20 Early Childhood and Special Education Associate of Arts Programs

The Associate of Arts in Education, Human Development, and Special Needs offers lower division coursework that provides an introduction to issues, policies, and practices of education, with an emphasis on special education. Students will build a foundation appropriate for entry into advanced study in education, including educational research, advocacy, public policy, and/or teacher preparation. The students also can participate in supervised fieldwork in K-8 settings.

The Paraprofessional Education program prepares teaching assistants to work in K-12 schools in special education, reading, and general education classrooms. The program articulates the core requirements of the Elementary Teacher Education program while providing needed coursework to improve student learning. This degree is designed for teaching assistants and early childhood care providers.

The Elementary Education Associate of Arts for Transfer is designed for students seeking to enter the teaching profession, typically in K-8 settings, and planning to transfer to a four-year university to pursue the Baccalaureate degree in order to meet California state requirements for teaching.

This specialization prepares students for junior-level transfer into Elementary Education programs at 4-year schools. It's specifically designed to meet the requirements of our primary transfer institutions for Elementary Education majors:

Berkeley City College’s Elementary Teacher Education AA-T is an interdisciplinary program that meets state guidelines in order to prepare students to begin their path toward becoming elementary school teachers. According to the Employment Development Department, elementary school teachers are among the top twenty-five “occupations with the most job openings” in California, with new jobs opening annually.

The degree is designed to prepare students for transfer to a four-year university to obtain a bachelor’s degree, while satisfying subject matter coursework for the multiple-subject teaching credential. Completion of the courses in this degree will partially satisfy requirements for California State University integrated and traditional teacher preparation programs.

The Early Childhood Education Program provides students access to knowledge, skills, and professionalism surrounding the field of early childhood education and family and community development to assure the provision of quality services that address Native American families' complex needs in the 21st century.

The Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills, and training required to prepare educators to work with young children.

This program is offered through Liberal Arts for students who wish to prepare themselves for an Associate degree or wish to transfer and earn a baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education.

The Special Education emphasis provides students with various foundational courses in the field of special education. The student completes the first two years of requirements leading toward a baccalaureate degree.

The AA in Early Childhood Education is designed for students who wish employment as a preschool director or open their own preschool or daycare facility.

To teach young children in Illinois public schools (birth to second grade), 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. degree prior to transfer. Since admission is competitive, completion of the recommended courses does not guarantee admission.

NCC's Special Education program is designed for students who wish to continue their education and earn their bachelor’s degree with Pre-K-12th special education certification. Students completing the associate degree may also pursue employment as a Special Education Paraeducator.

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.

The major purpose of the A.A. in Early Childhood Development is to provide students with fundamental understandings of the typical and atypical development of young children, the criticality of family-community partnerships, current findings of the interrelationships of health, safety, and nutrition for the developing child, and the nature of learning through different kinds of experiences.