Parkland College

Early Childhood Education

Minimum graduation requirement — 60 semester hours

Associate in Arts (A.A.)
Program Code: SECE AA

Associate in Science (A.S.)
Program Code: SECE AS

To teach young children in Illinois public schools (birth to age 8), teachers must be certified by the state of Illinois. To transfer into an approved baccalaureate program in early childhood education as a junior, students must complete specific requirements and a minimum of 60 semester credits. Students are strongly encouraged to complete an A.A. or A.S. degree prior to transfer. Since admission is competitive, completion of the recommended courses does not guarantee admission. A minimum grade point average for most universities is required for program admission.

All transfer applicants are required to pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test, and this score may be required at time of application. Contact Parkland’s Counseling and Advising Center for more information about this test and suggested timing.

Students planning to teach at the early childhood level in Illinois are advised to plan their transfer programs with a Parkland academic advisor or counselor to meet specific requirements of their preferred transfer college or university and the Illinois State Teachers Certification Board.

Program Note
A criminal background investigation is required prior to field experience. Students are responsible for any fees.

Requirements

Credit Hours

Required General Education Core Courses (40 hours minimum)

Communications (9)
   ENG 101Composition I
   ENG 102 Composition II
   SPE 101 Introductory Speech Communication


3
3
3
Social/Behavioral Sciences (11)
   HIS 104 History of the U.S. to 1877
   or HIS 105 History of the U.S., 1877 to the Present
   POS 122 American National Government
   PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
   


4
4
3
4

Mathematics (3-6)
   MAT 108 Introduction to Applied Statistics
   or Mathematics elective

3-6

Humanities/Fine Arts electives (9)
   Literature elective

3

   Fine Arts elective

3

   Hum or FA elective that fulfills the non-Western culture requirement.

3

Physical Sciences elective

4

Life Sciences elective

4
   

Required Professional Courses (6 hours)

EDU 101 Introduction to Education

3

PSY 207 Introduction to Child Psychology
or CHD 105 Child Growth and Development


3
 

Required Course for A.A. degree (3 hours)

 

LAS 189 Introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences

3
 

Required Course for A.S. degree (3-5 hours)

 

Additional Mathematics or Science elective
  Must be a course numbered 100-289 whose second digit is even.

3-5
   

Suggested Electives
Select courses from the following to bring total number of credits to a minimum of 60:

 

EDU 104 Introduction to Special Education
or CHD 242 Teaching Children with Special Needs

3

CHD 122 Introduction to Early Childhood Education

3

CHD 223 Child, Family, and Community

3

CHD 201 Health and Nutrition of the Young Child

3

KIN 181 Health Education

2

Mathematics elective

3

Humanities/Fine Arts elective

3

Physical/Life Sciences elective

3-4

Foreign Language courses

4-16

Area of teaching concentration
Select up to a maximum of 9 hours in one academic discipline: Mathematics; Biology, Chemistry, or Physics; Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology; and Art, Music, English, a single foreign language, Philosophy, or Theatre.

3-9

General electives

    0-11

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

60

Parkland College • 2400 West Bradley Ave. • Champaign, IL 61821 • 217.351.2200 • 800.346.8089

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