
Carol Gossett, Ed.D.
School of Education
Explore Early Childhood Development, B.A.
The study of Early Childhood Development is designed to help you fully understand and facilitate growth and development of children from birth through eight years of age.
Faculty with decades of experience in the field provide a strong foundation in both theory and practice. You’ll learn to serve the unique needs of young children, including those with special needs.
Courses focus on best practices and teaching strategies for serving young learners based on guiding documents from the California State Department of Education.
Completion of the ECD degree prepares you academically, spiritually, and professionally through a hands-on, real-life approach to teaching and learning.
Program Director: Carol Gossett, M.A.
Mission Statement. It is the mission of the Early Childhood Development program to prepare students with the knowledge, theory and practical experience necessary to plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate experiences for young children and their families in a variety of settings while nurturing Christian commitment through integration of faith, values and ethics.
Benefits/Careers. This degree prepares graduates to pursue a career in early childhood education, including positions in public and private preschools, churches and businesses that offer preschool for the children of their employees. Graduates are also prepared to pursue additional credentials and certificates to become educators in PreK, TK, and K through 2nd grade levels in elementary schools and special education programs. The program offers a firm foundation for graduate studies towards positions such as career counselors with child and family services organizations and in the area of social work and similar post baccalaureate programs.
Special Features. Threaded throughout the ECD program are topics which address the needs of children with exceptionalities, the application of technology for best practices in the classroom and beyond. The application of various guiding documents within the field of early childhood education, including Preschool Learning Foundations and Frameworks from the California Department of Education, the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP), The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) the CA Common Core State Content Standards and others are applied through the program.
Description. The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development is interdisciplinary and designed to help students better understand the growth and development of children from birth through age eight years. Courses focus on the total environment of the child as part of the learning experience by incorporating a strong foundation in theory and practice through a holistic, constructivist approach, which addresses the diversity and special needs of the young child. Coursework also prepares students to work with children with exceptionalities/special needs. Curriculum is aligned with the Learning Foundations published by the California State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards for baccalaureate degrees. Students meet subject matter competence in six categories identified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
FPU Early Childhood Development baccalaureate degree core program SLO's are based on NCATE national standards for initial licensure/baccalaureate degrees found at naeyc.org/files/ncate/file/initiallicensure.pdf
Students must earn a C- or higher in all Early Childhood Development core courses to receive credit.
Eighteen-month program, starting in January and July.
North Fresno, Merced, Visalia Campuses and Online
Early Childhood Development, B.A. (DC) Two Year Pathway
Early Childhood Development, B.A. ADT Pathway
See General Education: Degree Completion Students
The following units must be earned at Fresno Pacific University:
Elective units as needed to meet the Bachelor of Arts minimum. This requirement may be met through allowable college coursework, Advanced Placement exams, College Level Examination Program, International Baccalaureate exams, and Military or ACE credit.
You already have a lot going on in your life, which is why our degree completion programs are designed to meet you where you are. You'll be surrounded by other students who will support and encourage you, by faculty mentors who are invested in your success, by opportunities to connect what you learn in the classroom to the real world, and by connections to the employers who will help you move forward in your career.
1. Child and Adolescent Development (AA-T) to Early Childhood Development, B.A.
BA courses fulfilled through ADT:
ADT Guarantee is the completion of BA/BS degree in 68 units.
2. Early Childhood Education (AS-T) to Early Childhood Development, B.A.
BA courses fulfilled through ADT:
ADT Guarantee is the completion of BA/BS degree in 68 units.
3. Psychology (AA-T) to Early Childhood Development, B.A.
BA courses fulfilled through ADT:
ADT Guarantee is the completion of BA/BS degree in 68 units.
4. Sociology (AA-T) to Early Childhood Development, B.A.
BA courses fulfilled through ADT:
This program is offered as evening accelerated and online accelerated
The following guidelines are used when considering transfer credit:
View full transfer policy Find agreements for your school
*Transfer Agreements are only a tool. Transfer work is not considered official until it has been evaluated by the FPU Registrar’s Office.
To reenter into the Degree Completion program within 5 years of last enrollment, the student will need to complete the Degree Completion Re-admission Form. An academic advisor will determine if the student may reenter and if any conditions apply for readmission. The student will be charged at the current tuition rate for any course repeated.
*Note: If student is readmitting after 5 years of last enrollment, the student will need to refer to “First Steps to Admission".
The non-matriculated application is for people who are interested in taking baccalaureate classes through the Degree Completion program, but are not seeking to be admitted into that program. Students must complete this Non-matriculated Application Form only once in order to be qualified to take courses. Applicants must also meet the two-year post-secondary experience requirement to take these courses. Financial Aid is not available, and the course limit is six units per semester with a limit of two semesters total.
For more information, or for help filling out this application, please contact Graduate and Degree Completion Admissions at (559) 453-3690.
FPU Degree Completion program guarantees you can complete your degree in just two years. If you meet the qualification requirements, fulfill your responsibilities under the program, and are unable to complete your major in a 2-yr. period, FPU will assume all additional tuition costs needed to complete your undergraduate degree.
FPU guarantees a student with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) from the California Community College system, can complete their degree in just two years. If a student meets the qualification requirements, fulfills the responsibilities under the program, and are unable to complete their major in a 2-year period, FPU will assume all additional tuition costs needed to complete their undergraduate degree at FPU.
State authorization is a federal requirement in the HigherEducation Act that requires institutions to be authorized in the state in which online programs are offered. Fresno Pacific University works regularly with individual state authorization agencies to meet each state's requirements. Currently, Fresno Pacific University has received authorization to offer online degree programs in all but six states: Georgia, Michigan, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
For the latest updates on the status of FPU's authorization in your state, contact your FPU Admissions representative.
The below listed prices reflect the current and upcoming Fall and Spring semesters and do not include any financial aid. Paying for college can be an overwhelming step in education your journey. We can help you find all the possible opportunities to reduce your out of pocket costs.
Tuition per Unit | Amount |
---|---|
SW, ECD, LA, BM, OL, EMGT, PMGT, HCA | $550 |
RN to BSN, CIS, CRIM, CML | $525 |
General Ed and Electives | $550 |
Other Costs | Amount |
---|---|
Student services fee (per semester) | $100 |
Tuition per Unit | Amount |
---|---|
SW, ECD, LA, BM, OL, EMGT, PMGT | $530 |
HCA, RN to BSN, CIS, CRIM, CML | $505 |
General Ed and Electives | $530 |
Other Costs | Amount |
---|---|
Student services fee (per semester) | $100 |
* This is an estimate. Costs subject to change. Cost of attendance figures are used for budgeting purposes only and represent an estimate of projected tuition and fees for the coming academic year. Actual tuition rates are approved by the Board of Trustees and may vary.
Financial aid can refer to scholarships, grants and loans, which are available to you from the government, the university or outside sources. Aid types vary depending on the type of student you are.
Alexandra Green
The grants, the academic awards, the transfer scholarship – all of it makes it so much more affordable to attend FPU. I know that school isn’t cheap for anyone, but FPU helped me realize that I could actually come to this school because they were going to help me so much financially.
Graduates are prepared for careers in early childhood education or to pursue credentials and certificates to become educators in elementary schools and special education programs, or work as career counselors with child and family services.
The staff in our Career Development and Experiential Learning Center are here to help you prepare to enter the working world. Whether your a freshman or an FPU alum, there are a number of resources and trainings offered to help you find the internship and job you’re looking for.