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Early Childhood Education

The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Early Childhood Education is designed to prepare students for employment as early childhood teachers in a variety of educational programs. Students learn effective teaching skills as they apply developmentally appropriate early childhood educational theory in the classroom setting. Courses have been selected with a focus on developing an educational career ladder. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Early Childhood Education is also available and includes additional early childhood electives and general education classes to broaden the student's base of knowledge.

Details

Field of Interest
Education
Degree Type
Certificate of Completion (CCL)
Academic Plan
Early Childhood Education (CER)
Academic Plan Code
5056
Total credits required
36
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

For some employment and field experiences (including internship courses), students will be required to have a current Identity Verified Print (IVP) Fingerprint Clearance Card and a current TB test.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Design developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning experiences that promote each child's growth and development in the following domains: Social-Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, and Language and Literacy.
  2. Implement developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning experiences.
  3. Implement the components necessary for a safe, caring, inclusive, and healthy learning environment according to best practices and local, state, and national standards.
  4. Assess children's learning and development through observation and documentation, using guidelines established by the profession.
  5. Establish reciprocal, culturally responsive relationships with families and communities.
  6. Practice communication skills to advocate for children and their families.
  7. Practice ethical and professional standards and behavior.
  8. Advocate for an ethical, equitable, diverse, and effective early childhood education profession.
  9. Engage in reflective practice and continuous learning through education and research.
  10. Collaborate with peers to problem solve within early childhood education.

Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education

$29,800

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary

$29,580

* Wage information sourced from the . Updated May 2022.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
 or or Critical course Gateway course SB or SB or SB 3
( and
and
) or
 ( and and ) or 3
( and
and
) or
 ( and and ) or 3
or
 or C, SB or C, SB 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Critical course SB 3
C, HU 3
( and
) or
or
 ( and ) or or 2–3
( and
) or
 ( and ) or Critical course 2–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
( and
and
and
) or
 ( and and and ) or 3–4
or
( and
) or
()		 or ( and ) or () Select CFS/ (3) or
[ and ( or CFS/)] (2) 		2–3
or
( and
)		 or ( and ) 2–3
RE Restricted Elective 2–7

Restricted Electives

Students must select 2-7 credits from the following courses to meet a minimum of 36 credits for the certificate. Cannot be shared with Required Courses Area.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
or
 or or Critical course Gateway course SB or SB or SB 3
( and
and
) or
 ( and and ) or 3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
 or C, SB or C, SB 3
Critical course SB 3
( and
) or
 ( and ) or Critical course 2–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
( and
and
) or
 ( and and ) or 3
C, HU 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
( and
) or
or
 ( and ) or or 2–3
( and
and
and
) or
 ( and and and ) or 3–4

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
or
( and
) or
()		 or ( and ) or () Select CFS/ (3) or
[ and ( or CFS/)] (2) 		2–3
or
( and
)		 or ( and ) 2–3
RE Restricted Elective 2–7

Restricted Electives

Students must select 2-7 credits from the following courses to meet a minimum of 36 credits for the certificate. Cannot be shared with Required Courses Area.

A list of additional, alternative, or supplemental courses for this pathway map
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.