Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Catalog

Early Childhood Education and Family Support, A.A.

Western New Mexico University offers two programs in the field of Early Childhood Education and Family Support: Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Family Support, and the Vocational Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Family Support.

Requirements for admission in the Early Childhood Education and Family Support Program beginning with the program which started in August 2010 are:

  1. Prior to entering the Early Childhood Education program a student will complete an application to the Early Childhood Program.
  2. For the Early Childhood Education and Family Support Associate Degree the candidate must complete the following exit requirements:
    • a minimum of 2.0 G.P.A.

The Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and Family Support is designed to equip the student with knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the needs of a variety of state and community programs including but not limited to:

  • Public school classroom assistants
  • Child care educators
  • School age child care staff
  • Family home visitors
  • Early interventionists
  • Infant Mental Health professionals
  • Social workers
  • Health professionals
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program representatives
  • Foster Care Parents and others interested in parenting issues

This inclusive degree is designed to achieve competence in the areas defined by the New Mexico Office of Child Development. WNMU has participated with other New Mexico colleges and universities to develop a transfer module and common core competencies to facilitate the transfer of credit from one institution to another.

The Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education helps the student begin to attain credit and experience that will lead to New Mexico Early Childhood Licensure. However, the New Mexico License requires that courses be completed at both the associate degree and bachelor degree levels.

Individuals seeking the WNMU Vocational Certificate, which is a state recognized certificate, may graduate by completing the same core courses required for the Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education and Family Support plus 3 additional credits in either BCIS 1110  - Fundamentals of Information Literacy and Systems.

University Requirements

Early Childhood Education and Family Support Core Requirements

Credit Hours 19

Concentrations

Select one of the two concentrations:

Early Childhood Teacher - Birth Grade 3 Concentration

Credit Hours 13

Infant Family Studies Concentration

Credit Hours 13

Total Credit Hours 63

Individuals enrolled in the Early Childhood Education and Family Support Associate Degree program, and who have successfully completed and/or hold a current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential may seek approval to use the CDA to substitute for one or more of the following courses: ECED 1110 , ECED 1115 , and ECED 2110  . Permission for such substitution will require review of the student’s work, CDA Portfolio and an interview with the Early Childhood Education Advisor. Permission to substitute the CDA may be granted only by the Executive Director for Early Childhood Education and will be documented on the student’s Program of Study.