Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education

The Associate of Arts(AA) in Early Childhood Education is a minimum 90 graded credit hour degree. A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course counting towards the AA, but a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 is required for completion of the major. All courses counting toward the AA must be graded courses. Online only program

The AA in Early Childhood Education is valuable for those seeking employment as educational assistants in K-12 education or for those working in early childhood settings. It is also useful for those wishing to enter into social services types of employment.

The AA in Early Childhood Education guides both the freshman and sophomore years. An added benefit is that all courses listed for the AA in Early Childhood Education apply toward a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with no duplication of cross-listed 300 level courses.

General Education Core Courses

Aesthetics and Humanities - 6 credits in two separate subjects required

Recommended courses:
ENGL 136 - Themes*AEH Credits: 4
COM 215 - Conflict Management*AEH Credits: 4
THEA 260 - Theatre History*AEH Credits: 5
MUS 204 - Popular Music in America*AEH Credits: 3
MUS 107 - Listen in Music*AEH Credits: 2
Artistic Process and Creation - 6 credits in two separate subjects required

Recommended courses:
THEA 112 - Introduction to Theatre*APC Credits: 3
THEA 267 - Fund of Stage Makeup*APC Credits: 3
WR 131 - Exploratory Prose Writing*APC Credits: 4
Gateway - no credits are required, but a maximum of 15 credits may count toward the 60 credits General Education Core requirement
COM 111Z - Public Speaking*GTW Credits: 4
COM 218Z - Interpersonal Communication*GTW Credits: 4
LIB 127 - Information Literacy*GTW Credits: 2
WR 121Z - Composition I*GTW Credits: 4
Natural, Mathematical and Information Sciences - 6 credits in two separate subjects required

MATH or STAT one mathematics or statistics course at the 100-level or above required

Recommended courses:
BIOL 101 - Intro to Biology*SMI Credits: 3
BIOL 102 - Intro to Biology*SMI Credits: 3
BIOL 103 - Intro to Biology*SMI Credits: 3
BIOL 104 - Intro Biology Lab*SMI Credits: 1
SCI 101 - Intro to Physical Science Practices*SMI Credits: 4
SCI 102 - Intro to Earth Science Practices*SMI Credits: 4
Social Sciences - 6 credits in two separate subjects required

Recommended courses:
GEOG 105 - Cultural Geography*SSC Credits: 5
HIST 111 - World History to 1500*SSC Credits: 5
HIST 112 - World History since 1500*SSC Credits: 5
HIST 201 - US History to 1865*SSC Credits: 5
HIST 202 - US History Since 1865*SSC Credits: 5

Early Childhood Education Core Courses

ECED 209 - Cooperative Work Experience/Practicum Credits: 2
ECED 211 - Early Childhood Foundations Credits: 3
ECED 212 - Child Development: Conception through age 8 Credits: 3
ECED 214 - Positive Behavior Guidance and Management in Early Childhood Credits: 3
ECED 216 - Play & Learning Environments in Early Childhood Credits: 3
ECED 218 - Health and Wellness in Early Childhood Credits: 3
ECED 221 - Assessment and Observation in Early Childhood Credits: 3

Elective Courses

Elective courses can be taken to help students reach 90 credits for the degree (contact your advisor for assistance with elective courses)

Total credits required for AA: 90

Last EPCC update - November 2024

Previous EPCC Checksheet (November 2022 update) this checksheet is for summer 2023-spring 2025

Previous AA option was the Associate of Arts in Education Checksheet