Early Childhood Care and Education
Associate
Why study Early Childhood Care and Education?
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), "The demand for early childhood care and education programs continues to increase, not only in response to the growing demand for out-of-home child care, but also in recognition of the critical importance of educational experiences during the early years." This associate degree program in early childhood education prepares professionals who can provide high-quality educational experiences for their community’s youngest children. Students are usually practitioners working in preschools and other child-care and educational settings.
Graduates will be able to implement developmentally appropriate integrated activities and materials across the domains, including visual arts, music, movement, science and math, and early language development.
Admission Requirements
Admission into the University of Cincinnati’s Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Care Education (ECE) online program is open to all students with a high school diploma or GED and the desire to succeed in college.
Our Admissions Office is happy to work with you to answer any question you may have and help determine your eligibility. Contact an Enrollment Services Advisor or email onlineenrollment@uc.edu.
Prerequisites
- Students with no previous college experience: High School diploma or a GED.
Admission Materials
- Application Form
- Transcripts:
- Students with no previous college experience:
- Original high school transcripts and proof of graduation (diploma or graduation certificate) or GED.
- Students with previous college experience:
- Official transcript(s) from every college or university you have attended besides the University of Cincinnati regardless or the number of credits you received.
- Official high school transcripts and proof of graduation (diploma or graduation certificate) if you have earned fewer than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours.
- Students with no previous college experience:
Graduates of this major pursue careers such as:
- Head Start Teacher
- Preschool Teacher
- Infant/Toddler Specialist
- Family Child Care Provider
- Program Administrator in an early childhood setting
This degree does not lead to Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 5 licensure.
The information provided is sourced from a third party, Lightcast. Their product, called Career Coach, combines extensive labor market data from Lightcast and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides insights on industry, occupation, compensation, and projected growth for each profession. Economic and workforce information is available for various geographic regions. Some careers may require additional training or education.
- All Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses must be completed with C or higher (C- or below does not count towards graduation requirements and the course must be repeated).
- Obtain at least a 2.0 University Grade Point Average.
- Obtain at least a 2.5 University Grade Point Average if seeking Ohio Preschool Licensure.
- Complete a minimum of 60 credit hours (at least 20 credit hours must be completed at the University of Cincinnati).
- Electives: 9 credit hours
- Child Development Coursework: 36 credit hours
- Concentration Coursework: 15 credit hours
- Be in good academic standing; that is, not on academic or disciplinary probation or suspension.
- Submit a formal application for the degree by the posted semester of graduation deadline.
Explore unique opportunities, faculty, and resources available in Early Childhood Learning Community
Contact Information
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Program Code: 18ASC-ECLC-AAS-.ECLC-DL