A smiling group of toddlers exemplifies the care and experience Northeaster's early childhood education program provides.
Area of Study

Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Teacher Education

TOTAL CREDITS
60
CIP:
240101
BANNER:
ECTD
Associate of Arts

For those who want the opportunity to provide a positive influence on the lives of children and their families, early childhood is a fascinating field in which to work. In addition to the A.A.S. degree and certificate programs in early childhood specified later in this catalog, a student can earn the A.A. in preparation for transfer into a four-year program.

Written Communication

Total Credits 6
Course Number Course Title Credits Details
ENG121ENG1021
English Composition I:GT-CO1 3

Emphasizes planning, writing, and editing/revisions of compositions, coupled with development of critical and logical thinking skills. This course includes a minimum of five compositions that stress analytical, evaluative, and persuasive/argumentative writing. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-CO1 category. Prerequisite: College Readiness in English. (3-0)

ENG122ENG1022
English Composition II: GT-CO2 3

Expands and refines the objectives of English Composition I. Emphasizes critical/logical thinking and reading, problem definition, research strategies, and writing analytical, evaluative, and/or persuasive papers that incorporate research. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-CO2 category. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG1021 or ENG1031 with a "C" grade or better. (3-0)

Mathematics

Total Credits 4
Course Number Course Title Credits Details
MAT120MAT1240
Math for Liberal Arts: GT-MA1 4

Highlights connections between mathematics and the society in which we live and is intended for liberal arts majors. Topics include set theory and logic, mathematical modeling, probability and statistical methods and consumer mathematics. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-MA1 category. Prerequisite: Successful completion of MAT0250 or MAT0300 with a "C" grade or better or appropriate placement scores. (4-0)

Arts and Humanities

Total Credits 6

Choose one course from those listed below. 

Course Number Course Title Credits Details
ART110ART1110
Art Appreciation: GT-AH1 3

Introduces the cultural significance of the visual arts, including media, processes, techniques, traditions, and terminology. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH1 category. (3-0)

MUS120MUS1020
Music Appreciation: GT-AH1 3

Introduces the study of music focusing on intelligent listening skills, the elements of music and their relationships, the musical characteristics of representative works and composers, common musical forms and genres of various Western, and non-Western historical style periods. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH1 category. (3-0)

THE105THE1005
Theatre Appreciation: GT-AH1 3

Provides an opportunity to discover, analyze, and evaluate all aspects of the theatre experience: scripts, acting, directing, staging, history, criticism, and theory. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH1 category.

Also choose one of the following courses

LIT115LIT1015
Introduction to Literature I: GT-AH2 3

Introduces fiction, poetry and drama. This course emphasizes active and responsive reading. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH2 category

LIT255LIT2055
Children`s Literature: GT-AH2 3

Examines the criteria for selecting appropriate literature for children. Explores literature through a variety of genres, age levels, values taught through literature, and literary and artistic qualities of various texts. This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-AH2 category. (3-0)

History

Total Credits 3
Course Number Course Title Credits Details
HIS121HIS1210
United States History to Reconstruction: GT-HI1 3

Explores trends within events, peoples--including Native American--groups, ideas, and institutions in North America and the United States to Reconstruction. This class focuses on developing, practicing, and strengthening skills historians use while constructing knowledge and studying a diverse set of narratives through perspectives such gender, class, religion, and ethnicity. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-HI1 category. Prerequisite: College Readiness in English. (3-0)

or

HIS122HIS1220
United States History since the Civil War: GT-HI1 3

Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions since the American Civil War. This course focuses on developing, practicing, and strengthening skills historians use while constructing knowledge and studying a diverse set of narratives through perspectives such as gender, class, religion, and ethnicity. Prerequisite: College Readiness in English. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-HI1 category. (3-0)

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Total Credits 6
Course Number Course Title Credits Details
GEO105GEO1005
World Regional Geography: GT-SS2 3

