The Early Childhood Education Degree Program at Santa Barbara City College centers around the continuing experience of supervised teaching, combined with intensive classroom instruction. Basic principles of early childhood education and child development, including curriculum for preschools, school age programs and care-giving for infant centers, are introduced. In-depth study of observation, assessment, health, safety and nutrition are also introduced.

Students who complete the AS-T in Early Childhood Education will achieve the following competencies: Child Development and Learning; Culture, Diversity, and Equity; Relationships, Interactions, and Guidance; Family and Community Engagement; Dual-Language Development; Observation, Screening, Assessment, and Documentation; Special Needs and Inclusion; Learning Environments and Curriculum; Health, Safety and Nutrition; Leadership in Early Childhood Education; Professionalism; and Administration and Supervision.

The Associate in Science for Transfer degree in Early Childhood Education provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses.  The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors.

Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program. Visit https://adegreewithaguarantee.com/ for more information about these degrees. 

Associate Degree for Transfer Graduation Requirements

Complete all of the following:

1. All Major Requirements listed below with a “C” or better or "P" in each course.
2. Cal-GETC pattern.
3. At least 60 CSU transferable semester units.
4. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.
5. A minimum of 12 units through SBCC. 

Students are advised to consult the CSU ADT Major & Campus Search database to determine which bachelor's degree programs offered by the CSU campuses are deemed similar to the AS-T in Early Childhood Education.   Students are also advised to consult ASSIST (www.assist.org) and to meet with an academic counselor to discuss the best combination of courses to take for their AS-T to ensure they receive the admission benefits associated with it, and to meet the requirements of the transfer institution to which they are intending to transfer.   

1. Discuss the diverse needs, characteristics and multiple influences on the development of children, birth through age eight, as related to high quality care and education.
2. Using observation skills, design, implement and evaluate environments and curriculum activities that support positive, developmental play and learning for all young children.
3. Identify and implement effective guidance and interaction strategies that support all children’s social learning, identity and self-confidence.
4. Develop and implement strategies that promote partnerships between programs, teachers, families, and their diverse communities.
5. Recognize ethical standards and demonstrate professional behaviors that deepen understanding, knowledge and commitment to the Early Childhood Education profession.
6. Apply written and verbal communication skills and research practices to discuss relevant and accurate information related to General Education courses.

Make an appointment with your SBCC academic counselor through Starfish to create a Student Education Plan that reflects a recommended course sequence for this program that is tailored to your individual needs.

How to schedule an Academic Counseling appointment.