Child Development Associate in Applied Science

General Requirements: Total Hours: 61 • Minimum GPA: 2.0
Program Description: The Associate in Applied Science in Child Development consists of curriculum to prepare child development professionals. The program prepares students for a job in child development centers or in an educational setting for young children.

General Education Requirements:    18 hours
Area Min. Hours Course Code Course Description
Communications 6 ENGL 1113 English Composition I
    ENGL 1213 English Composition II
Social Science 6 HIST 1483 or HIST 1493 U.S. HIST to 1877 or U.S. HIST 1877-Pres
    POLS 1113 U.S. Government 
Selected General Ed Requirements 6 BISC, BOT, CHEM, MATH, MUS, ART, PSY, SOC, SPCH, CMSC, GEG, PHSC
     
Technical-Occupational Specialty Courses:   31 hours
Child Development Education 31 CD    2101 Portfolio Development in Early Childhood Education
    CD    2053 Child Growth and Development
    CD    2063 Behavior and Guidance of Young Children
    CD    2023 Nutrition, Health and Safety for Children
    CD    2043 Parent and Community Relations
    CD    2073 Music, Movement and Creative Arts
    CD    2103 Education and Services for Children with Special Needs
    CD    2173 Cognitive Skills for Children
    CD    2183 Language and Social Skills for Children
    CD    2203 Early Childhood Education Program Planning and Eval.
    CD    2223 Professionalism in Early Childhood Education
 
Support and Related Courses:   9 hours
Sociology 3 SOC    2183 Sociology of the Family
Child Development     3 CD    2233 Assessment and Eval of Child Growth and Development
Management 3 MGMT    2103 Occupational/Technical Internship (CD)
       
Institutional Requirements:   3 hours
Computer Science 3 CMSC 1223 Business Applications Software

 

Program Outcomes

The child development & family studies program(s) provide students with an understanding of children’s growth and development, developmentally appropriate environments, family and community relationships, and professional practices that promote the learning of young children. Students learn meaningful curriculum and practices that will help them to demonstrate knowledgeable informed decisions when working with children. The curriculum covers health and safety, knowledge of state and federal guidelines, positive guidance strategies, meaningful learning experiences, developing meaningful relationships with families and community, evaluation and observation of children, how to address individual children to grow physically, emotionally, and cognitively according to their own individual needs. The child development program provides a background for further study or entry into a variety of child development professions.  Students must obtain an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher for successful degree completion. 

Intended Program Outcomes 

  • Explain the multiple influences and positive ways that affect children’s ability to grow and learn in various environments that are supportive, challenging, respectful, and healthy.  
  • Measured by effectively communicating thru reading and writing assignments, observations, and exams. 
  • Communicate in writing to express solutions in child development topics. 

Measured by completing assigned writing assignments that demonstrate effective critical thinking to identifying and defining problems and then formulating conclusions based upon assigned reading assignments.  

  •  Apply critical thinking skills to observe and evaluation children’s development. 

Measured thru completion of performance-based assessments and observations.  

  • Develop specialized technical knowledge and skills relevant to the field of child development. (computer & writing skills)

Measured by demonstrating basic technology skills for class success, i.e. computer, research, on-line discussions.

  • Assess the philosophy, theories, policies, practices, processes, and environments of the child development field. 

Measured by exams, observations and writing assignments. 

  • Review and explore the historical, philosophical and social foundations that influence children’s growth and development as a professional by using appropriate professional literature, organizations, resources and experiences in order to improve the practice of teaching young children.

Measured by exams, observations, and writing assignments.