Educational Studies-Child Development, B.A.

Credits: 122
CIP Code: 130101

Program Overview

In the 21st century, public classroom teaching is only one of innumerable opportunities in the field of education open to college graduates. Those educated to be imaginative agents of change in the ongoing challenge to find new solutions to persistent problems, will always find ways to make significant educational contributions. Urban America offers educational career options that do not require certification. While the Department of Curriculum and Instruction maintains as its primary focus the preparation of classroom teachers, it also has a degree option for those who choose not to pursue the Teacher Education Program. The Educational Studies Program is designed for students who wish to prepare for non-certification career options in education. Some other career options are in the following fields:

Child Care

Day care programs; Preschool programs; after school programs.

Community Organizations

Scouting; YMCA and YWCA; Boys and Girls Clubs; Service organizations (e.g., Kiwanis, Lions, etc.).

Educational Programs not in Schools

Science Museums; Arts Councils (e.g., Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, Fulton County Arts Council School Arts Program, etc.); Educational Divisions of Arts Agencies (e.g., High Museum of Art, Alliance Theater School of Education, Hammonds House, etc.); Religious education; Government education (e.g., Peace Corps, Teach for America, etc.); Education in the military; and Health care education.

Mass Media

Educational television: production, program development, research; Distance teaching/learning: production, course and lesson development; Print media: educational reporting for magazines/newspapers.

Publishing

Publishing companies (esp. publishers of education materials); Staff of Learned Societies Journals (National Council of Teachers of English, etc.).

Other

University/school marketing; University/school recruiting; University/school development programs; Staff development within organizations; Sports/recreation organization staff (Little League/Pop Warner); Social Service Agencies; Research facilities; Vocational education; Adult education; Literacy programs.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Educational Studies may elect to concentrate in Early Childhood Education. Students must declare in which of concentration and/or specialty area at the University they wish to matriculate.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Educational Studies—Child Development must meet the general requirements of the University and the School of Education as outlined in the appropriate sections of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Mission

While the mission of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is to prepare classroom teachers, it also offers options for those who choose non-traditional education careers. Among these are the following:

Child Development Center Directors
Child Development Services Specialists
Early Childhood Educational Media Programmers
Early Childhood Creative Learning Specialists
Instructional Technologist for Early Childhood
Post-baccalaureate studies in early childhood education, and teaching mathematics and science

The Educational Studies—Child Development Program is organized around four components.

Component I provides the general education core which all students pursuing undergraduate degrees at the University must complete. Component II includes the Early Childhood/Elementary Content Core; Component III includes courses which make up the Educational Studies Specialty Area, and Component IV contains the field experiences unique to the specialty area. Specialty content and field experiences are presented under the respective program option.

Specialty Area: Early Childhood Center Director/Manager

This specialty area prepares candidates to assume leadership roles in child development centers and within public or private agencies. Matriculated students will develop skills in supervising staff; communicating effectively with parents and other stakeholders; developing curricula for children and parent training; identifying community resources that serve young children; budgeting; advocating for children with policy makers; and directing all center operations. Ongoing engagement of matriculated students with urban learners adds the dimension of increased capability in working with and sensitivity to the needs of young children in urban settings.

Specialty Area: Child Development Specialist

The Educational Studies Program with a specialty in child development links the study of early childhood education curriculum content with an emphasis on child psychology. This combination enables the candidate to address the psychological, social, and emotional development of the young. It further serves as a building block for academic achievement. Graduates can work with classroom teachers and families to use the children’s psychological strengths to enhance teaching and learning and promote desirable social skills and dispositions. Competence in administering and interpreting individuals and group psychological tests is also developed.

Specialty Area: Early Childhood Educational News Media Specialist

The individual completing this program is prepared to work within an organization in news writing and reporting; production of educational programs; and educational public relations. These tasks will be undertaken with a focus on young children (birth to age 5.)

Specialty Area: Creative Learning Specialist

The candidate who completes the creative learning specialist program will be prepared to work in environments that promote children’s creative growth and development. These graduates will be able to use their knowledge and skills in organizing creative activities for local park systems; leading recreational activities for children in summer, weekend and afterschool camps; organizing creative programs such as children’s theatre in local schools and faith-based organizations; developing unique early childhood programs for community venues including museums, galleries, arts festivals, and other special sites (e.g., Carter Presidential Center, Coca Cola, Aquarium, and King Center); working with teachers and day care workers to develop creative learning programs; and providing staff development and parent training for teachers. Additionally, the graduate will be prepared to use creative arts therapy in appropriate programs.

