School of Education & Social Sciences · Associate degree
Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Studies
Start your career working with young children.
You want to work with young children and the families who care for them. MVU’s two-year AA in Early Childhood Studies builds your foundation in child development, early learning, and family and community resources.
60
credit hours
2 years
for full-time students
14 hours
of early childhood courses
On campus
in Marshall
Why MVU for early childhood
A strong start for working with children
Build knowledge you can use with young learners, and keep the door open to a teaching degree.
Focused on young children
Courses cover child development, language, movement, special education, and family and community resources.
A step toward teaching
Four of the five early childhood courses are also required in MVU’s Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 3) bachelor’s degree.
Careers with children
The degree builds a foundation for working with children in settings such as education and health care.
Planning to teach? This AA isn’t a teacher certification program. To teach in a Missouri public school, you’d complete a bachelor’s degree in teacher education, such as Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 3), and pass the required state assessments.
Is this program for me?
This program may be a great fit if you want to…
- Work with infants, toddlers, and young children.
- Earn a degree in about two years.
- Explore early childhood before committing to a teaching degree.
- Add an early childhood focus to a related bachelor’s degree.
What will I learn to do?
What you’ll learn
- How young children develop language and movement skills.
- The foundations of early childhood and early childhood special education.
- How to connect families with community resources.
- What teaching involves, and whether it’s right for you.
- Strong writing, speaking, math, and science skills from the general education core.
How the degree works
How your 60 credit hours add up
Here’s how the degree is built. Your advisor helps you choose courses each term.
01
General education core
At least 42 hours in social science, writing, speaking, science, math, and the humanities and fine arts.
02
Early childhood courses
14 credit hours in teaching, child development, language, movement, and family resources.
03
Electives
Add electives to reach at least 60 credit hours.
Explore the curriculum
14 credit hours in early childhood
Five courses, plus the general education core.
Early childhood courses (14 credit hours)
- EDUC 100 Introduction to Teaching
- EDUC 262 Family & Community Resources in Early Childhood Education
- EDUC 270 Intro to Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education
- EDUC 273 Language Acquisition and Development (2 credits)
- PHYS 240 Motor/Perceptual Motor Development
General education core (at least 42 credit hours)
- Social and behavioral science (9 hours) from at least two subjects, including one constitution course: HIST 104, HIST 105, or POLS 100
- Written communication (6 hours): ENGL 130 Rhetoric and Composition, plus ENGL 160 or HONR 190
- Oral communication (3 hours), such as COMM 100 Public Speaking & Introduction to Communication
- Natural science (3 hours)
- Mathematics (3 hours)
- Humanities and fine arts (12 hours) from at least three subjects, covering the arts and creativity, ethics, and culture and society
- Additional general education (6 hours) from any area, to reach at least 42 hours
Graduation requirements
- Complete at least 60 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Earn a C or higher in every degree requirement, with no pass/fail grades in the major.
- Complete your last 15 credit hours at MVU.
- Complete the major assessment requirement.
- Apply for graduation (the degree isn’t awarded automatically) and pay the $100 graduation fee.
Getting started
Three steps to begin
Applying to MVU is free, and most students finish the application in a few minutes.
02
Send your transcripts
Send your high school transcript, plus official transcripts from any college or dual credit courses. Transferring? See the transfer steps.
03
Plan how you’ll pay
Explore scholarships, grants, and loans on Tuition & Financial Aid, or request information for current tuition.
How long does it take?
Early Childhood Studies is a two-year degree for full-time students.
Will this degree let me teach in a public school?
No. The AA isn’t a teacher certification program. To become a certified teacher in Missouri, you’d complete a teacher education bachelor’s degree, such as Early Childhood Education (Birth–Grade 3), and pass the required state assessments.
Can I earn it along with a bachelor’s degree?
Yes. You can earn the AA on its own or alongside a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Your advisor can help you plan both.
What do I need to graduate?
- At least 60 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- A C or higher in every degree requirement.
- Your last 15 credit hours at MVU.
- An application for graduation and the $100 graduation fee.
Talk with the Dean
Have questions about courses, careers with children, or moving on to a teaching degree? Reach out. We’re happy to talk through your goals.
AA in Early Childhood Studies
