Dec 05, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Catalog

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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), Early Childhood Education (ECE) degree provides candidates with specialized, professional preparation to teach young children, PreK through third grade, in a variety of program and school-based settings. The BAS-ECE builds on both the AAEC and the AAS in Early Childhood Studies to deepen teaching knowledge and prepares individuals as highly qualified early childhood educators.

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 family services. Lower division (100 and 200 level) courses may be taken prior to program admission. Enrollment in upper division courses (300 and 400 level) requires program admission. 

Students who graduate with an NPC AAS in Early Childhood Studies or AAEC degree are automatically accepted into the BAS, ECE degree program provided they maintain continuous enrollment. For admission, continuously enrolled graduates must meet with the Educator Preparation Program advising team to update their degree intent within one semester of graduation. Students who have an earned degree in another major, or who have not maintained continuous enrollment must apply for admission into the BAS, ECE program.
Go to www.npc.edu/bas-ece-apply to complete the application. 

Requirements:

To be admitted, students must meet 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 Identity Verified Prints (IVP) card with Level 1 clearance. 
  • 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 may be met by one of the following (or combination of) Option A, Option B, or Option C.

Selection Criteria

Priority admission will be given in the following order:

  1. NPC graduates with an earned AA or AAS in Early Childhood.
  2. Graduates with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood from an institution with which NPC has an articulation agreement.
  3. Graduates with Associate Degrees or Bachelor’s Degrees in any field.

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

The BAS in ECE includes two student teaching options:

  • Birth to PreK option: for those wanting to specialize in the birth to five age group and does not lead to teacher certification. 
  • K-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 the Associate of Arts in Early Childhood, AAEC  or the ECD - Early Childhood Studies, AAS  Credits: 64
and the following courses not taken as part of your Associate Degree:

Discipline Studies: 4-30 Credits


Electives


Choose from the following courses to complete a minimum of 120 credits total and that include a minimum of 30 credits of general education. Depending on your specialization and/or interests, courses may include:

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 CERTIFICATION SPECIALIZATION:


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