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.
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.
ATTENTION
Yavapai College and Rio Salado College students seamlessly transfer to NPC's Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education degree program!Program Locations
Classes are offered at all campuses.
Entry Requirements
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Option A – Approved Program of Study |
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Complete an approved Associate Degree at a community college that has an articulation agreement with NPC’s Educator Preparation Department |
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Option B – Exam |
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Receive a passing score on the Professional Knowledge and Early Childhood Subject Matter Exams. |
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Option C – NPC Prerequisites |
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Complete the following NPC courses (22 cr) to meet the foundational requirements of the program. |
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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 |
Admissions 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:
- NPC graduates with an earned AA or AAS in Early Childhood.
- Graduates with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood from an institution with which NPC has an articulation agreement.
- Graduates with Associate Degrees or Bachelor’s Degrees in any field.
Work Environment
Graduates who complete a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education may work in district or charter schools, private schools, or other PreK-3rd grade settings such as Head Start or other community-based agencies.
Accreditation/Affiliations
The BAS in ECE with certification option is an ADE 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 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 a course-by-course transcript review. The IR provides the graduate with the benefits of faster processing and reduced fees for the teacher certification application.
Articulations
Graduates of the BAS program may choose to continue working toward a master's degree at a public or private university.
Locations
Contact Information
2251 E. Navajo Blvd.
Nizhoni Learning Center, room 148
Holbrook,
AZ 86025
NPC Early Childhood Studies
Northland Pioneer College
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