Course Descriptions

EEC1202 Early Childhood Education Curriculum and Instruction
40 hours, 4 credits

This course provides a foundation for establishing curriculum and instruction practices for children from birth to age 8. This course will connect developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) to developing young children's individual goals and curriculum to support learning across domains and content areas. Pedagogical methods and approaches for early childhood programming will be introduced. This course is aligned with the educational requirements of the CDA Credential issued by the Council for Professional Recognition.

EEC1700 Foundations of Child Development
40 hours, 4 credits

This course explores developmental domains, theories, and characteristics of children from birth to age 8. Students become familiar with the core considerations of developmentally appropriate practice and learning theories to support children throughout development. This course is aligned with the educational requirements for the CDA Credential issued by the Council for Professional Recognition.

EEC1735 Health, Safety, and Nutrition/CDA Application
40 hours, 4 credits

This course focuses on the standards and procedures governing safety, health, and nutrition practices in early childhood education. Students examine guidelines for establishing safe and healthy environments for children from birth to age 8. Students learn strategies for establishing appropriate nutrition, controlling illness, and addressing children’s special health needs. This course is aligned with the educational requirements for the CDA Credential issued by the Council for Professional Recognition.

EEC1970 Early Childhood Education Exploration I: Knowledge
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is an introduction to early childhood education as a profession and practice. It explores the history, policies and standards for early childhood education programs. It introduces developmentally appropriate practices and developing relationships through positive communication and interactions.

EEC1971 Early Childhood Education Exploration II: Planning
40 hours, 4 credits

This course continues to focus on early childhood education as a profession and practice from the perspective of planning for the learning environment. It explores the early childhood education environment, schedule, routines, experiences, and learning activities. It continues the conversation on applying developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs.

Pre- or corequisite: EEC1970

EEC1972 Early Childhood Education Exploration III: Reflection
40 hours, 4 credits

This course focuses on early childhood education as a profession, exploring the development of professional and ethical relationships with children, families, and colleagues. It will introduce students to reflective practices, encouraging growth and development as professional educators. It will also explore national position statements and the professional standards for early childhood educators.

Pre- or corequisite: EEC1971

EEC2213 Language and Literacy Acquisition
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore how children develop language and literacy skills as both single and dual-language learners. Students will learn typical language and speech acquisition patterns, supportive practices for language acquisition, and how to support dual-language learners in group settings. Students will also explore how to promote the development of literacy skills and behaviors for our youngest children.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2225 Guiding Children’s Behavior
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore using positive behavior guidance practices in the early childhood setting, emphasizing culturally responsive supports, trauma-sensitivity, and powerful interactions. Students will discuss how educators and adults can promote self-regulation and incorporate positive behavior practices into their everyday work with children’s social-emotional development.

EEC2270 Introduction to English Language Learners
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore effective ways to support English language learners in our increasingly diverse population of young children and families. Students will consider language and speech development from both an English and dual-language learner perspective, as well as the promotion of supportive environments and activities. Additionally, students will consider how personal biases may influence interactions and behavior towards children and families of English language learners.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2271 Curriculum and Instruction for Children with Special Needs
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore strategies to adapt developmentally appropriate curriculum and collaborate with families and professionals to support developmental goals for children with special needs. Topics include creating inclusive learning environments, differentiating instruction, using assessment data to establish curriculum, and assessing the progress of children with special needs.

Prerequisite: EEC1202

EEC2272 The Inclusive Classroom
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will learn strategies for promoting and supporting an inclusive learning environment. Students will explore how inclusion occurs with children with physical and cognitive needs, dual-language learners, children from diverse cultures, economic backgrounds, and gender identity. Students will consider environmental and policy adaptations and explore how educators support the development of all young children in an inclusive early childhood setting.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2329 Parent Education and Support
40 hours, 4 credits

This course explores how educators employ supportive resources responsive to individual family needs. This course will examine how family education and resource allocation are informed by culture, experience, family structure, and socio-cultural changes in both home and early education settings.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2401 Dynamics of the Family
40 hours, 4 credits

This course will focus on a family’s influence on their child’s development and how early educators can support families with effective, responsive engagement practices. The course will explore how cultural, economic, and societal factors influence a family’s structure and systems, parenting preferences, values, and engagement in their child’s development and learning. Strategies for how educators can support a family’s success through communication, developmentally appropriate practices, ethics and active involvement in early childhood education programs will be explored.

