Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Early Childhood
Concentration in Early Childhood
The concentration in Early Childhood is designed for students who wish to work primarily in teaching and child care with young children (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers), and their families, in schools, public or private institutions, and other agencies that serve this population. The degree fulfills requirements for the Child Development Permit issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Two upper-division SPED courses are recommended, selected from SPED 330, SPED 370, SPED 620, SPED 671, SPED 672, and SPED 675.
Courses in the major must be completed with a letter grade of C or better. CR/NC grading is only accepted for Early Childhood Internship (CAD 611).
Program Learning Outcomes
Our overarching learning goal is: To promote and advocate for social justice and be culturally aware, sensitive, and responsive in the context of CAD:
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To promote and advocate for social justice and be culturally aware, sensitive, and responsive in the context of CAD.
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To understand the professional roles and responsibilities in the field of CAD in a variety of work settings.
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To apply developmental, learning, and cultural theories used in the context of the field.
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To communicate clearly, respectfully, persuasively, coherently, and powerfully in the context of CAD including but not limited to working with children, families, and colleagues.
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To write clearly, cohesively, and persuasively in the CAD genre in a variety of formats including but not limited to reports, policy analyses, assessments, and proposals.
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To understand research methods, assessment, evaluation, and data collection, analysis, and reporting; to conduct action research in the context of CAD.
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To be able to locate and utilize a variety of appropriate and relevant resources and technologies in the context of CAD.
Child and Adolescent Development Major (B.A.): Concentration in Early Childhood - 45 units
Core Requirements - 24 units
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CAD 210 | Introduction to Applied Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| CAD 260 | Children, Families, and Community: An Ecological Perspective | 3 |
| CAD 300 | Professional Roles and Careers in Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| CAD 410 | Applied Child and Youth Development | 3 |
| CAD 450 | Understanding and Working with Diverse Families | 3 |
| CAD 500GW | Action Research Methods in Child and Adolescent Development - GWAR | 3 |
| CAD 625 | Children, Youth, and Public Policy | 3 |
| CAD 660 | Applied Advanced Developmental Science in Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
Concentration in Early Childhood - 21 units
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Foundations and Programs (select one): | 3 | |
| Foundations in Early Childhood | ||
| Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Programs | ||
| Special Needs – Children and Families (select one): 1 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Disability | ||
| Young Children Disabled or At Risk and Their Families | ||
| Working with Families of Young Children with Disabilities | ||
| Supporting Development and Learning (select one): 1, 2 | 3 | |
| Advanced Issues in Infant-Toddler Education and Care 4 | ||
| Advanced Issues in Child Development and Learning | ||
| Promoting Young Children's Social and Emotional Development | ||
| Children's Play: Theory and Practice | ||
| Multicultural Education and Social Justice for Young Children | ||
| The Science of Early Intervention | ||
| Positive Behavior Support for Young Children | ||
| Inclusive Learning Environments for Young Children | ||
| Curriculum and Methods (select one): 2 | 3 | |
| Curriculum and Development in Early Childhood | ||
| Advanced Curriculum Study in Early Childhood Education | ||
| Early Childhood Education Curriculum: Birth to Five | ||
| Observation and Assessment (select one): 2 | 3 | |
| Classroom Assessment and Evaluation for Young Children | ||
| Assessment and Observation with Children | ||
| Administration/Leadership & Working with Families (select one): 2 | 3 | |
| Adult Supervision and Leadership in Early Childhood Programs | ||
| Advanced Issues in Collaboration with Families and Communities in Early Childhood Education | ||
| Leadership and Administration in ECE | ||
| Administration of Programs for Young Children | ||
| Electives (select one): 2 | 3 | |
| Early Childhood Internship Seminar and Early Childhood Internship 3 | ||
| Integrated Arts Curricula in Early Childhood Education | ||
| Science, Math, and Technology Curricular in ECE | ||
| Environmental Education in Early Childhood Education | ||
| Language and Literacy in Multilingual Early Childhood Education Settings | ||
| Music for Children | ||
| 1 | Two upper-division SPED courses are recommended – one 300-level and one 600-level – selected from: SPED 330, SPED 370, SPED 620, SPED 671, SPED 672, and SPED 675. |
| 2 | Elementary Education Course Policy: 30 hours observation/participation outside the classroom are required for Elementary Education courses (E ED). If a student takes more than one Elementary Education course per semester, 30 hours are the maximum total required and will cover all Elementary Education courses taken in that specific semester. |
| 3 |
Complementary Studies
To fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement, all students completing a B.A. degree must take 12 units from courses outside of the primary prefix of their major and not cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major. This requirement is automatically fulfilled when completing a Child and Adolescent Development major. Students may need to take additional units, however, to reach the 120 minimum units required for graduation.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication I | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Social Sciences: US & CA Government | LD | 3 | D3 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
Find the correct roadmap (A, B, C, or D):
- Select the row that matches your English Course choice for A2.*
- Select the column that matches your QR Category (found at your student center under Math Alert).
- Click the Roadmap that lines up with your row and column.
For example, if you are taking ENG 104 as your first English course and your student center math alert says you are QR Category III, you should choose Roadmap D.
| Pathway | QR Cat I/II | QR Cat III/IV |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 114 | Roadmap A | Roadmap C |
| ENG 104/ENG 105 | Roadmap B | Roadmap D |
*Composition for Multilingual Students: If taking ENG 209 as your first English course, choose the ENG 114 row. If taking ENG 204 for your first English course, choose the ENG 104/ENG 105 row.
Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
For students with an AS-T in Early Childhood Education. This roadmap opens in a new tab.
For students with an AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development. This roadmap opens in a new tab.
This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Early Childhood Education
California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.
An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.
Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.
Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.
A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:
- How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
- How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.
Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.
All Students Must Meet the Transfer Eligibility Requirements Outlined Below for Admission.
For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.
- Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units.
- Earn a college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
- Complete 30-semester units (45-quarter units) of General Education, including four basic skills courses:
- One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE Area A1)
- One course in written composition (same as CSU GE Area A2)
- One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE Area A3)
- One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning (same as CSU GE Area B4)
- The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90-quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a C- or better grade in each basic skills course.
