Carol Gossett, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Early Childhood Development, Program Director
When you invest in the earliest years,
the possibilities are endless.
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 Highlights
- Choose between face-to-face or fully online program options
- Meet for class one night per week
- Progress through the entire program with a cohort of 12-22 adult students
- Engage with classmates from a variety of life stages and cultural backgrounds.
- Meet state standards with curriculum aligned with the California Preschool Learning Foundations, published by the California State Department of Education and the National Association for the Education of Young Children standards for baccalaureate degrees. Curriculum is also aligned with the California Teaching Performance Expectations, published by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
- For a detailed program brochure click here
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Catalog
Program Director: Carol Gossett, M.A.
Overview
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.
Admissions Requirements
- Application form and fee
- A minimum 2.4 GPA, below 2.4 can submit a petition
- Two years' postsecondary work experience.
- Need a minimum of 6 transferable units, below 6 units can submit a petition
- Note: need 60 units before starting the major
Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Need a minimum of 6 transferable units, below 6 units can submit a petition
- Note: need 60 units before starting the major
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 demonstrate their understanding of young children's characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children's development and learning, by designing plans for environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for all children.
- Students demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and value of the importance and complex characteristics of children's families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children's development and learning.
- Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding about the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. Students show evidence of how to use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence children's development and learning.
- Students integrate their understanding of and relationships with children and families; their understanding of developmentally effective approaches to teaching and learning; and their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all children.
- Students identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.
- Students will submit assignments following APA Format and ECD Writing Skills Guidelines as instructed in course materials.
Credit-Bearing Grades
Students must earn a C- or higher in all Early Childhood Development core courses to receive credit.
Program Length/Semester Starts
Eighteen-month program, starting in January and July.
Locations Offered
North Fresno, Merced, Visalia Campuses and Online
Degree Pathways
Early Childhood Development, B.A. (DC) Two Year Pathway
Early Childhood Development, B.A. ADT Pathway
General Education Requirements
See General Education: Degree Completion Students
Required Courses (39 Units)
The following units must be earned at Fresno Pacific University:
- BIB 314 - Jesus and the Christian Community Credits 3
- BIB 438 - Biblical Perspectives for Educators Credits 3
- ECD 300 - Advanced Child Family and Community Credits 3
- ECD 305 - Advanced Child Growth and Development Credits 3
- ECD 310 - Human Diversity and Relations Credits 3
- ECD 400 - Children's Play and Learning Theory Credits 3
- ECD 420 - Guidance in Social and Emotional Behaviors Credits 3
- ECD 430 - Early Childhood Physical Education Methods Credits 3
- ECD 440 - Students with Exceptionalities in School and Community Credits 3
- ECD 450 - Children's Art and Literature Credits 3
- ECD 460 - Math and Science for Young Children Credits 3
- ECD 470 - Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education Credits 3
- ECD 484 - Child Observation Methods Credits 3
Electives
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.
Possibilities Await
With an FPU Education
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.
First Steps to Admission
- Submit an application for admission (online)
* Admission applications are free, no discount codes required. - Request official transcripts from previously attended colleges, universities and high schools and send electronically to trans.evaluator@fresno.edu
- GED Transcripts OR any AA, AS, AS-T, AA-T from an accredited College or University as proof of High School graduation
- This includes any military transcripts you may have, along with your military release forms (DD214).
- Complete the FAFSA as early as October 1. (FAFSA Code: 001253)
Enroll in the minimum number of units per semester to qualify for loans. - Schedule an appointment with your Student Financial Services Advisor 559-453-2041 sfs@fresno.edu
Requirements
-
University Admission Prerequisites
- Minimum 6 transferable baccalaureate-level units
- Minimum 2.4 GPA
- 2 years post-secondary experience
-
Program Admission Prerequisites
- 60 transferable baccalaureate-level units
- Minimum 2.4 GPA
- 2 years post-secondary experience
Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) Information
1. Child and Adolescent Development (AA-T) to Early Childhood Development, B.A.
BA courses fulfilled through ADT:
- All lower-division General Education requirements fulfilled
- BA major has no lower-division major or co-requisite courses that could be fulfilled by the ADT.
- All BA major courses are upper-division and are completed at FPU.
- This program is offered as evening accelerated and online accelerated
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:
- All lower-division General Education requirements fulfilled
- BA major has no lower-division major or co-requisite courses that could be fulfilled by the ADT.
- All BA major courses are upper-division and are completed at FPU.
- This program is offered as evening accelerated and online accelerated
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:
- All lower-division General Education requirements fulfilled
- BA major has no lower-division major or co-requisite courses that could be fulfilled by the ADT.
- All BA major courses are upper-division and are completed at FPU.
- This program is offered as evening accelerated and online accelerated
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:
- All lower-division General Education requirements fulfilled
- BA major has no lower-division major or co-requisite courses that could be fulfilled by the ADT.
- All BA major courses are upper-division and are completed at FPU.
This program is offered as evening accelerated and online accelerated
Transfer Agreements
The following guidelines are used when considering transfer credit:
- Courses completed at a regionally or ABHE, ATS, TRACS, or AARTS accredited institution
- Baccalaureate-level courses
- Grade of C- or better
- Courses are not duplicate to credit already received
- All GE and major courses must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail
- No lab is required for Area 5 Physical & Biological Sciences
- Some majors have lower division prerequisites. Select an institution below to see the school's general education and lower division major requirements
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.
Non-traditional Admission
State Authorization
State authorization is a federal requirement in the Higher Education 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 seven states, as well as Washington, D.C. The seven states are: Georgia, Michigan, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
For the latest updates on the status of FPU's authorization in your state, contact your FPU Admissions representative.
Cost & Financial Aid
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 your education journey. We can help you find all the possible opportunities to reduce your out of pocket costs.
Tuition & Financial Aid
* 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.
Types of aid
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
Mathematics
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.
Career Opportunities
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.
Career Possibilities
- Public preschool teacher
- Private preschool teacher
- Private childcare provider
Career Development Happens Here
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.
- Resume writing classes
- Career assessments, exploration & planning
- Job search and networking opportunities
- and much more