Early Childhood Education-BA
Program Overview
Bachelor of Arts - Early Childhood Education
The 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education is a 120-credit
online degree program focused on providing high-quality, research-based education
for teaching children from birth through age five. This program is designed to prepare
students to assume teaching and/or leadership positions in licensed childcare and
preschool programs, Head Start programs, and agencies supporting early childhood education.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education aligns with the NAEYC Professional
Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators.
Note: This program does not offer licensure for teaching positions in the PreK-12 public
school system.
Student Learning Outcomes
The graduates of this program will consistently display the following skills in accordance
with the National Association for the Education of Your Children Professional Standards
and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators:
Standard #1: Child Development and Learning in Context - Early childhood education students will
be able to describe child development and learning in context from birth through age
five across developmental domains.
Standard #2: Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections - Early childhood education
students will be able to explain and demonstrate the importance of partnerships with
the families of the young children they serve.
Standard #3: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment - Early childhood education students
will be able to interpret and appraise assessments to inform instruction and planning
in early childhood settings.
Standard #4: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices - Early
childhood education students will be able to select the teaching skills needed for
the learning trajectories of young children.
Standard #5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood
Curriculum - Early childhood education students will be able to examine and identify
developmentally appropriate pedagogical methods for teaching in early childhood disciplines.
Standard #6: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator - Early childhood education students
will be able to summarize and apply ethical guidelines that advocate for young children,
their families, and the early childhood profession.
These performance standards are assessed through coursework, portfolios, reflections,
observations, and performance-based rubrics.
Accreditation
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accredits this baccalaureate
program.
Teacher Education Program Mission Statement
The mission of the teacher education program of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø is to provide
a distinctive early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education program
for rural Nevada.
The teacher education program is designed to develop competence, values, skills, and
knowledge to promote lifelong learning and is distinctive in the following ways:
- We recognize and value diversity in the heritage and traditions of the region.
-
We collaborate with the ten rural school districts in the region to offer early and extensive clinical and field experiences throughout the programs.
-
We utilize the professional expertise and contributions of faculty and staff in all academic disciplines.
-
We utilize technology for distance education and delivering education courses in rural areas.
Academic Advising
It is highly recommended that students who are interested in pursuing a degree in
Early Childhood Education seek advisement early in their academic program to ensure
efficient advancement through the program. The course of study in Early Childhood
Education involves the proper sequencing of courses within the program. All students
are encouraged to schedule appointments with their assigned advisors on a regular
basis. Program degree requirements may change. Call the Office of Advising at 775.327.2068
to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.
Admission to the Early Childhood Education Program
Application Deadline: After the specified prerequisites have been met, students must formally apply for
admission into the Early Childhood Education program. Students will contact the Early
Childhood Education Department to receive a copy of the most current GBC Early Childhood
Education Program Admission Handbook. Prior to application to the Early Childhood
Education Program, students must successfully complete the following:
- Early Childhood Education Program application form for admission.
- FBI background checks for ECE 493 Supervised Internship, if applicable.
- Completion of ENG 102 with a grade of C- or higher.
- Completion of 24 credits in ECE/HDFS.
- Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Technology and ECE/HDFS courses must have been completed within the last ten years.
- Official transcripts from previous colleges sent to GBC’s admissions and records office.
Admission Criteria: The teacher education committee (TEC) will admit students to the BA in Early Childhood
Education program each semester. Admission is on a competitive basis. When there are
more qualified applicants than there are available spaces in the program, preference
will be given to those with the highest qualifications. Meeting minimum application
criteria does not guarantee admission to the program. Those students who meet or exceed
the minimum criteria but who are not admitted may reapply in future semesters.
Additional Costs: Fingerprint cards must be submitted for background checks prior to enrolling in the
student’s first field experience class, if applicable. There is a fingerprinting fee.
Maintaining Good Standing: Students who have been admitted to the Early Childhood Education program must maintain
their status as students in good standing in order to graduate.
The requirements are as follows:
- Maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA at GBC.
- Maintain an ethical and professional standard of behavior.
- Receive satisfactory evaluations in field work and project development.
- Receive no lower than a 2.0 GPA in all upper-division courses.
Students who complete the lower division ECE, HDFS, and general education courses
may also apply to graduate with an Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science
in Early Childhood Education.
Students must formally apply for acceptance into the Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood
Program. Applications will be accepted each semester for the subsequent semester.
