Early Childhood Education

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) is designed to prepare individuals for employment as early childhood professionals in a variety of educational settings. The AAS program includes courses based on current ECE theory and practice as well as general education classes to broaden a student's base of knowledge. Certificates of Completion are also available. Some of these programs are available at select colleges. Please check with your local college for program availability.

Details

Field of Interest
Education
Degree Type
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Academic Plan
Early Childhood Education (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
3186
Total credits required
60-74
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

For some employment and field experiences (including internship courses), students will be required to have a current Identity Verified Print (IVP) Fingerprint Clearance Card and a current TB test.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Design developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning experiences that promote each child's growth and development in the following domains: Social-Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, and Language and Literacy.
  2. Implement developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning experiences.
  3. Maintain a safe, caring, inclusive, and healthy learning environment according to best practices and local, state, and national standards.
  4. Assess children's learning and development through observation and documentation, using guidelines established by the profession.
  5. Establish reciprocal, culturally responsive relationships with families and communities.
  6. Utilize communication skills to advocate for children and their families.
  7. Practice ethical and professional standards and behavior.
  8. Advocate for an ethical, equitable, diverse, and effective early childhood education profession.
  9. Engage in reflective practice and continuous learning through education and research.
  10. Collaborate with peers to problem solve within early childhood education and other disciplines.
  11. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare

$45,570

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education

$50,830

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

$32,930

Special Education Teachers, Preschool

$52,650

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
  • Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
  • Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten
  • Teaching Assistants, All Other
  • Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
  • Teaching Assistants, Special Education
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
  • Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CFS/ECH176 or
CFS235 or
EED205		 Child Development or Developing Child: Theory into Practice, Prenatal to Age Eight or The Developing Child: Prenatal to Age Eight Critical course Gateway course SB or SB or SB 3
(CFS123 and
CFS125 and
ECH280) or
EED215		 (Health and Nutrition in Early Childhood Settings and Safety In Early Childhood Settings and Food Experiences With Young Children) or Early Learning: Health, Safety, Nutrition and Physical Fitness 3
(CFS/ECH271 and
ECH282 and
CFS282) or
EED212		 (Arranging the Environment and Discipline/Guidance Of Child Groups and Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs) or Guidance, Effective Interactions and the Environment 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design EDU291 or EDU292 Recommended HU 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EED200 Foundations of Early Childhood Education Critical course SB 3
EED222 Introduction to the Exceptional Young Child: Birth to Age Eight C, SB 3
(CFS101AH and
ECH281) or
EED210 or
ECH128		 (Art Activities for the Young Child and Movement/Music for the Young Child) or Creative and Cognitive Play or Early Learning: Play and the Arts 2–3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM225 is recommended for students who wish to transfer to the BAE at ASU SB or SB or L or SB 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(ECH272 and
ECH273 and
ECH275 and
ECH279) or
EED278		 (Science For The Young Child and Math for the Young Child and Literacy Development and the Young Child and Early Childhood Curriculum Development) or Early Learning Curriculum and Instruction - Birth to Age Eight 3–4
EED225 Language and Literacy in the Context of Culture and Relationships C, HU 3
CFS/ECH284AB or
(EED260 and
EED261) or
CFS/ECH284AA		 Early Childhood Teaching Internship or (Early Childhood Infant/Toddler Internship and Early Childhood Preschool Internship) or Early Childhood Teaching Internship Select CFS/ECH284AB (3)
or
[EED260 and (EED261 or CFS/ECH284AA)] (2) 		2–3
RE Restricted Elective 3
MAT112 Mathematical Concepts and Applications OR Satisfactory completion of a higher-level mathematics course

Note: MAT14+ College Mathematics or any approved general education course in the Mathematical Application [MA] area may be required for students intending to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program. 		3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(ECH140 and
ECH270) or
EED280		 (Learning Made Visible Through Documentation and Observing Young Children) or Standards, Observation and Assessment of Typical/Atypical Behaviors of Young Children Birth to Age 8 2–3
(ECH269 and
ECH287) or
EED255		 (Child Care Seminar and Professional Development in Early Childhood Education) or Portfolio Development and Writing for the Profession 2–3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative Any approved general education course from the Natural Sciences area SG or SQ 4

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CFS/ECH176 or
CFS235 or
EED205		 Child Development or Developing Child: Theory into Practice, Prenatal to Age Eight or The Developing Child: Prenatal to Age Eight Critical course Gateway course SB or SB or SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC or FYC 3
EED200 Foundations of Early Childhood Education Critical course SB 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(CFS123 and
CFS125 and
ECH280) or
EED215		 (Health and Nutrition in Early Childhood Settings and Safety In Early Childhood Settings and Food Experiences With Young Children) or Early Learning: Health, Safety, Nutrition and Physical Fitness 3
(CFS/ECH271 and
ECH282 and
CFS282) or
EED212		 (Arranging the Environment and Discipline/Guidance Of Child Groups and Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs) or Guidance, Effective Interactions and the Environment 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EED225 Language and Literacy in the Context of Culture and Relationships C, HU 3
MAT112 Mathematical Concepts and Applications OR Satisfactory completion of a higher-level mathematics course

Note: MAT14+ College Mathematics or any approved general education course in the Mathematical Application [MA] area may be required for students intending to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program. 		3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM225 is recommended for students who wish to transfer to the BAE at ASU SB or SB or L or SB 3
(ECH272 and
ECH273 and
ECH275 and
ECH279) or
EED278		 (Science For The Young Child and Math for the Young Child and Literacy Development and the Young Child and Early Childhood Curriculum Development) or Early Learning Curriculum and Instruction - Birth to Age Eight 3–4
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
EED222 Introduction to the Exceptional Young Child: Birth to Age Eight C, SB 3
(CFS101AH and
ECH281) or
EED210 or
ECH128		 (Art Activities for the Young Child and Movement/Music for the Young Child) or Creative and Cognitive Play or Early Learning: Play and the Arts 2–3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design EDU291 or EDU292 Recommended HU 3
CFS/ECH284AB or
(EED260 and
EED261) or
CFS/ECH284AA		 Early Childhood Teaching Internship or (Early Childhood Infant/Toddler Internship and Early Childhood Preschool Internship) or Early Childhood Teaching Internship Select CFS/ECH284AB (3)
or
[EED260 and (EED261 or CFS/ECH284AA)] (2) 		2–3
RE Restricted Elective 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(ECH140 and
ECH270) or
EED280		 (Learning Made Visible Through Documentation and Observing Young Children) or Standards, Observation and Assessment of Typical/Atypical Behaviors of Young Children Birth to Age 8 2–3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative Any approved general education course from the Natural Sciences area SG or SQ 4

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
(ECH269 and
ECH287) or
EED255		 (Child Care Seminar and Professional Development in Early Childhood Education) or Portfolio Development and Writing for the Profession 2–3
RE Restricted Elective 3
RE Restricted Elective 0–3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=175658).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.