Early Childhood Development

VPCC’s Early Childhood Associate Degree prepares students planning to transfer to partner four-year institutions teacher preparation programs. It is specifically designed for students who plan to seek endorsement and licensure as teachers in Early Childhood Education (PreK-3rd ) or Special Education.

This degree is designed to provide individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in early childhood education programs. The program brings classroom theory and practical experiences together. Students will be placed in a coordinated internship in an appropriate school or childcare center to gain supervised field experience. Many classes in the program will take place at the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Development in Newport News.

	FALL ’24 – SUMMER ’25 TUITION & FEES
	Virginia Residents	Out of State Rate
	$169.60 per credit hour	$384.20 per credit hour

Program Outcomes: Graduates will be able to:

• Upon completion of the Early Childhood program, students will be able to create healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments for young children (NAEYC, Standard 1c).
• Upon completion of the Early Childhood program, students will be able to design, implement and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child. (NAEYC, Standard 5c).
• Upon completion of the Early Childhood program, students will be able to practice responsible assessment using appropriate assessment tools to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities. (NAEYC, Standard 3c).
• Upon completion of the Early Childhood program, students will demonstrate knowledge about a variety of community resources and their uses to support young children’s learning and development and families’ well-being. Students will assist families to find high quality resources and to partner with other early childhood experts (e.g., speech pathologists, school counselors), as needed, to support young children’s development and learning. (NAEYC, Standard 2c).
• Upon completion of the Early Childhood program, students will be able to demonstrate personal and professional behaviors while upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines. NAEYC, Standard 6b).

Possibilities

Graduates find employment in a variety of early care settings, including Heat Start, religious-based and military child development centers and for-profit and nonprofit programs. Those who earn an associate of applied science in Early Childhood Development can explore several employment opportunities. Graduates become:

• paraprofessionals in public schools
• preschool teachers
• childcare program directors
• in-home childcare professionals
• before/after school resource program employees

	G3 ELIGIBLE PROGRAM
	This program is eligible for the G3 Tution Assistance programs.

Transfer Partners

Several four-year universities are accepting our AAS in Early Childhood Development, should you decide to continue your education and earn a bachelor’s degree:

• James Madison University.
• Longwood University
• Radford University (Special Ed) AAS to BS Teacher Licensure
• George Mason University AAS to BS Early Childhood Ed
• Virginia Commonwealth University Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Old Dominion University

Accreditation

• The Early Childhood Development AAS degree at Virginia Peninsula Community College is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
• The current accreditation term runs from June 30, 2021 through March 31, 2028.