EEC2403 Advocating for Children with Special Needs
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore types and components of advocacy, especially when supporting exceptional children and their families. Students will consider how to advocate for an individual child or family, a community or group of children or at a regional or national level. Students will examine their own perspectives and role in supporting and advocating for young children with exceptional needs and their families.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2500 Infant and Toddler Development
40 hours, 4 credits

In this course, students will explore the developmental continuum for children from birth to 3 years of age in the physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional domains. Theories regarding attachment and temperament will be discussed along with how those theories interact with development. Students will explore how development guides environmental, curriculum and care decisions in infant/toddler group childcare.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC2613 Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore the importance of observation, documentation, and assessment in early childhood education. Students will become familiar with a variety of assessments and formal and informal observation methods, documentation strategies, screening tools, and other appropriate resources for our youngest learners. Equitable and ethical considerations for implementing observation and assessment practices will also be addressed.

EEC2935 Summative Project for Early Childhood Education
20 hours, 2 credits

This course culminates a student’s learning from throughout their early childhood education program. Students will assemble a cumulative philosophy to share their competence with the Transferable Skills in the areas of family engagement, observation and assessment, behavior guidance, culturally responsive practices, curriculum development, and advocacy in the early childhood education field.

Prerequisite: Expected to be the final lower-level core course completed

EEC3000 Early Childhood Education: Understanding Mental Health in the Early Years
40 hours, 4 credits

This course examines the impact of mental health issues on a child’s well-being. Students will focus on attachment theory, brain development, and the importance of executive function on lifelong learning. This course will challenge students to explore the effects of economics, family structure, and the environment on a child’s emotional and social development. Students will also be able to evaluate social support systems.

Prerequisite: EEC1700

EEC3005 Communication and Connections in Early Childhood Education
40 hours, 4 credits

This course examines the best formal and informal communication practices with families, colleagues, and professionals. This course will examine strategies for developing positive communication among families, colleagues, and communities within the early childhood setting. Students will learn specific tools to promote and enhance communication, resolve conflicts, and develop a team within the early childhood setting.

EEC3007 Organizational Management in Early Childhood Education
40 hours, 4 credits

This course provides a foundation for operational management of high-quality early childhood programs. Students will experience practical application related to policies, procedures, budgets, personnel management and planning in the context of establishing best practices for children and families. Students will assess strategies for continual program improvement, including licensing, accreditation, and quality rating assessments.

Prerequisite: EEC3005

EEC3011 Empowering Contemporary Families
40 hours, 4 credits

This course explores various types and structures of families. Students will explore how a program’s role in supporting families has evolved and the major social issues contemporary families face. This course emphasizes resiliency by strengthening families through an anti-bias, family-centered approach to effective programming practices.

EEC3015 Observation and Assessment for Effective Curriculum Planning
40 hours, 4 credits

This course offers a structured approach to integrating observation and assessment into early childhood curriculum planning. It emphasizes the critical role of high-quality observation and assessment practices in supporting effective teaching. Students will learn how to document children’s learning and use this information to design developmentally appropriate and engaging curriculum.

Prerequisite: EEC1202

EEC3020 Positive Behavior Guidance for Young Children
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is an advanced approach to positive behavior guidance in which students will examine environmental and interpersonal strategies that foster prosocial and equitable practices in early childhood education settings. This course also emphasizes how using positive interactions and relationships will support the development of executive function skills for children birth to age 8.

EEC3026 Technology and Developmentally Appropriate Practices
40 hours, 4 credits

In this course, students will explore technology use as a part of the world in which children, families, and early childhood professionals live. Students will explore how Universal Design for Learning Principles and developmentally Appropriate Practices relate to the use of technology in early childhood programs. Using the Department of Education’s Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners, students will explore how technology can be a tool for learning, can increase access to learning for all children, and can strengthen relationships. Students will also gain experience with technology tools integral to their future work in the virtual education world.

EEC3171 Beyond the Basics of Health, Safety and Nutrition
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is the study of child health, nutrition, and safety practices that support children’s abilities to learn and grow. Topics include the connection between health, safety and nutrition practices, maltreatment of children and protective factors, the importance of healthy nutrition and implementing safe practices for play. This course will prepare students to recognize development as a continuum and to create and implement healthy and safe practices with all children.

EEC3220 Child Development Ages Birth–3
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is the study of child development from birth to 3. It focuses on the in-depth study of the learning domains including the cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical domains. Topics include how child development theories apply, and the influences environmental factors, interactions, and relationships have on the development of children and across learning domains.

