Welcome
This program provides the necessary preparation for early childhood educators who
wish to advance their professional knowledge and career opportunities with specialized
study in Administration, Curriculum and Teaching, Family Support, or Infants and Toddlers.
The child development and family studies program meets professional preparation standards
developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. These six
core standards and field experience expectations guide the CDFS B.A. program content
and outline a set of common expectations for professional knowledge, skills and dispositions
within the field of early care and education in conjunction with family studies.
The program supports students who desire a strong foundation in the field of early childhood by integrating the early childhood education A.A.S. content requirements with that of the child development and family studies B.A. Students are required to complete the program major and one of the specialized concentration areas: Administration within the early childhood field, Curriculum and teaching, Family support, or Infant and toddler. Students entering the child development and family studies B.A. program with an A.A. or A.A.S. degree in early childhood education from a accredited college or university will receive 23 transfer credits toward the program major. Any additional courses will need to be evaluated on an individual basis.
Flexible course delivery fosters successful completion for early childhood professionals living in both rural and urban areas of Alaska and beyond. All program and concentration area courses must be completed with a C grade or better, with the exclusion of all clinical practice course work which must be completed with a minimum B grade. Completion of the CDFS B.A. will meet requirements for both a major and minor.
Our Mission
The mission of the Child Development and Family Studies program is to provide necessary preparation for early childhood professionals who wish to advance their professional knowledge and career opportunities with specialized study in:
- Administration
- Curriculum and Teaching
- Family Support
GOAL STATEMENT:
The goal of this cross-regionally delivered program is to support both rural and urban students through flexible course delivery methods. Though not a mandatory step for completion, it was designed to easily extend on the Early Childhood Education AAS degree.