Jul 01, 2025  
2025-2026 Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Catalog

Bachelor of Applied Science, Early Childhood Education, BAS-ECE


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Why Study Early Childhood Education? Click here to learn more.   

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

Complete an approved Associate Degree at a community college that has an articulation agreement with NPC’s Educator Preparation Department.

Option B - Exam

Receive a passing score on the Professional Knowledge and Early Childhood Subject Matter Exams.

Option C - NPC Prerequisites

Complete the following NPC courses (22 cr) to meet the foundational requirements of the program.

ECD 110   Building Relationships with Families: 1 Credit

ECD 128   Culture, Language, and Community: 1 Credit

ECD 135   Survey of Child Development: 3 Credits

ECD 141   Healthy and Safe EC Practices: 2 Credits

ECD 145   Foundations in Early Childhood: 3 Credits

ECD 175   Professionalism: 1 Credit

ECD 184   Early Social and Emotional Development: 2 Credits

ECD 186   Effective Interactions for Learning: 1 Credit

ECD 187   Supporting STEM in EC: 1 Credit

ECD 188   Policies and Procedures in EC: 1 Credit

ECD 208   Observation and Assessment: 1 Credit

ECD 217   Early Language and Literacy: 1 Credit

ECD 222   Intro to EC Special Education: 3 Credits

ECD 290   EC Practicum: 1 Credit

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.

Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education (BAS-ECE) • 120 Credits


Complete an Associate Degree (60 - 64 credits) and the following courses (56 - 60 credits), not taken as part of your degree.

Electives


If needed to complete the minimum 120 credits, students are encouraged to choose from the following courses, depending on your area of interest or specialization.

Field-Based Teaching Requirements: 11 Credits


PRACTICUM


STUDENT TEACHING


Choose one of the following specialization areas:

FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD, BIRTH TO PRE-K SPECIALIZATION:


FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER CERTIFICATION SPECIALIZATION:


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