EEC3225 Child Development Ages 3–5
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is the study of children ages 3–5. It places focus on the student’s previous knowledge of the growth and development patterns of children age birth–3 to build upon and explore the continuum across the cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical domains in children age 3–5. Topics include how early child development theories apply; the influences environmental factors, interactions, and relationships have on the development of children; and learning across domains. This course will prepare students to identify the unique ways in which in children ages 3–5 learn.

Prerequisite: EEC3220

EEC3318 Intentional Teaching Practices
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is the study of how to use intentional teaching to support children's learning. It places a focus on implementing developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs, including differentiated instruction, children’s approaches to play and learning, and intentional interactions. This course will prepare students to employ intentional teaching practices and planning in their early childhood programs.

EEC3407 Planning with a Purpose
40 hours, 4 credits

Students will explore how to be responsive to young children’s learning pathways and the needs of each child by incorporating differentiated instruction and play as core teaching practices. Students will incorporate developmentally appropriate practices and evidence-based teaching strategies that reflect the principles of Universal Design for Learning and supporting all children ages birth to age 8.

Prerequisite: EEC3318

EEC3546 Supporting Professional Practices in ECE
40 hours, 4 credits

This course studies how to support professionalism in the early childhood field and focuses on practices that an ECE professional would engage in to increase their ability to provide high-quality services. Topics include advocacy, coaching and mentoring, reflective practices, and how to model professionalism within the ECE program and in the community. This course prepares students to locate and use resources to reach their professional goals.

EEC4000 Early Childhood Education: Environments and Play Theory
40 hours, 4 credits

This course will explore how play and the environment promote learning and development in young children. Strategies to enhance indoor and outdoor learning environments will be emphasized. Students will reflect on their practices as they evaluate a wide variety of learning environments and curriculum models. Using knowledge of child development, students will design learning environments that are respectful, supportive, and challenging.

EEC4005 Advanced Principles and Perspectives of Child Development
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is an advanced study in the theory and principles of child development. An evaluation of current educational practices as developmentally appropriate will challenge students to examine their own perspectives on how children learn. Focus will be on the primary years of development through in-depth exploration of gender roles, socialization, and cultural perspectives.

EEC4010 Early Childhood Language and Literacy Learning
40 hours, 4 credits

This course emphasizes best practices for promoting language and literacy development for children birth to age 8. Opportunities to apply knowledge of typical and dual language learning to create curriculum responsive to developmental needs will be addressed. Integrating assessment, early learning standards, and developmentally appropriate practices to support optimum child outcomes in language and literacy learning will be stressed.

EEC4015 Early Childhood Education: Diversity and Social Justice
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is an examination of diversity and social justice issues as related to high quality early childhood education for children ages birth to 8. It explores diversity, race, equity, and anti-bias perspectives both in society and working with young children and families. It explores the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility as part of an anti-bias learning experience for young children.

EEC4022 Ethics and Leadership in ECE
40 hours, 4 credits

This course examines the characteristics of leadership in early childhood education through identification, self-reflection, and practice. Students will focus on ethical decision-making and leadership, including coaching and mentoring strategies, tackling challenges, and exploring a leader’s impact on programs and their community.

Prerequisite: EEC3007

EEC4030 Supporting Exceptional Children and their Families
40 hours, 4 credits

This course is a comprehensive approach to supporting children with exceptional needs. Content will explore the importance of caring for all children with exceptional needs; including diagnosed and undiagnosed special needs, children who are gifted, neurodivergent, and dual-language learners. Supporting and advocating for the needs of children and their families will be addressed along with an exploration of the history, laws and provisions supporting children with special needs in group childcare and education settings.

EEC4485 Early Childhood Education Advocacy, Research and Policy
40 hours, 4 credits

This course explores trends in the early childhood education field. Students will examine current research and national, local and legislative policies. Students will analyze research and the effects on early childhood care and education. Advocacy strategies and skills will be explored as students set goals for future engagement in the early childhood education profession.

Prerequisite: Must be taken in the student’s last or second-to-last term

EEC4910 Early Childhood Education Leadership Capstone
20 hours, 2 credits

This course is a synthesis of material from all ECE courses. Students will compile a professional philosophy demonstrating their competence as a leader in the early childhood education field and their proficiency with the transferable skills.

Prerequisite: Must be taken in the student’s last term