The deadlines for submitting applications will be April 1 for the fall semester and
October 1 for the spring semester. Prior to graduation, students must meet the following
criteria:
| Criteria | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total Units | 120 |
| Total Lower Division Courses |
78 |
| Total Upper Division Courses |
42 |
| Cumulative GPA |
2.5 or higher |
| Maintain GPA |
2.5 or higher |
| GBC GPA for Graduation |
2.0 or higher |
| Residency Requirement |
32 Upper division |
| Half Program Units (4 year institution) |
60 |
General Education Requirements
Lower-Division Courses
Evidence-Based Communications
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 102 | Composition II | 3 Credits |
Mathematical Reasoning (one course required): Choose from the courses listed below or any higher-level math. Excludes MATH 389
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 120 | Fund of College Math | 3 Credits |
| MATH 120E | Fund of College Math Expanded | 3 Credits |
| MATH 126 | Precalculus I | 3 Credits |
| MATH 126E | Precalculus I Expanded | 3 Credits |
| STAT 152 | Intro to Statistics | 3 Credits |
Scientific Data Interpretation (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 101 | General Astronomy | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 100 | General Biology/Non Major | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 190 | Intro Cell/Molecular Biology | 4 Credits |
| CHEM 100 | Molecules/Life Modrn Wrld | 3 Credits |
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry I | 4 Credits |
| ENV 100 | Humans and the Environment | 3 Credits |
| GEOL 101 | Exploring Planet Earth | 3-4 Credits |
| NUTR 121 | Human Nutrition | 3 Credits |
| PHYS 100 | Introductory Physics | 3 Credits |
| PHYS 151 | Gen Physics I | 4 Credits |
| PHYS 180 | Physics Scientist/Engr I | 4 Credits |
Scientific Reasoning (one course required): Choose one course listed below or any AST, BIOL, CHEM, ENV, GEOL, or PHYS
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 102 | Physical Anthropology | 3 Credits |
| GEOG 103 | Physical Geog Earth Environmnt | 3 Credits |
| NUTR 121 | Human Nutrition | 3 Credits |
American Constitutions and Institutions: HIST 101 and 102 or PSC 101
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 101 | U.S. History to 1877 | 3 Credits |
| HIST 102 | U.S. History Since 1877 | 3 Credits |
| PSC 101 | Intro American Politics | 3 Credits |
Social Science (one course required): Choose one course below or any transferrable 100 or 200 level; ANTH (except ANTH 102);
CRJ, HIST, PSC, PSY, SOC
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 102 | Prin of Microeconomics | 3 Credits |
| ECON 103 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 Credits |
| GEOG 106 | Intro to Cultural Geography | 3 Credits |
Humanities (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART 160 | Art Appreciation | 3 Credits |
| ENG 203 | Intro to Literary Study | 3 Credits |
| ENG 223 | Themes of Literature | 3 Credits |
| FIS 100 | Introduction to Film | 3 Credits |
| FREN 111 | First Year French I | 3-4 Credits |
| FREN 112 | First Year French II | 3-4 Credits |
| HIST 208 | World History I | 3 Credits |
| HIST 209 | World History II | 3 Credits |
| HUM 101 | Intro to Humanities I | 3 Credits |
| HUM 210 | Communicating Diversity | 3 Credits |
| MUS 121 | Music Appreciation | 3 Credits |
| PHIL 101 | Intro to Philosophy | 3 Credits |
| PHIL 102 | Critical Thinking | 3 Credits |
| PHIL 135 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 Credits |
| SPAN 111 | First Year Spanish I | 3 Credits |
| SPAN 112 | First Yr Spanish II | 3 Credits |
| SPAN 211 | Second Year Spanish I | 3 Credits |
Fine Arts (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART 100 | Visual Foundations | 3 Credits |
| ART 101 | Drawing I | 3 Credits |
| ART 107 | Design Fundmntls I (2-D) | 3 Credits |
| ENG 205 | Intro to Creative Writing | 3 Credits |
| MUS 101 | Music Fundamentals | 3 Credits |
| THTR 100 | Introduction to Theatre | 3 Credits |
| THTR 105 | Introduction to Acting I | 3 Credits |
| THTR 121 | Stage Makeup | 3 Credits |
| THTR 204 | Theatre Technology I | 3 Credits |
| WELD 200 | Metal Art | 3 Credits |
Technology
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDU 214 | Prep Teachers to Use Tech | 3 Credits |
Mastery Course Requirement
Humanities or Social Science (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HUM 301 | Studies in Humanities | 3 Credits |
| INT 339 | Integrative Humanities Seminar | 3 Credits |
| ANTH 307 | Ancient Civilizations | 3 Credits |
