Early Childhood

The Early Childhood program is designed to prepare highly qualified students to become teachers, assistant teachers, or family day care providers in professional child care for children ages birth through eight years. Students may choose to continue their education at any four-year institution in New Mexico. Students in the Early Childhood Education program will gain a broad understanding of the specific needs of young children and develop strategies for meeting those needs. This degree transfers into a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood from the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation in Las Cruces.

Students must have a 2.5 GPA to graduate from this program. However, a 2.75 GPA is required for acceptance into the Teacher Education Program at NMSU. A grade of C- or better is required in the following TEP prerequisites:

• ENGL 1110G Composition I 
• ENGL 2221G Writing in the Humanities and Social Science 
• MATH 1134 Fundamentals of Elementary Mathematics I 
• MATH 2134G Fundamentals of Elementary Math II
• EDLT 2110 Integrating Technology with Teaching 
• ECED 1110 Child Growth, Development, and Learning 
• ECED 1115 Health, Safety, and Nutrition 
• ECED 1120 Guiding Young Children
• ECED 1125 Assessment of Children and Evaluation of Programs
• ECED 1130 Family and Community Collaboration 
• ECED 2110 Professionalism
• ECED 2115 Introduction to Language, Literacy, and Reading
• ECED 2120 Curriculum Development through Play Birth through Age 4 (PreK) 
• ECED 2121 Curriculum Development through Play Birth through Age 4 (PreK) Practicum 
• ECED 2130 Curriculum Development and Implementation Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3 
• ECED 2131 Curriculum Development and Implementation Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3 Practicum

The Early Childhood program requires that a student take and pass a security background check in order to take the field experience and practicum courses. Past criminal violations may prevent a student from completing a degree in the education program.

Note: Any education courses more than seven years old taken at NMSU or at another institution will not be counted toward the student’s undergraduate program. A student may ask for a review of this time limit by the appropriate department. The department head and/or faculty may recommend accepting a course that is seven years old with approval from the Dean’s office in the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation.  Any course not approved must be repeated by the student.

Early Childhood - Associate Degree

Early Childhood Development - Certificate of Completion

Graduates of this program will:

1. Discuss and apply the major theories of early childhood development and learning.
2. Define principles of child guidance and assessment and the practical application of each.
3. Describe the involvement of families and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds in early childhood education.
4. Articulate a personal philosophy of early childhood education that addresses children’s physical and mental well-being in diverse contexts.
5. Apply effective writing and speaking skills in presentations, documents, and reports.
6. Search and identify appropriate technology for use in the educational environment for both personal use and in a classroom setting.
7. Identify age appropriate activities for numeracy, literacy, and scientific inquiry.