Early Childhood Education, Associate in Arts (ECED)

Effective: Fall 2025

The Early Childhood Education (Prek-4^th grade) program of study prepares students to work with young children in a variety of early care and education settings including early learning centers, Head Start, PreK Counts, public and private elementary schools.  Graduates will be able to provide high-quality educational environments with a focus on the play continuum and the value of play as an essential element of a child’s development.  They will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to provide a developmentally effective, culturally responsive and inclusive early learning experience that is grounded in active and hands-on play, that is child-led, meaningful and relevant to the child’s daily experience. 

At the completion of this degree, students are prepared to enter the early learning workforce in early learning centers, young school age childcare, Head Start, nursery schools and as paraprofessionals in public and private elementary schools. This program of study also serves as the transfer pathway to earn teacher certification, Pre-kindergarten through 4th grade. Students wishing to earn teacher certification must transfer to a 4 year institution to earn a Bachelor’s degree, Prekindergarten through 4th grade. 

Notes:

It is advised to meet with an academic advisor when choosing courses in this program to ensure appropriate sequencing as well as a transfer advisor in the first semester if considering transferring to a 4 year institution.  

All students must obtain and keep current background clearances including FBI,  Pa Criminal,  Pa Child Abuse and the National Sex Offender Registry.  There are additional fees to obtain these clearances. Clearances are valid for 3 years as long as the student is continuously enrolled.  Please note that the results of the background clearances may impact the student’s ability to continue in the field of early childhood education.  

The Early Childhood Education (Prek-4^th grade) degree is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young children.  "The mission of the accreditation system is to set a standard of excellence for early childhood degree programs and to recognize programs that have demonstrated they meet this standard, thereby benefiting the early childhood profession, young children, families and communities."  (NAEYC, 2023)

All students will be required to have Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance, Pennsylvania Criminal Clearance, FBI clearance and documentation of current immunizations and TB screening. The results of the background clearances could have an impact on the student’s ability to continue in the degree. There are additional fees to obtaining clearances and students may have to get their clearances renewed.