Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies
Program Description:
The mission of the Early Childhood Studies program is to educate students whose goal is to work or advance in the fields of child care and early childhood education programs. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide professionals with the skills needed to gain a competitive edge when pursuing or advancing in careers in early childhood programs and child caregiver organizations. However, this program is not designed as a teacher certification program nor does it lead to state licensure.
The Early Childhood Studies program provides students with a comprehensive overview and application of the learning of young children (from birth through age eight, or third grade). Additionally, the program promotes the learning and development of children in early care and educational settings and encourages application of the latest knowledge in early childhood and child development. Successful completion of the program will enable graduates to guide a variety of early childhood settings.
Degree Requirements: 120 Credits
Program Goals:
It is intended that Graduates of the Aspen University Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies program will learn or be able to do the following:
- Child Development and Strategies of Support: Study theories and examine research that focus on children’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Graduates will be able to apply this knowledge in order to optimize learning and to design settings that positively influence children’s healthy development in all aspects of growth. This domain is aligned to the NAEYC Standard #1: Promoting Child Development and Learning.
- The Parent, Family, and Community Connection: Examine the importance and impact of the child’s world outside of school and how those influences correlate with a child’s success in school. Graduates will be able to apply this knowledge by designing programmatic strategies to include, empower, and value families and communities. This domain is aligned with the NAEYC Standard #2: Building Family and Community Relationships.
- Evidence-Based Decision Making: Develop a wide range of knowledge and skills for gathering and analyzing data that is used to inform decisions about children’s development, teacher effectiveness, and accountability, in order to connect teaching and learning. Graduates will apply their knowledge and skills related to assessment in responsible ways, using multiple types of data sources to collaborate with families and other educators/professionals in the child’s life. This domain is aligned with NAEYC Standard #3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families.
- Developmentally Responsive Pedagogy: Master a repertoire of instructional strategies that acknowledge each child’s complex characteristics related to age, interests, background, and abilities. Graduates will examine how these variables interact with setting and will create conditions that promote growth through developmentally appropriate practices. This domain aligns with NAEYC Standard #4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches.
- Multidisciplinary Integration and Teaching: Develop knowledge and skills for integrating multiple content areas so that learning is relevant, meaningful, and multidisciplinary. Graduates will implement knowledge of developmental milestones related to different subject areas (e.g., math, science, reading, writing, social studies, health and safety, technology, art and music) and design learning experiences that synthesize multiple subjects and that address the developmental level of the child. This domain is aligned with NAEYC Standard #5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum.
- Ethics, Activism, and Advocacy within the Field: Participate as active members and leaders in the early childhood education community who remain current on the issues that exist in the field and who advocate for policy changes that improve services for children and conditions for early childhood educators. Graduates will behave in an ethical manner, according to the accepted standards of the profession, and demonstrate caring, professional dispositions. This domain is aligned with NAEYC Standard #6: Becoming a Professional.
- Settings and Stages: Possess a deep knowledge base of the different contexts for early childhood programs and will demonstrate expertise in understanding the different age groups and their developmental stages. This domain aligns with NAEYC Standard #7: Early Childhood Field Experiences, even though the ECS programs at Aspen do not require field experiences.
Academic Schedule
Courses:
| COM100 | Introduction to Communications | 3 |
| ECE103 | Professionalism and Growth in the Early Childhood Field | 3 |
| Mathematics Choice | |
| ECE102 | Skills for Early Childhood | 3 |
| CMP160 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Natural and Physical Sciences Choice | |
| Mathematics Choice | |
| Natural and Physical Sciences Choice | |
| ECE101 | Family, School and Community | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Choice | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Choice | |
| Humanities Choice | |
| Communications Choice | |
| Humanities Choice | |
| CMP170 | English Composition II | 3 |
| ECE108 | Cultural and Linguistic Diversity | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Choice | |
| Humanities Choice | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Choice | |
| Elective Choice | |
| Elective Choice | |
| Elective Choice | |
| Elective Choice | |
| ECE302 | Children with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| ECE407 | Infant and Toddler Mental Health | 3 |
| ECE304 | Curriculum for Young Children | 3 |
| Elective Choice | |
| ECE307 | Early Childhood Research | 3 |
| ECE303 | Language Development | 3 |
| Mid-Program Proctored Exam | |
| ECE403 | Promoting Literacy in Preschool | 3 |
| ECE401 | Guiding Preschool Behavior | 3 |
| ECE402 | Strategies for Classroom Management | 3 |
| ECE400 | Play and Learning for Young Children | 3 |
| ECE406 | Quality Early Childhood Programs for Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| ECE409 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Infant and Toddler Settings | 3 |
| ECE405 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Preschool and School Age Settings | 3 |
| ECE410 | Bridging: Assessment in Early Childhood Settings | 3 |
| ECE411 | Early Cognition and Learning I: The Preschool Years | 3 |
| ECE412 | Early Cognition and Learning II: The Early Years | 3 |
| Final Proctored Exam | |
| ECE499 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
Additional Information:
Applicants who hold valid and current CDA certification are eligible to receive twelve credits in lieu of the following courses: ECE101, ECE102, ECE103, & a general education elective.