Early Childhood Education, A.A.
Associate in Arts Degree – 62 Credit Hours
Curriculum Code 1280
To teach young children (birth to age 8) in Illinois public schools, teachers must be certified by the State of Illinois upon completion of their baccalaureate degree program. Students interested in early childhood education are encouraged to complete the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prior to transfer. Students who have selected a transfer school should consult the catalog of that school and an academic advisor. College catalogs and transfer guides for many four-year colleges are available in the Academic Advising Center. Students should also be aware that admission to the junior year of Early Childhood Education is competitive and that completion of the recommended courses does not guarantee admission. A minimum grade point average determined by the transfer institution and passage of a test of academic proficiency are required for program admission.
Required General Education Core Curriculum—38 credit hours as follows:
Communication—9 credit hours
Mathematics—3 credit hours
Choose three credit hours from
| MTH-120 | General Education Mathematics | 3 |
| - | | |
| MTH-121 | Math for Teachers I | 3 |
| - | and | |
| MTH-122 | Math for Teachers II | 3 |
| - | | |
| MTH-139 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| MTH-143 | Finite Mathematics | 4 |
| MTH-145 | Calculus for Business & Social Scien | 4 |
| MTH-150 | Calculus I/Analytic Geometry | 5 |
MTH-122: Recommended
Math requirements vary at four-year institutions.
Physical and Life Sciences—8 credit hours
Choose four credit hours from
Choose four credit hours from
Each of the Physical and Life Science courses shown above has a one-hour laboratory component included within the course structure and contact hours, with the exception of PHY-106/ PHY-107 and PHY-110/ PHY-111.
Humanities and Fine Arts—9 credit hours
Choose three credit hours from
Choose three credit hours from
Choose an additional three credit hours from any of the courses above.
Recommended that students choose a Non-Western or Third World Cultures course.
Foreign Language Requirement: Some universities have a foreign language requirement. Generally, four years of a single foreign language in high school or four semesters of language in college will fulfill this requirement. It is recommended that students complete the entire foreign language sequence at one institution.
Social and Behavioral Sciences—9 credit hours
Select an additional three credit hours from
Additional Degree Requirement—3 credit hours
Required Course
Area of Concentration/Major Field—6-16 credit hours
Required Courses
| ECE-101 | Introduction to Early Childhood | 3 |
| EDU-111 | Intro to the Exceptional Child | 3 |
These courses will be accepted in transfer by participating schools, but they may only transfer as electives within the major.
Teachers must choose an area of concentration, 18 hours of coursework in one discipline. Nine of those hours should be taken at the community college level with the other nine hours taken at the transfer school. Students should consult the catalog of the intended transfer school to determine acceptable areas of concentration.
Electives—5-14 credit hours
Select any additional courses to fulfill teacher certification requirements. Students should check the catalog for their transfer school to receive additional guidance on courses to select.
The program(s) of study listed above is a model for students who are undecided about a transfer institution and uncertain about specific course requirements.
Students who already know their intended transfer institution should refer to that school’s catalog. In any case, students are strongly encouraged to work with a Moraine Valley academic advisor for specific course selection advice and transfer planning support.