Bachelor of Arts: Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure)

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Within the context of a Christian worldview, the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) degree provides a challenging, theory-based and application-oriented approach to educating children from birth to age 8. Courses and field experiences develop educators who are dedicated to addressing diverse learner needs with excellence through servant-leadership in their field and society.

The skills and dispositions of the professional educator will be developed through the study of curriculum development, learning assessment, psychological foundations, teaching methods, classroom management, and critical thinking. These principles are then put into practical application through field-based experiences in real early childhood classrooms. This combination of conceptual knowledge applied in real-world classroom experiences contributes to the student’s development as an early childhood educator.

Upon successful program completion, graduates meet requirements for certification by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to teach in schools around the world. Students pursuing this degree are not eligible for a Colorado state teaching license. However, this degree will meet educational requirements for teaching in many private early childhood programs, Head Start programs, charter schools, international schools, and other agencies. A full-time student teaching practicum is not required. However, students are required to complete approximately 160 clock hours of field-based experiences over the course of two semesters.

Students graduating from the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) program may apply to the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (MACI) program at CCU. Upon acceptance, three credits of graduate-level coursework included in the Bachelor of Arts professional core can be applied to the MACI “Non-Emphasis” degree.

The Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) requires completion of the following 120 hours:
General Education (45 credits)
Prerequisite Professional Core (6 credits)
Early Childhood Professional Core (33 credits)
Electives (36 credits)

General Education Core Requirements (45 credit hours)

Arts and Humanities (9 credit hours)

PHL-205A World Views (3) (must be taken at CCU)
Choose one.
ART-112A Art Appreciation (3)
HUM-101A Creative Arts (3)
Any creative arts/fine arts/music appreciation equivalent may be used for either course.
Choose one.
HUM-216A Classic Christmas Films & Literature (3)
HUM-229A C.S. Lewis in Film & Literature (3)
Any literature equivalent may be used for either course.

Biblical Studies (9 credit hours)

INT-212A Adult Studies Seminar II (3) (must be taken at CCU)
BIB-101A Old Testament Introduction (3) (or equivalent)
BIB-102A New Testament Introduction (3) (or equivalent)

Communication (9 credit hours)

Written Communication

Oral/Interpersonal Communication

Integrative Studies (3 credit hours)

INT-211A Adult Studies Seminar I (3) (must be taken at CCU)

Mathematics (3 credit hours)

MAT-113A Math Concepts (3) (*or higher level math)
* MAT-250A Introduction to Research and Applied Statistics cannot be used to fulfill the general education requirement.

Natural/Physical Science (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 hours of physical, earth, or biological science courses.

Social Science (6 credit hours)

PSY-102A General Psychology (3) (or psychology equivalent)
Choose one of the following, or a world history or U.S. history equivalent:
HIS-202A Western Civilization I (3)
HIS-203A America to 1877 (3)
HIS-204A America since 1877 (3)
HIS-312A Colonial America (3)

Prerequisite Professional Core Requirements (6 credit hours)

Students must demonstrate a foundational background in early childhood education prior to beginning this degree by transferring 6 credits of early childhood education coursework from an accredited college or university. All students must transfer ECE 205 - Health, Safety, and Nutrition for ECE (3) and the additional 3 credits may be from any 100 level or higher ECE course, except field work or practicum experiences.

Requirements for Entrance into the Professional Core:

School of Education (SEP) - specified background check
Cumulative GPA of 2.50 for courses completed at CCU
A minimum of 9 credit hours must be completed at CCU prior to admission into SEP programs
Asynchronous interview with an SEP staff designee
Writing sample
Participation in a 90-minute synchronous program kickoff in June
Applicants must complete all general education and elective requirements prior to enrolling in any SEP core program courses. Applicants may be admitted by the program director for conditional admission with a maximum of 9 credits outstanding in any of the pre-professional core areas

Professional Core Requirements (33 credit hours)

All program admission requirements must be met before enrolling in the education core.

Elective Requirements (36 credit hours)

Complete 36 hours of elective credits.

Graduation Requirements

The faculty recommends students in the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure) program to the Board of Trustees as candidates for graduation when they have completed the following requirements:

Completion of a total of 120 credits of courses, including all general education, elective, prerequisite, and professional core requirements
A grade of D or higher in all CCU non-education coursework, and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher in all CCU coursework
Students must earn a C- or higher in all education core courses, and must consistently demonstrate professional disposition qualities, knowledge and skills in all core courses and field studies
Compliance with the CAGS residency requirements
Formal and timely application for graduation by the date specified by the University Registrar
No outstanding financial obligations to the University