Specialty Area: Instructional Technologist for Early Childhood

The Educational Studies Program candidate with a specialty in instructional technology will be prepared to serve as a staff trainer and apply his/her skills to the application of technology in a child development center, i.e., producing videos, making bulletin boards, uploading instructional tapes, and conducting training in the use of media. The graduate will have knowledge and skills necessary to serve as a capable media specialist in day care centers, YMCAs, YWCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and other non-traditional settings.

Educational Outcomes

Program Objectives

Ensure that candidates attain a broad academic background in liberal arts, mathematics, and the natural and social sciences commensurate with educational industries.
Provide candidates with opportunities to hone their critical thinking and communication skills in ways specific to professions outside of classroom teaching.
Demonstrate the development of plans and delivery of aligned outcomes using well-vetted theories and best practices within the field of education.
Offer candidates learning experiences designed to enhance their understanding of the practical and experiential application of knowledge gained within college courses.
Define opportunities for candidates to synthesize and apply information learned within their college classrooms in professional settings that serve diverse student populations, their families and communities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Educational Studies—Child Development degree candidates will:

Demonstrate a broad understanding of liberal arts, mathematics, and the natural and social sciences as defined by educational industry standards.
Exhibit critical thinking levels of proficiency, verbal and written, within real-world settings that serve populations of diverse students, their families and communities.
Model, through role playing, the effects of dispositions on enhancing the educational outcomes of organizations that serve diverse populations of students and their families.
Display an understanding of the ways that family life, community dynamics and socioeconomic circumstances influence learning by children.
Prepare comprehensive real world capstone demonstration scenarios that require planning, delivery and assessment of familial and community needs specific to the education of young children.
Graduate at a Level 10 in the Georgia Staff Development System Career Level

Degree Requirements

In addition to General Education Core requirements, students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Educational Studies must complete a program of required courses that includes the following:

A series of required courses taken in blocks in a cohort.
A planned program of electives suitable to the matriculated student’s specialty area and career goal.
CEDC 492 Cooperative Education I and CEDC 493 Cooperative Education II. A required full-time, two semester capstone experience within an appropriate agency during the student’s final year of study.

In addition to the General Degree Requirements as published in this Catalog, students pursuing the Educational Studies—Child Development Degree Program must complete the following:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Component I: General Education Core Course Replacement
Education majors must take the following two courses to satisfy General Education Core requirement.
CEDC 262	Educational Technology ¹	3
CCPS 301	Educational Psychology	3
Component II: Major Area of Study
Content and Pedagogical Knowledge
CECE 200	Intro. to Elementary Education	3
CECE 201	Literacy in Erly. Chd. Edu. I	3
CECE 206	Foundations of Math I	3
CEDF 211	Foundations of Education	3
CECE 214	Professional Engagement I	3
CEDC 303	Human Relations	3
CECE 304	Classroom Management	3
CECE 314	Creative Development	3
CECE 315	Professional Engagement II	3
CECE 404	Elem Educ Curriculum and Metho	3
CECE 405	Preschool Program Development	3
CECE 414	Professional Engagement III	3
CECE 415	Methods of Teaching Read (Postbac)	3
CEDC 401	Infant and Toddlers Developmen	3
CHPE 404	Meth of Teaching Elem Ed & PE	3
CEDC 408	Multicultural & Global Ed	3
CHPE 413	Health Ed. Curriculum Methods	3
CEDS 425	Intro to Exceptional Education	3
Cognate Electives
A planned program of cognate elective courses (3 courses) suitable to candidate’s career goals must be approved by the student’s advisor and may include courses from any of the four schools of the University.
CXXX XXX	Cognate Elective	3
CXXX XXX	Cognate Elective	3
CXXX XXX	Cognate Elective	3
Professional Skills
CEDC 492	Cooperative Education I ³	12
CEDC 493	Cooperative Education II ³	12
Total Hours		93

¹: Replaces CCIS 100 Info. Technology & Comp. App..
²: Replaces CPSY 211 General Psychology.
³: Cooperative Education requires Educational Studies candidates to spend two full semesters working in an education related agency appropriate to their concentration, specialty area or career goal. Experiences are supervised and monitored by a University professor and an onsite supervisor and are accompanied by a weekly seminar. Candidates are required to submit evaluations and reports that may include action research.

General Education Requirements

(Provided under each discipline area are specific general education courses required by the Department based on the norm in your discipline).

¹: See attached Planned Program.

Number of additional credit hours student will need to meet General Education Requirement: 0