ECE students provide Week of the Young Child carnival for children from MSMC Child Development Center
Laura Escalano Barragan
“My experience at the Mount was one that shaped the person I am today.”
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AA Degree with a Specialization in Early Childhood Education
The Associate Degree Program with a specialization in Early Childhood Education is designed for the student who wishes to enter the field of preschool teaching directly upon graduation. At the completion of the two-year program, the student is qualified to teach in child development programs (pre-kindergarten) or to transfer to a four-year program to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development, or to complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Liberal Studies Major and to apply for admission to the Preliminary Multiple Subject CLAD or BCLAD Emphasis Teaching Credential Program.
The two-year program at the Doheny Campus fulfills coursework and fieldwork requirements for a Child Development Teacher Permit. The requirements as established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing are the following:
- Completion of an Associate of Arts degree or higher in early childhood education
- A supervised field experience (EDU 39) in an early childhood education setting.
- The candidate must have earned a "C'' or above in each course used for the permit. This permit is issued for five years and is renewable for successive five-year periods with the completion of 105 hours of professional growth. A Child Development Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child development program, and supervise a Child Development Permit Associate Teacher, a Child Development Permit Assistant, and an aide.
As Title 5 California Administrative Code Regulations pertaining to revisions in the Child Development Permit are enacted, notification of such revisions are made to students who are enrolled in the program, as well as those who make inquiry regarding it. It is recommended that those reading this section for the first time inquire as to whether the regulations stated here have undergone revision by the state.
Admission Requirements
To be accepted as an Early Childhood Education major, a student entering Mount St. Mary's College must have a GPA of 2.5 SAT or ACT scores are also considered; an interview may be required. Transfer students applying for the Early Childhood Education program after college experience must have a GPA of 2.25 in college-level courses, grades of C or better in all Early Childhood Education courses accepted for transfer, and a grade of C or better in a college-level (non-remedial) English course.
Specific Program Requirements
The student must complete all Early Childhood courses with a grade of C or better. A grade of C or better must also be achieved in ENG 6AB. Because of a demand in Southern California for preschool teachers who can demonstrate speaking and writing ability in the Spanish language, students are encouraged to take courses in Spanish in conjunction with the program. Students in the Early Childhood Education specialization must be able to establish rapport with very young children and their families. They must be able to create an environment where children can discover themselves; to do this, they need broad knowledge of children's physical, social/emotional and cognitive development. Coursework, including observation, participation, and supervised teaching of children, is designed to enable students to demonstrate expertise in these areas within the two-year period.