The Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in Early Childhood Education offers a powerful dual advantage: 


1. Immediate Employment

The degree meets the competency requirements for lead roles in many childcare centers and early learning environments throughout New Mexico. 


2. Seamless Transfer

It is specifically designed to articulate with most Early Childhood Education bachelor’s degree programs, paving a smooth path to a four year university.
 

The program’s educational core focuses on supporting a child’s developmental progress, emphasizing skills like competence, interdependence, and socialization, along with the integration of academic content. The curriculum adheres to the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Development articulation catalog, ensuring students learn the state-defined goals, teaching methods, and educator roles. The degree requires a minimum number of credits, which incorporates the essential 31-credit General Education Transfer Core.


Program Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate mastery in the six areas of study of children Birth through age eight by completing each program course with a “C” or better.
  • Demonstrate competence to work in classrooms with children and families of diverse cultures, linguistic backgrounds and developmental levels that are represented in the State of New Mexico.
  • Create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and encourage each child to reach their full potential.
  • Create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families and that involve families in their children’s learning.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all young children.
  • Demonstrate use of ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice.
  • Demonstrate mastery in and application of foundational concepts from general education. Successful completion of 31 hours of general core.


Degree Requirements

The following degree requirements are for the 2025-2026 Catalog. For other catalogs, please see Catalogs

Minimum of 61 Credit Hours

General Education Core (31 Credit Hours)

Area I. Communications (9 credit hours)
COMM1130 Public Speaking 3
COMM2120 Interpersonal Communication 3
ENGL1110 Composition I 3
ENGL1120 Composition II 3
Area II. Mathematics (3 credit hours)
MATH1220 College Algebra 4
MATH1350 Introduction to Statistics 3
Area III. Laboratory Science (4 credit hours)
Area IV. Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 credit hours)
Area V. Humanities (3 credit hours)
Area VI. Creative and Fine Arts (3 credit hours)
Area VII. Electives (6 credit hours)
Choose any additional course from Area III or Area IV and...
BCIS1110 Intro to Information Systems 3

Concentration Requirements (29 Credit Hours)

ECED1110 Child Growth, Development, and Learning 3
ECED1115 Health, Safety, and Nutrition 2
ECED1120 Guiding Young Children 3
ECED1125 Assessment of Children and Evaluation of Programs 3
ECED1130 Family and Community Collaboration 3
ECED2110 Professionalism 2
ECED2115 Introduction to Language, Literacy, and Reading 3
ECED2120 Curriculum Development through Play: Birth through Age 4(PreK) 3
ECED2121 Curriculum Development through Play: Birth through age 4 (PreK) Practicum 2
ECED2130 Curriculum Development and Implementation: Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3 3
ECED2131 Curriculum Development and Implementation: Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3 Practicum 2