SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

EARLY CHILDHOOD

This program can be completed in two semesters if the student enrolls full-time. Students who earn the Early Childhood Certificate may seek employment in child care programs, as teacher assistants, as pre-school teachers, or they may pursue study towards an AAS degree in Early Childhood.

Degree requirements for the Early Childhood certificate program
COURSES CREDIT HOURS
FIRST SEMESTER
ECH 101 * Introduction to Early Childhood Education 3
ECH 106 * Field Experience – Early Childhood 1
ECH 110 * Methods and Materials in Early Child Education 3
ENGL 101 Freshman English I 3
EDU 120 Technology for Teachers 1
PE 145 First Aid 1
PE 146 CPR 1
13
SECOND SEMESTER
ECH 102 * Curriculum and Assessment 3
ECH 104 * Early Childhood Field Experience II 3
ECH 111 * Infants and Toddlers 3
ENGL 209 Children’s Literature 3
BEH 101 * Language/Literacy Development 3
15
TOTAL CREDIT HOURS 28

* Minimum grade of C- (70) is required in BEH 101 and ECH 101, 102, 104, 106, 110, and 111 to complete certificate requirements.

Students must be physically able to satisfactorily and safely perform duties associated with the care and education of children from birth to eight years of age.

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher to enroll in field experience coursework (ECH 104).

Transfer for Early Childhood or Education course credit will only be granted after transcript review by the Education Coordinator.

Students are required to have police and child abuse clearances and physical examinations prior to beginning their field experience class (ECH 104).

Note: A prior felony conviction may hinder a student’s ability to enroll in a course or complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or meet the criteria for licensure required by certain professions. Students with certain criminal histories will not be able to satisfy field experience requirements for the completion of the certificate. In addition, students are required to submit to alcohol and/or drug testing upon request by either the College or any of the cooperating field placement sites. Students who test positive are subject to removal from the field placement and will therefore not be able to satisfy requirements for the completion of the certificate. Refusal to submit to the test will result in the student being asked to leave the field placement site and may result in dismissal from the course and/or the program. Students must be able to satisfactorily and safely perform the duties associated with the care and education of children. Technical Standards for the degree may be obtained from the Education Coordinator or from the Office of Accessibility Resources.

Graduation Requirements: In order to graduate with the Certificate in Early Childhood, students must demonstrate competency (a grade of 70 or higher) in five Key Assessments. The Key Assessments are completed in each of the core Early Childhood courses (ECH 101, 102, 104, 110, and 111). This requirement also applies to students who have transferred credits to Cayuga from another college.

Technical Standards for the degree are available from the Education Coordinator or download the Technical Standards for the degree here.

A prior felony conviction may hinder a student’s ability to enroll in a course or complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or meet the criteria for licensure required by certain professions.