A.S.-T Degree for Transfer: Early Childhood Education

Below is a sample academic plan that shows you how you can complete your Associate's Degree for Transfer in two years. Your path may look different depending on your circumstances?for example, if you attend part-time, choose to take Intersession or Summer courses, or have earned prior credit (Credit for Prior Learning, Dual Enrollment, Transfer Credit). The plan includes four semesters, each with an average course load of 15 units, and follows the Plan 2 Cal-GETC General Education pattern. You are required to meet with a counselor to set up a comprehensive education plan that is tailored to your individual circumstances and goals.

The Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer (AS-T) prepares students to move into a curriculum at a four year institution leading to a baccalaureate degree in Child Development, Human Development, Early Childhood Education or Child and Adolescent Studies. Please consult a counselor regarding specific course requirements for your transfer institution. Completion of the AS-T degree also provides guaranteed admission with junior status to the CSU system although does not guarantee acceptance to a particular campus. Upon completion of the AS-T in Early Childhood Education, students will have general understanding of the main developmental theories as they pertain to the development, care, and education of young children. Additionally, students will have the capacity to evaluate and plan curriculum and environments for children based on observation of their physical, cognitive, emotional, social and creative characteristics.  Some potential careers after completing the Early Childhood Education for Transfer degree include:  infant/toddler teacher, preschool teacher, early childhood home based educator, after school teacher, and paraprofessional educator.

Requirements for all Associate Degrees for Transfer:

  1. Completion of 60 semester CSU transferable units.
  2. Completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). The CSU-GE (California State University General Education Breadth) or IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) pattern may be used in some cases; please see a counselor for details.
  3. Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of at least a 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.
  4. Minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major. If the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis the "P" must be equal to a "C" or better.
  5. Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units in the major or area of emphasis.

Demonstrate a knowledge base of early childhood and development of young children 3-5 years old.

Apply the knowledge base of theory to practice through thoughtful reflections on classroom observations.

Evaluate main philosophical and sociological ideas and trends that have influenced education as well as be able to analyze their application and importance for teaching today.

Program Map

GE General Education Course
M Major Course
E Elective Course
SI Summer/Intersession Course *
* Course is appropriate for Summer and Intersession, which are accelerated terms.

Getting Started

Comprehensive Education Plan: You are required to meet with a counselor for a comprehensive educational plan that is tailored to your individual circumstances and goals. Please schedule an appointment in your first semester.

CSU Transfer Success Pathway: If eligible, enter into a CSU Transfer Success Pathway agreement at the beginning of your first semester to receive a guaranteed admission to the degree program and campus of your choice. Visit the SAC Transfer Center for more information.

First Semester

16-17 units
CDEV C1000
Child Growth and Development
Students examine the progression of development in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains and identify developmental milestones for children from conception through adolescence. Emphasis is on interactions between biological processes, environmental, and cultural factors. Students may engage in various methods of observing children's development to evaluate individual differences and analyze development characteristics at various stages according to developmental theories. A student will not receive credit for this course if they have already taken Psychology 157. Formerly: CDEV 107 - Child Growth and Development (DS1)
    Plan 1: 4B. Social Science
    Plan 1: 7A. Lifelong Understanding
    Plan 2: 4. Social and Behavioral Sciences
    CDEV 111A
    Principles and Practices of Teaching Young Children
    Historical contexts and theoretical perspectives of developmentally appropriate practice in early care and education for children birth through age eight. Explores the typical roles and expectations of early childhood educators. Identifies professional ethics, career pathways, and professional standards. Introduces best practices for developmentally appropriate learning environments, curriculum, and effective pedagogy for young children including how play contributes to children's learning, growth, and development. Students will be required to complete observations and assignments in an early childhood lab school setting.
    • Prerequisite: Prerequisite: By the 1st week of the class, verification of the state-mandated Tdap vaccination, MMR immunization, flu vaccine, negative TB test, and statement of good health is required.
    ENGL C1000
    In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. Formerly: ENGL 101 - Freshman Composition.
    In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. This course includes embedded support.
    In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. This is an honors course. Formerly: ENGL 101H - Honors Freshman Composition.
    In this course, students receive instruction in academic reading and writing, including writing processes, effective use of language, analytical thinking, and the foundations of academic research. Formerly: ENGL 101 - Freshman Composition.
    AND
    Laboratory exercises are designed to explore and understand the reading process, the writing process, grammar and punctuation rules in order to successfully complete English C1000. This class must be taken concurrently with an English C100 course.
    ERTH 115
    Earth Science for Educators
    The study of the dynamic forces shaping the earth, including its oceans and atmosphere. This class is open to all majors but is oriented towards enhancing the earth science knowledge of future teachers. Also includes an introduction to the solar system. Half-day field trip required. Not open to students who are enrolled or have credit in Earth Science 110, Geology 101, or Geography 101.
      Plan 1: 5. Natural Sciences
      Plan 2: 5A. Physical Science
      Plan 2: 5C. Laboratory
      CHOICE: Elective

      To maximize your Promise Program benefits and support your academic, career, and personal development goals, consider taking CNSL 100 or CNSL 116. 