| ANTH 332 | (De)Constructing Race | 3 Credits |
| HIST 303 | Worlds of Islam | 3 Credits |
| HIST 312 | Expansion of the U.S. | 3 Credits |
| HIST 341 | Global China | 3 Credits |
| INT 349 | Integrative Social Science Sem | 3 Credits |
| PSY 313 | Well-Being: East Meets West | 3 Credits |
Lower-Division Program Requirements
Oral Communications (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COM 113 | Fund Speech Communication | 3 Credits |
| THTR 221 | Oral Interpretation | 3 Credits |
Written Communications (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 100 | Composition-Enhanced | 5 Credits |
| ENG 101 | Composition I | 3 Credits |
Structures of Societies (one course required)
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 101 | Intro Cultural Anthropology | 3 Credits |
| CRJ 104 | Intro to Admin of Justice | 3 Credits |
| CRJ 270 | Intro to Criminology | 3 Credits |
| ECON 102 | Prin of Microeconomics | 3 Credits |
| ECON 103 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 Credits |
| GEOG 106 | Intro to Cultural Geography | 3 Credits |
| HMS 200 | Ethics in Human Services | 3 Credits |
| PSY 101 | Gen Psychology | 3 Credits |
| PSY 208 | Psy of Human Relations | 3 Credits |
| SOC 101 | Prin of Sociology | 3 Credits |
Humanities/Fine Arts (one course required): Choose from the courses listed below or any transferrable 200-level ENG course, or
any 100- or 200-level AM, ART, FIS, FREN, HUM, JOUR, MUS, PHIL, SPAN or THTR course
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GRC 103 | Intro Computer Graphics | 3 Credits |
| GRC 156 | Design with Illustrator | 3 Credits |
| HIST 208 | World History I | 3 Credits |
| HIST 209 | World History II | 3 Credits |
ECE/HDFS Education Lower-Division Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 126 | Social/Emotional Development | 3 Credits |
| ECE 127 | Role of Play Infnt/Toddlr | 1-3 Credits |
| ECE 130 | Infancy | 3 Credits |
| ECE 200 | The Exceptional Child | 3 Credits |
| ECE 204 | Principles Child Guidance | 3 Credits |
| ECE 210 | Assess of Young Children | 3 Credits |
| ECE 235 | Adapting Curricula | 3 Credits |
| ECE 250 | Intro Early Childhood Edu | 3 Credits |
| ECE 251 | Curriculm Early Child Edu | 3 Credits |
| ECE 262 | Early Lang/Litrcy Develop | 3 Credits |
| HDFS 201 | Lifespan Human Developmnt | 3 Credits |
| HDFS 202 | Introduction to Families | 3 Credits |
| HDFS 232 | Diversity in Children | 3 Credits |
Upper-Division Program Requirements
Early Childhood/HDFS Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 461 | ECE Management | 3 Credits |
| ECE 441 | Play, Creat, & Aesth | 3 Credits |
| EDES 300 | Lang Arts and Lit | 3 Credits |
| HDFS 435A | Child Socialization | 3 Credits |
| EDRL 471 | Theory/Pract Acad Eng Lang Dev | 3 Credits |
| EDUC 470 | Multicultural Education | 3 Credits |
Methods Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 453 | Methods I/Social Sciences | 3 Credits |
| ECE 454 | Methods II/Math & Science | 3 Credits |
Advanced Curriculum
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HDFS 428 | PreK Curr I | 3 Credits |
| HDFS 429 | Advanced PreK Curr II | 3 Credits |
Internship and Capstone
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECE 483 | Pre-Student Teaching | 3 Credits |
| ECE 493 | Supervised Internship in ECE | 1-12 Credits |
Suggested Course Sequence
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| English 100 or 101 | 3-5 |
| Mathematical Reasoning* | 3-6 |
| American Constitutions* | 3-6 |
| ECE 130 | 3 |
| ECE 250 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15-23 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ENG 102 | 3 |
| Humanities* | 3 |
| Oral Communications* | 3 |
| ECE 126 | 3 |
| ECE 251 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Scientific Data Interpretation* | 3 |
| Fine Arts* | 3 |
| PSY 208 | 3 |
| ECE 127 | 3 |
| ECE 204 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Scientific Reasoning* | 3 |
| ENG 250 | 3 |
| HDFS 201 | 3 |
| ECE 200 | 3 |
| ECE 210 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Mastery Course* | 3 |
| ECE 235 | 3 |
| EDU 214 | 3 |
| HDFS 202 | 3 |
| HDFS 232 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ECE 262 | 3 |
| EDES 300 | 3 |
| EDRL 471 | 3 |
| ECE 453 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 12 |
*Choose with advisor
| Course | Credits` |
|---|---|
| EVE 454 | 3 |
| HDFS 435A | 3 |
| ECE 441 | 3 |
| ECE 461 | 3 |
| HDFS | 428 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| HDFS 429 | 3 |
| EDUC 470 | 3 |
| ECE 483 | 3 |
| ECE 493 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 15 |