For those who do not already have an Associate Degree in ECE or ECFS, the following prerequisite courses are required and can count as elective credits toward the B.A.S. degree. At least 3 of these courses, whichever you choose, must be completed prior to beginning the Bachelor’s cohort in any given fall quarter. Through the 2019-20 school year, the remaining 3 can be completed after you have started in the program. Admitted students also have the option to take a waiver exam for the remaining three courses. Waived courses do not count as credit toward the degree, but do count as meeting admissions requirements.  If you would prefer to take these courses online, please contact Annie Garrett, Program Manager, for special registration instructions. *Please note that beginning Fall 2020, the prerequisite policy will be changing and all six courses must be accounted for PRIOR to beginning the BAS cohort.

• course(EDUC&115) – Child Development
• course(ECED&107) – Health, Safety and Nutrition
• course(EDUC&130) – Guiding Behavior
• course(ECED&170) – Environments
• course(EDUC&150) – Child, Family, Community
• course(ECED&160) – Curriculum Development
• course(ENGL&101) – English Composition I

Important Information about Prerequisites

• Equivalent courses from other colleges may be substituted for any/all of these prerequisites.

• Candidates with equivalent prior learning from employment and professional development experience may inquire about testing out of these courses.

• If you have not taken these courses but wish to apply, please contact our program manager to discuss these alternatives.

Curriculum

The degree provides professional development training for early care and education professionals, allowing them to keep pace with the increasing professionalization of the field. The curriculum is designed to align with accreditation standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). We aim to prepare educators who are skilled in addressing and undoing barriers of inequity and misinformation. This emphasis upon anti-bias education forms the foundation of our curriculum and programming. and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

The following is a list of courses included in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education curriculum. These courses will be hybrid (blend of in-person and online learning) with in-person classes offered two nights per week at Seattle Central College.

In addition to the 60 credits of upper-division courses listed on this page, students must complete 60 elective and 60 general education credits in order to complete the ECE B.A.S. degree. Elective and general education requirements can be fulfilled by associate degree or past college/university credits. Most students will already have the majority of electives completed upon entrance into the program. Meet with Program Manager Annie Garrett to see how your past credits fit in the ECE B.A.S. degree requirements.

Practicum

Applied Learning Opportunities:
Practicum and Capstone
The program incorporates an embedded practicum in most all upper division ECE BAS courses (60 total credits) through a coaching platform in which students upload video of themselves teaching for peer and instructor feedback. Practicum participation is an essential part of the program and required of all students. Currently, students must spend at least 5 hours per week working directly with early learners at their practicum site. This takes place at the student’s place of employment, or, if the student is not currently working at an early childhood setting, at an internship site. Students are responsible for identifying their own practicum site, but are welcomed to reach out to the program manager for access to our practicum finder tool and/or personalized suggestions.

The Early Childhood Education B.A.S. degree includes significant applied learning opportunities. The practicum (5 credits) and capstone (5 credits) are designed to ensure real-world, practical applications of the concepts and tools learned.

The practicum and capstone course descriptions can be viewed on the curriculum page.

Credit for Prior Learning

We encourage B.A.S. students to apply for Prior Learning Assessment credits if their previous coursework, training, work experience or military service warrants. Eligibility for prior learning should be explored with the B.A.S. manager and then the faculty coordinator upon admittance to the program.

Students may have up to 25 percent of the 180 total program credits covered through successful completion of Prior Learning Assessment. A maximum of 15 credits of early childhood education upper-division courses may be covered through Prior Learning Assessment. The college recognizes the importance and relevance of prior leaning assessment and has made strides in making this easily accessible for students.

• North follows the recommendations made by the American Council on Education when evaluating military training and education records. The college’s Office of Veterans Services will help active and veteran military personnel contact appropriate faculty to work with.
• Students may work with faculty to receive credit through the Prior Experiential Learning Portfolio (PELP) program. This method is appropriate for persons who have acquired knowledge and skills in ways that are not covered by “traditional” tests and transcripts. We expect this will be the method used for most Prior Learning Assessments of upper-division ECE coursework.
• Students may test out of specified general education courses by taking the final examination.

If you think you may qualify for Prior Learning Assessment credits, please contact Program Manager person(agarrett) for more general information. Please note that Prior Learning Assessment cannot be conducted until a student is admitted to the program.