No. of Credits: 60
Contact: Lisa Lynk Smith, Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences
Students completing this degree program have the skills necessary to become the owner of a child care center, a program director for a child care center with more than 40 children, or a preschool teacher in a child care center.
If students complete elective EDU-1110, they may meet the infant/toddler teacher qualifications for child care centers in Maryland. If students complete elective EDU-1160, they may meet school-age teacher qualifications for child care centers in Maryland.
The degree in Early Childhood Development is designed to provide a broad background in theories of child growth and development. The student is qualified to apply this knowledge in planning creative learning experiences in a variety of child care settings. Practical experience in a child care setting is combined with a broad background in the liberal arts. Students travel off campus to early childhood programs approved for cooperative education experiences, to complete observations of young children, and to implement approved lessons with small groups of children.
Students enrolled in any EDU course must complete a Federal and State criminal background check and a signed and notarized permission to examine records of abuse and neglect of children and adults as required by COMAR 13A.16.01 and 13A.16.02. Students must complete the criminal background check once every five years and sign and notarize the permission to examine records of abuse and neglect of children and adults once every two years for the College of Southern Maryland. Submission of the documents for employment in child care does not apply for courses at CSM. The reports will be sent to MSDE Office of Child Care and the College of Southern Maryland by using OCC and CSM authorization numbers. Successfully passing the criminal background check and examination of records of abuse and neglect of children and adults will provide the student with access to licensed child care centers in the state of Maryland. The additional cost for this process is the responsibility of the student.
Some four-year colleges and universities in Maryland accept credit for EDU 1012, EDU 1013, EDU 1085, and EDU 2610 toward a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Please consult an advisor for more specific information.
The maximum number of credits accepted in transfer from other institutions to this program is 45.
Transfer Options:
A complete list of all transfer opportunities can be found on the Transfer Services page.
Career Opportunities:
infant/toddler teacher in a child care center, preschool teacher in a child care center, school-age teacher in a child care center, director of a child care center serving 40 or more children, teacher’s assistant in an elementary school, prekindergarten teacher in some elementary schools, family child care provider
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will…
- Demonstrate their understanding of young children to promote child development and learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to build family and community relationships.
- Observe, document, and assess young children using their understanding that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of the early childhood profession.
- Use developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and families.
- Design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula to promote positive outcomes for all young children.
- Identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood professional using ethical guidelines and professional standards such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethical Conduct.
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