Early Childhood: Care and Education - Human Services
Associate in Applied Science Degree

Program Director: Kathy Herrington
Academic Advisor(s): WH-Herrington (A-L), Hupp (M-Z); WT-Davis; NM-Britt

This program is designed for those who want to work with children from birth-adolescence. Graduates can be expected to fill paraprofessional or professional positions in private or public agencies that provide early care and/or education services. This program exceeds the requirements of the WV Department of Education’s paraprofessional educator’s certificate (available at http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies); therefore individuals with this degree also should be eligible for positions as teacher’s aides in the public school system.

Students who eventually plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in a related field can use this degree as a foundation for transfer, but it is recommended that students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree before beginning employment pursue an Associate in Arts 2+2 or transfer degree in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education to maximize transferability of courses.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts, theories, and strategies used in early childhood care and education;
• Demonstrate knowledge of infant, toddler, pre-school, and school-age
child development;
• Demonstrate the ability to assist with designing developmentally appropriate practice activities for children;
• Demonstrate knowledge of and the ability to follow ethical standards and guidelines for the profession;
• Apply the skills and abilities related to assist planning and implementing therapeutic, learning, or social activities that are appropriate for children with diverse needs and abilities and for their families;
• Demonstrate knowledge of cultural, family, and individual influences on a child’s development and service delivery;
• Demonstrate an understanding of their role, abilities, and limitations in a relevant work setting.

Employment outlook is currently above average, but is dependent upon changing local, regional, and national needs. Salaries tend to be low-moderate for graduates, depending on location, type of facility, and the prospective employee’s level of education and work experience.

NOTE: Two specialized programs which provide credit for credentials completed outside the college setting are available for students who possess either a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Certificate (ACDS) and/or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. (See Occupational Development (A.A.S.) and Technical Studies (A.A.S.) in the Center for Economic and Workforce Development section.) Contact an advisor for additional information.

 

 First Year – Fall Semester

Course	Cr. Hours
CIT 117 Microsoft Applications	3
ECCE 212 Children and Families: Educational Issues	3
ENG 101 College Composition I	3
PSYC 105 Introduction to Psychology	3
PSYC 210 Child Psychology	3

 First Year – Spring Semester

Course	Cr. Hours
ART 256 Creative Expression in Fine Art	3
ECCE 214 Assessing Children and Designing Curriculum	3
MATH Mathematics Core Requirement*	3-4
SPCH 101 Interpersonal Communication or SPCH 105 Fundamentals of Speech	3
Restricted Elective##	3

Second Year – Fall Semester

Course	Cr. Hours
ECCE 100 Foundations of Education	3
HS 147 Understanding Human Diversity	3
HS 205 Human Services Seminar	1
PSYC 208 Developmental Psychology	3
SCI Science Core Requirement***	3-4

Second Year – Spring Semester

Course	Cr. Hours
ENG 102 College Composition II or ENG 115 Technical Writing	3
HS 204 Field Placement (Internship)**	3
PSYC 218 Exceptional Children	5
Restricted Elective##	3
SOC 125 Introduction to Sociology or SS 101 Introduction to Social Science	3

Total Hours in Program – 60-62

## Choose from: (Students will choose an additional 6 hours from list.)
ASL 101, 102 or 140
HIST History (any History course)
HS 150
HUM Choose from: ART 150, MUS 105, ENG 200, ENG 201, or PHIL 200
++ MGT 250 or 253

* Students may choose MATH 204 or MATH 205 in addition to the mathematics core requirements listed in the Core Requirements for the Associate in Applied Science Program in the beginning of this section.
*** BIO 110, 112, or 113 are recommended.

** Before registering for the field placement, students must apply to and be accepted by an approved social services agency. There is also a class requirement of 2 hours every week.

++ Students are permitted to take only one MGT course to meet the restricted elective requirment.