No. of Credits: 61
Contact: Lisa Lynk Smith, Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences
Elizabeth Settle, Program Coordinator
The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) Early Childhood Education program is designed for students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree and Maryland teacher certification in Early Childhood Education Birth to Grade 3. Students should familiarize themselves with the program requirements of the institution to which they plan to transfer.
Students must complete at least 45 hours of supervised field experience in a public school setting as part of the degree.
Students earning an AAT degree must earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses. In addition, the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree requires:
(1) A 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale; or
(2) A 2.75-2.99 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale and qualifying scores on a basic skills assessment for teacher licensure as established by the State Superintendent of Schools and as approved by the State Board of Education
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.
The maximum number of credits accepted in transfer from other institutions to this program is 46.
Career Opportunities:
transfer in Early Childhood Teacher Education
Transfer Opportunities:
A complete list of all transfer opportunities can be found on the Transfer Services page
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will…
- Identify and describe theories and principles of early childhood development and learning through research, study and observation of diverse children;
- Describe developmentally appropriate strategies and models that demonstrate different approaches to early childhood pedagogy, contribute to the creation of productive learning environments, and address the needs of diverse learners;
- Plan instruction based on learning theory that uses a variety of strategies and addresses the needs of diverse learners, encourages higher-order thinking skills and promotes active and collaborative engagement in learning; and
- Demonstrate professional responsibility and dispositions in the ability to reflect on practice, engage in continuous professional growth, and collaborate productively with others to create positive and effective learning experiences and environments
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