Early Care & Education

Early Care & Education - Associate in Applied Science Degree

Program Requirements:

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Admission Type:

General College Admission
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Locations:

Conway
Georgetown

Contact:

Admissions
(843) 349-5277

If you enjoy children and creative activities, possess patience, excellent communication skills, and sound decision-making abilities, and have a strong work ethic, HGTC's Associate in Applied Science in Early Care and Education (ECD) might be the right career path for you. Early Care and Education professionals work in partnership with families to create a nurturing environment that is respectful of culture and rich in experiences to promote the optimal growth and development of each child. Students in this program receive the tools and resources necessary to provide language- and literacy-rich environments, appropriate math and science skills, an inquiry-based approach to learning about the world, and safe, healthy environments that promote emotional and social well-being. The program includes interactive classroom experiences, as well as off-site experiences in a variety of child-care and early-education environments.

The Early Care and Education program is accredited by NAEYC (National Association for Education of Young Children). For more information about HGTC's accreditations, click here.

For more information, contact:
Becky Hubbard - (843) 349-7117

Career Outlook

Recent scientific research has confirmed the need for high-quality care and education during a child's early years, when optimal brain growth and development occurs. This has increased the demand for highly qualified early-childhood professionals. The Associate in Applied Science in Early Care and Education prepares graduates to work in a variety of settings for children ages birth through eight years. These settings include:

Childcare centers
Head Start centers
Family childcare homes
Morning preschool programs
After-school programs
Programs for children with differing abilities
Summer camp programs
Private schools
Public schools

For students already working in a childcare or early-education setting, opportunities may be available for Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) scholarships and other bonus incentives.

For more information about careers, visit O*Net Online for an overview of South Carolina and National earnings statistics, and Horry-Georgetown Technical College's Career Resource Center for more employment, career, and professional development resources.

Employers of HGTC Alumni Include:

Horry and Georgetown County Schools
Horry County Head Start
Child Development Ministries at First United Methodist Church
The Learning Tree Day School
The Learning Station
Gateway Academy
Carolina Forest Child Development Center

Public Disclosure Information:

See Early Care and Education Disclosure Information

Program Information
Specific Admission Requirements for Program Criminal Background Check is a prerequisite to labs and licensed child care centers (not required for ECD 101) Certification in Pediatric CPR and First Aid prior to graduation Course Sequence and Progression Requirements A minimum grade of C or better is required for all ECD-prefixed courses for progression and graduation. Most Early Care and Education (ECD) courses are offered only once each year, so following the recommended course sequence is extremely important.
Curriculum Sequence
First Semester - Fall
ECD 101	Introduction to Early Childhood	3
ECD 102	Growth and Development I	3
ECD 108	Family and Community Relations	3
ENG 155	Communications I	3
MAT 155	Contemporary Mathematics	3
	TOTAL	15
Second Semester - Spring
ECD 105	Guidance - Classroom Management*	3
ECD 131	Language Arts**	3
ECD 203	Growth and Development II*	3
PSY 201	General Psychology	3
COL 105	Freshman Seminar	3
or
EDU 201	Classroom Inquiry with Technology
	TOTAL	15
Third Semester - Summer
ECD 107	Exceptional Child*	3
ECD 133	Science and Math Concepts**	3
ECD 135	Health, Safety, and Nutrition**	3
	TOTAL	9
Fourth Semester - Fall
ECD 132	Creative Experiences	3
ECD 201	Principles of Ethics Leadership in Early Care Education	3
ECD 237	Methods and Materials**	3
	Foreign Language or Lab Science***	4
	TOTAL	13
Fifth Semester - Spring
ECD 200	Curriculum Issues in Infant Toddler Development*	3
ECD 252	Diversity Issues in Early Care and Education*	3
ECD 243	Supervised Field Experience**	3
	Humanities****	3
	TOTAL	12
	TOTAL CREDIT HOURS	64
Students are required to conduct observations of children, families, and learning environments in a variety of early childhood settings. Students are required to participate in lab/class assignments involving visitations to work in licensed child care facilities. Choose from one of the following Foreign Language courses: SPA 101, SPA 102, FRE 101 or FRE 102 Lab Science: BIO 105 (Students can also choose from AST 101, CHM 110 or PHY 201) ***Choose one Humanities: ART 101, MUS 105, or THE 101.

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