Examines the spatial distribution of environmental and societal phenomena in the world’s regions. Environmental phenomena include topography, climate, and natural resources. Societal phenomena include patterns of population and settlement, religion, ethnicity, language, and economic development. This course also analyzes the characteristics that define world regions and distinguishes them from each other. This course examines the relationships between physical environments and human societies, and examines globalization, emphasizing the geopolitical and economic relationships between more developed and less developed regions. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SS2 category. (3-0)

PSY101PSY1001
General Psychology I: GT-SS3 3

Focuses on the scientific study of behavior including motivation, emotion, physiological psychology, stress and coping, research methods, consciousness, sensation, perception, learning, and memory. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SS3 category. Prerequisite: College Readiness in English. (3-0)

Natural and Physical Sciences

Total Credits 8

Must successfully pass both courses to satisfy the requirement.

Course Number Course Title Credits Details
SCI155SCI1055
Integrated Science I - Physics and Chemistry with Lab: GT-SC1 4

Examines the nature of energy and matter, their interactions and changes, and the application of fundamental concepts to the study of our natural world. These concepts will be explored in hands-on laboratory experiments. This course integrates the fundamental concepts and ideas about the nature of physics and chemistry with the natural world. This is a statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SC1 category. Prerequisite: College readiness in English and Career & Technical Math. (3-2)

SCI156SCI1056
Integrated Science II - Earth and Life Science with Lab: GT-SC1 4

Examines earth and biological systems, living and non-living environments, through the application of fundamental energy and matter concepts. These systems and concepts will be explored in hands-on laboratory experiments. This is a Statewide Guaranteed Transfer course in the GT-SC1 category. Prerequisite: College readiness in English and Career & Technical Math. (3-2)

Program Requirements

Total Credits 18
Course Number Course Title Credits Details
ECE101ECE1011
Introduction to Early Childhood Education 3

Provides an introduction to the profession of Early Childhood Education (ECE). Course content includes eight key areas of professional knowledge related to working with young children and their families in early care and education settings: child growth and development; health, nutrition and safety; developmentally appropriate practices; guidance; family and community relationships; diversity and inclusion; professionalism; and administration and supervision. This course addresses children ages birth through 8 years. (3-0)

ECE102ECE1045
Introduction to ECE Techniques 3

Focuses on a classroom seminar and placement in a child care setting. The supervised placement provides the student with the opportunity to observe children, to practice appropriate interactions, and to develop effective guidance and management techniques. Addresses age's birth through age 8. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: Successful completion of ECE1011 and ECE1031 with a "C" grade or better. (1-4)

ECE103ECE1031
Guidance Strategies Young Children 3

Explores guidance theories, applications, goals, and techniques, as well as factors that influence behavioral expectations of children. This course includes classroom management and pro-social skills development of young children in early childhood (EC) program settings. This course addresses children ages birth through 8 years. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECE1011 with a "C" grade or better or Co-requisite:  ECE1011. (3-0)

ECE220ECE2621
Curriculum Methods/Techniques 3

Provides an overview of early childhood curriculum development. This course includes processes for planning and implementing developmentally appropriate environments, materials, and experiences that represent best practices in early childhood (EC) program settings. This course addresses children ages birth through 8 years. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECE1011 or ECE2381 with a "C" grade or better or Co-requisite: ECE1011 and ECE2381. (3-0)

ECE238ECE2381
ECE Child Growth & Development 3

Covers the growth and development of the child from conception through the elementary school years. This course emphasizes physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional domains of development as they pertain to the concept of the whole child. It also includes ways adults can provide a supportive early childhood care and educational environment through teamwork and collaboration. (3-0)

ECE256ECE2101
Working with Families & Communities 3

Examines professional attitudes related to working with diverse families and how unconscious bias may affect family-professional partnerships in early care and education settings. This course covers theoretical perspectives of families and communities, communication strategies, and an exploration of activities and resources to support family engagement in their children’s education. Supporting equity and inclusion of all family cultures in early care and education settings for children ages birth through eight. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECE1011 with a "C" grade or better or Co-requisite: ECE1011 (3-0)

Electives

Total Credits 9

Consult with a Northeastern Advisor and select the credits needed based on the specific articulation agreement and transfer institution requirements. The list of approved electives can be found on the Approved A.A.-A.S. Electives page.