The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) provides candidates with specialized preparation that leads to careers in child and family services and teacher certification working with children up to 3rd grade. The BAS-ECE builds on Associate Degrees in Early Childhood to deepen knowledge and prepare individuals as highly qualified early childhood educators and professionals.
Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the BAS program. The BAS program requires demonstration of prior college success and the ability to work in the field of teaching and/or family services. Lower division (100 and 200 level) courses may be taken prior to program admission, but enrollment in upper division courses (300 and 400 level) requires program admission.
Requirements:
To be admitted, students must meet all of the following criteria:
An earned Associate Degree or higher from an accredited institution.
- An overall GPA of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- A current IVP (Identity Verified Prints), Level 1 clearance card.
- Evidence of meeting course prerequisites if the earned Associate degree is from a college other than NPC or is not in Early Childhood Education. Evidence of one of the following (or a combination of) Option A, Option B, or Option C.
Option A - Approved Program of Study
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Complete an approved Associate Degree at a community college that has an articulation agreement with NPC’s Educator Preparation Department.
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Receive a passing score on the Professional Knowledge and Early Childhood Subject Matter Exams.
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Option C - NPC Prerequisites
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Complete the following NPC courses (22 cr) to meet the foundational requirements of the program.
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ECD 110 Building Relationships with Families: 1 Credit
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ECD 128 Culture, Language, and Community: 1 Credit
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ECD 135 Survey of Child Development: 3 Credits
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ECD 141 Healthy and Safe EC Practices: 2 Credits
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ECD 145 Foundations in Early Childhood: 3 Credits
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ECD 175 Professionalism: 1 Credit
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ECD 184 Early Social and Emotional Development: 2 Credits
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ECD 186 Effective Interactions for Learning: 1 Credit
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ECD 187 Supporting STEM in EC: 1 Credit
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ECD 188 Policies and Procedures in EC: 1 Credit
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ECD 208 Observation and Assessment: 1 Credit
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ECD 217 Early Language and Literacy: 1 Credit
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ECD 222 Intro to EC Special Education: 3 Credits
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ECD 290 EC Practicum: 1 Credit
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Selection Criteria
Priority admission will be given in the following order:
- NPC graduates with an earned AA or AAS in Early Childhood.
- Graduates with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood from an institution with which NPC has an articulation agreement.
- Graduates with Associate Degrees or Bachelor’s Degrees in any field.
The BAS in ECE includes two capstone experience options:
- Birth to PreK option: for those wanting to specialize in infants and toddlers or preschool ages (does not lead to teacher certification).
- PreK-3rd grade option: for those seeking early childhood teacher certification.
The BAS in ECE with certification option is an Arizona Department of Education approved teacher preparation program. Students who choose the teacher certification option and complete all requirements are eligible to receive “Institutional Recommendation” (IR) from the college. Graduates then take their IR from the college, along with other required documentation, to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to apply for teacher certification. Using an IR to apply for teacher certification streamlines the process by eliminating the need for ADE to conduct course by course transcript reviews. The IR provides the graduate with the benefits of faster processing and reduced fees for the teacher certification application.