanced Practicum 2 | 4 | |
| HEC 201 | Family Partnerships in Education | 3 | |
| HEC 226 | Child Development¹ | 4 | |
| HE 113 | First Aid & CPR/AED/Professional Rescuers/Healthcare Providers² | 1 | |
| HE 262 | Children's Health, Nutrition, & Safety | 3 | |
|
MTH65 (or higher) |
Beginning Agebra II (or higher) | 4 | |
|
WR115 (or higher) |
Introduction to Expository Writing (or higher) | 4 | |
|
WR121 (or higher) |
English Composition (or higher) | 4 | |
| Early Childhoon Education & Family Studies Electives | 4 | ||
| General Education Electives | 12 | ||
| ¹ May be used as General Education. | |||
| ² Students with valid CPR card may receive non-traditional credit. | |||
Early Childhood Education and Family Studies Electives
| Course | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BA 177 | Payroll Accounting | 3 |
| BA 223 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BA 224 | Introduction to Human Resource Management | 3 |
| BA 250 | Small Business Management | 3 |
| BA 285 | Human Relation in Organizations | 3 |
| CIS 120 | Computer Concepts I | 4 |
| ECE 175A | Infant/Toddler Caregiving: Learning and Development | 1 |
| ECE 175B | Infant/Toddler Caregiving: Group Care | 1 |
| ECE 175C | Infant/Toddler Caregiving: Social/Emotional Growth | 1 |
| ECE 175D | Infant/Toddler Caregiving: Family/Provider Relationships | 1 |
| ECE 177 | Multi-age Groups | 1 |
| ECE 179 | Child Portfolios in ECE | 1 |
| ECE 185 | Field Trips in Early Childhood | 1 |
| ECE 187 | Cooking Experiences for Young Children | 1 |
| ECE 188 | Block Play and Woodworking for Young Children | 1 |
| ECE 235 | Music and Movement for the Young Child | 3 |
| ECE 238 | Administration of ECE & FS Programs | 3 |
| ESR 171 | Environmental Science: Biological Perspectives* | 4 |
| ESR 172 | Environmental Science: Chemical Perspectives* | 4 |
| PSY 222 | Family & Intimate Relationships* | 4 |
| WR 122 | English Composition | 4 |
| Up to three credits of foreign language | ||
Early Childhood Education and Family Studies
Career and Technical Education Certificate: 44 Credits
Certificate Suspended
The Early Childhood Education and Family Studies certificate is suspended as of July 1, 2020. CGCC will not be accepting new students into this program after spring term 2020. Students who enrolled in the certificate program prior to summer 2020 and are seeking to complete the certificate should contact their advisor for assistance. CGCC will work with students actively enrolled in the program to develop a "teach out" plan so that they may complete the program in a timely manner.
Early Childhood Educator I
Career and Technical Education Certificate: 23 Credits
Certificate Suspended
The Early Childhood Educator I certificate is suspended as of July 1, 2020. CGCC will not be accepting new students into this program after spring term 2020. Students who enrolled in the certificate program prior to summer 2020 and are seeking to complete the certificate should contact their advisor for assistance. CGCC will work with students actively enrolled in the program to develop a "teach out" plan so that they may complete the program in a timely manner.