      Second Semester

      16 units
      CDEV 110
      Child, Family, and Community (DS2)
      The processes of socialization focusing on the interrelationship of family, school, and community. Examines the influence of multiple societal contexts. Explores the role of collaboration between family, community, and schools in supporting children's development, birth through adolescence. (Same as APCD 110)
        Plan 1: 4B. Social Science
        CDEV 111B
        Introduction to Curriculum for Young Children
        Developmentally appropriate curriculum and environments for children birth through age eight. Students will use knowledge of children's development, theories of learning and development, and examples from various models of developmentally appropriate practice to plan environments and curriculum in all content areas to support children's development and learning integrated throughout the indoor and outdoor settings. Students will be required to complete observations and assignments in an early childhood lab school setting.
        • Prerequisite: Prerequisite: By the 1st week of the class, verification of the state-mandated Tdap vaccination, MMR immunization, flu vaccine, negative TB test, and statement of good health is required.
        COMM C1000
        Introduction to Public Speaking
        In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches. Formerly: CMST 102 - Public Speaking.
          Plan 1: 1B. Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
          Plan 2: 1C. Oral Communication
          STAT C1000 or PSYC 210 or MATH 105
          This course is an introduction to statistical thinking and processes, including methods and concepts for discovery and decision-making using data. Topics include descriptive statistics; probability and sampling distributions; statistical inference; correlation and linear regression; analysis of variance, chi-squared, and t-tests; and application of technology for statistical analysis including the interpretation of the relevance of the statistical findings. Students apply methods and processes to applications using data from a broad range of disciplines. Formerly: MATH 219 - Statistics and Probability.
          This course is an introduction to statistical thinking and processes, including methods and concepts for discovery and decision-making using data. Topics include descriptive statistics; probability and sampling distributions; statistical inference; correlation and linear regression; analysis of variance, chi-squared, and t-tests; and application of technology for statistical analysis including the interpretation of the relevance of the statistical findings. Students apply methods and processes to applications using data from a broad range of disciplines. This course has embedded support. Formerly: Math 219S - Statistics and Probability with Support.
          This course is an introduction to statistical thinking and processes, including methods and concepts for discovery and decision-making using data. Topics include descriptive statistics; probability and sampling distributions; statistical inference; correlation and linear regression; analysis of variance, chi-squared, and t-tests; and application of technology for statistical analysis including the interpretation of the relevance of the statistical findings. Students apply methods and processes to applications using data from a broad range of disciplines. This is an honors course. Formerly: Math 219H - Honors Statistics and Probability.
          Introduces psychology and behavioral science majors to descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Knowledge of these methods is essential to the understanding, interpretation, and performance of scientific research. Topics covered include probability theory, hypothesis testing, correlation, analysis of variance, the graphical representation of data, basic research design, and the use of computer software to perform statistical analyses.
          An overview of mathematics for the liberal arts student. Topics will include problem solving, financial management, probability, statistics, set theory, geometry, mathematical modeling, and the history of mathematics.
          ETHN 150
          Introduction to Ethnic Studies
          This course serves to broaden the ethnic and racial perspectives of students interested in American culture and society. A trans-disciplinary, multisectoral, and multidimensional approach will be employed to study the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of four ethnic groups -- Native/First People Americans, African/Black Americans, Chicana/Chicano/Chican@/Chicanx/Xicana/Xicano/Xicanx/Latin/Latina /Latino/Latine/Latinx Americans, and Asian Americans. Emphasis is placed on these groups' historical and contemporary relationships with each other and the rest of American society—Duplicate credit not granted for ETHN 150H.
            Plan 1: 4B. Social Science
            Plan 1: 6. Ethnic Studies
            Plan 2: 4. Social and Behavioral Sciences
            Plan 2: 6. Ethnic Studies

