Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Early Childhood Education

Details

Field of Interest

Education

Degree Type

Associate in Arts (AA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Early Childhood Education (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8132

Effective Term

Fall 2025

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
CFS/ECH176	Child Development			SB	3
EED200	Foundations of Early Childhood Education				3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).		FYC or FYC	3
MAT14+ or MAT15+ or MAT187	College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT15+, or an appropriate district placement.	Critical course OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite	MA or MA or MA	3–6
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
EDU225	Professionalism and Ethics in Education				1
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent. or No requisites		SB or SB or L or SB	3
MAT256	Investigating Quantity: Number, Operations and Numeration Systems	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MAT15+ or higher), or (MAT12+ and MAT14+), or [MAT14+ and (MAT114 or MAT115)], or (MAT14+ and an appropriate District placement into MAT150, MAT151, or MAT152), or permission of Department/Division Chair.			4
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095 or RDG100 or RDG111 or RDG112 or RDG113 or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
Elective	Elective				0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Area	Credits
EED222	Introduction to the Exceptional Young Child: Birth to Age Eight	C, SB	3
EED225	Language and Literacy in the Context of Culture and Relationships	C, HU	3
GCU/POS113 or (HIS103 and POS221)	United States and Arizona Social Studies or (United States History to 1865 and Arizona Constitution)	H, SB or H, HU, IAM, SB	3–4
SQ	Natural Sciences Quantitative	SQ	4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
EDU220 or EDU239 or EDU240	Introduction to Serving English Language Learners (ELL) or Structured English Immersion Grades K-8 or Structured English Immersion Grades 6-12	No requisites or Prerequisites: Baccalaureate Degree or permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Baccalaureate Degree or permission of Department or Division.		L or None or None	3
CS	Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application		EDU115 or EED115 recommended	CS	3
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design		EDU/ENH291 recommended	HU	3
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
CFS/ECH176	Child Development		SB	3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	FYC or FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success			1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MAT14+ or MAT15+ or MAT187	College Mathematics or College Algebra/Functions or Precalculus	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MAT15+, or an appropriate district placement.	Critical course OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area for which MAT15+ is a prerequisite	MA or MA or MA	3–6
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
EED200	Foundations of Early Childhood Education			3
EDU225	Professionalism and Ethics in Education			1
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent. or No requisites	SB or SB or L or SB	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MAT256	Investigating Quantity: Number, Operations and Numeration Systems	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MAT15+ or higher), or (MAT12+ and MAT14+), or [MAT14+ and (MAT114 or MAT115)], or (MAT14+ and an appropriate District placement into MAT150, MAT151, or MAT152), or permission of Department/Division Chair.			4
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095 or RDG100 or RDG111 or RDG112 or RDG113 or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
Elective	Elective				0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
EED222	Introduction to the Exceptional Young Child: Birth to Age Eight			C, SB	3
GCU/POS113 or (HIS103 and POS221)	United States and Arizona Social Studies or (United States History to 1865 and Arizona Constitution)			H, SB or H, HU, IAM, SB	3–4

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
EED225	Language and Literacy in the Context of Culture and Relationships			C, HU	3
SQ	Natural Sciences Quantitative			SQ	4

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
EDU220 or EDU239 or EDU240	Introduction to Serving English Language Learners (ELL) or Structured English Immersion Grades K-8 or Structured English Immersion Grades 6-12	No requisites or Prerequisites: Baccalaureate Degree or permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Baccalaureate Degree or permission of Department or Division.		L or None or None	3
CS	Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application		EDU115 or EED115 recommended	CS	3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design		EDU/ENH291 recommended	HU	3
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.