BA in Early Childhood Education (Bachelor’s Completion Program)

APU’s M.S. in Child Life program prepares men and women to become credentialed child life specialists, who help children and families navigate traumatic and challenging situations, especially medical crises.

34-36 units

Mission

The bachelor’s completion program in early childhood education equips future teachers by integrating coursework and field experiences with the application of a Christian worldview as it relates to life vocation. It promotes awareness of cultural diversity issues and covers multiple curricula, with an emphasis in specific subject areas aligned with Preschool Foundations and Common Core standards for subject matter while fostering a holistic understanding of knowledge.

Program Overview

The Liberal Studies/Undergraduate Education TK-8 program offers a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education aligned with California Common Core subject matter standards to prepare undergraduate students seeking careers as preschool to third-grade teachers with the breadth of content knowledge needed to teach in a P-3 setting. This program offers opportunities to teach in a P-3 self-contained classroom environment, and students complete clinical practice in preschool and early elementary school classrooms.

Students in this program prepare to work in schools as teachers, so they must know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for helping all P-3 students learn. Completion of the major meets the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) subject matter requirement for the P-3 Preliminary Credential. 

Career Opportunities

Though most early childhood education graduates enter teaching credential programs and find teaching positions in public and private schools locally, nationally, and abroad, demand exists in the business and communication fields as well because of the increasing need for college graduates with broad and diverse academic backgrounds. Potential teaching careers exist in preschool through third-grade classrooms.

Requirements

Required Courses
PRCE 301Little Learners, Big Beginnings: Foundations of Early Learning, PK-33
PRCE 302Brainwaves and Breakthroughs: Teaching Students with Exceptionalities, PK-33
PRCE 303Seeds of Learning for Developmentally Appropriate Practice, PK-33
PRCE 304Windows into Learning: Observing and Assessing Young Children, PK-33
PRCE 410Counting, Comparing, Constructing: Math in Early Childhood, PK-33
PRCE 420The Reading Rainbow: Exploring Early Literacy, PK-33
PRCE 430A Tapestry of Learners: Culturally Responsive Instruction, PK-33
PRCE 440Beyond the Classroom Walls: Partnering with Families and Communities, PK-33
PRCE 451TPA and LPA Support Course, PK-32
Select one of the following:8-10
PRCE 450
Clinical Practice, PK-3
PRCE 460
Clinical Practice, PK-3
Electives 1
PRPS 290
Human Growth and Development 2
PRPS 305
Educational Psychology
PCLS 501
Advanced Child Development
PRPS 345
Psychology of Child and Adolescent Development 2
PRPS 410
Psychology of Exceptional Children
PCLS 511
Family Systems Theory and Applications
Total Units34-36

Candidates must also successfully complete the California Teaching Performance Assessment and Literacy Performance Assessment prior to completion of the program.

1

These are preferred electives for students who need additional units in order to graduate with their bachelor’s degree. These courses are not required in order to complete the major.

2

Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.