            Third Semester

            16 units
            CDEV 108
            Observation and Assessment for Early Learning and Development (DS3)
            Introduces the appropriate use of assessment and observation tools and strategies to document young children's development and learning. The use of findings to inform and plan learning environments and experiences are emphasized. Recording strategies, rating systems, portfolios, and multiple assessment tools will be discussed along with strategies for collaboration with families and professionals. Students will be required to complete child observations in an early childhood lab school setting.
            • Prerequisite: CDEV 107
            • Prerequisite: By the 1st week of the class, verification of the state-mandated Tdap vaccination, MMR immunization, flu vaccine, negative TB test, and statement of good health is required.
            CDEV 112
            Health, Safety, and Nutrition for Children
            Laws, regulations, standards, policies, procedures, and best practices related to health, safety, and nutrition in care and education settings for children birth through middle childhood. Includes the teacher’s role in prevention strategies, nutrition and meal planning, integrating health safety and nutrition experiences into daily routines, and overall risk management.
              CDEV 221
              Teaching in a Diverse Society
              Examines the historical and current perspectives on diversity and inclusion and the impact of systemic societal influences on children’s development, learning, and school experiences. Strategies for developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate anti-bias curriculum will be explored as well as approaches to promote inclusive and anti-racist classroom communities. Includes self-reflection on the influence of teachers’ own culture and life experiences on teaching and interactions with children and families. (Same As APCD 221)
                Plan 1: 4B. Social Science
                ENGL C1001
                Critical Thinking and Writing
                In this course, students receive instruction in critical thinking for purposes of constructing, evaluating, and composing arguments in a variety of rhetorical forms, using primarily non-fiction texts, refining writing skills and research strategies developed in ENGL C1000 College Reading and Writing (C-ID ENGL 100) or similar first-year college writing course. Formerly: ENGL 103 - Critical Thinking and Writing.
                • Prerequisite: College-level composition (ENGL C1000/ENGL C1000H/ENGLC1000E/C-ID ENGL 100) or equivalent
                Plan 1: 1B. Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
                Plan 2: 1B. Critical Thinking and Composition
                ART 100
                Introduction to Art Concepts
                A study of the visual arts in relation to both personal and cultural expressions. Fundamentals of visual organization, color theory, terminology, historical art movements and concepts will be studied. Required for art majors.
                  Plan 1: 3A. Arts
                  Plan 2: 3A. Arts

                  Fourth Semester

                  14 units
                  CDEV 296
                  Practicum - Student Teaching Field Experience
                  Demonstration of developmentally appropriate early childhood program planning and teaching competencies under the supervision of CDES faculty and other qualified early education professionals. Students will utilize practical classroom experiences to make connections between theory and practice, develop professional behaviors, and build a comprehensive understanding of children and families. Reflective practice will be emphasized as student teachers design, implement, and evaluate approaches, strategies, and techniques that promote development and learning. Includes exploration of career pathways, professional development, and teacher responsibilities. Students are required to complete a minimum of 108 hours in an early childhood lab school setting or approved mentor site.
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV C1000
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV 108
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV 110
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV 111A
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV 111B
                  • Prerequisite: CDEV 221
                  BIOL 115
                  Concepts in Biology for Educators
                  An investigation in the basic principles of Biology and Science with content appropriate for future multiple-subject teachers and secondary through high school. The course material is presented within the context of the human experience and includes cell biology, physiology, genetics, evolution, ecology, animal behavior, and the interaction of humans with the environment. The course is taught from an inquiry-based strategy using active learning.
                  *Spring Course Only
                    Plan 1: 5. Natural Sciences
                    Plan 2: 5B. Biological Science
                    Plan 2: 5C. Laboratory
                    ENGL 270
                    Children's Literature
                    A study of literature for children emphasizing the history, trends, issues, and evaluation of all major genres: picture books, poetry, drama, traditional literature, non-fiction, and fiction, including full-length works.
                    • Prerequisite: ENGL C1000
                    • Prerequisite: ENGL C1000H
                    Plan 1: 3B. Humanities
                    Plan 2: 3B. Humanities
                    POLS C1000
                    American Government and Politics
                    This course is an introduction to government and politics in the United States and California. Students examine the constitutions, structure, and operation of governing institutions, civil liberties and civil rights, political behaviors, political issues, and public policy using political science theory and methodology. Formerly: POLT 101 - American Government and Politics.
                      Plan 1: 4A. American Institutions
                      Plan 2: 4. Social and Behavioral Sciences