Definition of General Education Courses and Technical Courses. The Associate in Applied Science Early Childhood Education degree program in the North Carolina Community College System requires a total of sixty-four to seventy-six semester hours credit for graduation (see Appendix C), sixty of which are transferable to any UNC institution (see Appendix A). The overall total is comprised of both lower-division general education and early childhood education courses. This curriculum reflects the distribution of discipline areas commonly included in institution-wide, lower-division general education requirements for the baccalaureate degree. The Associate in Applied Science Early Childhood Education degree program includes general education requirements that represent the fundamental foundation for success, with studies in the areas of English composition, communications, humanities and fine arts, natural sciences and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. Within these discipline areas, community colleges must include opportunities for the achievement of competence in reading, writing, oral communication, fundamental mathematical skills, and basic computer use. Additionally, the Associate in Applied Science in Early Childhood Education degree program includes technical courses in the field of early childhood education, which include study in the areas of child development for both typical and atypical development, child guidance, health, safety and nutrition, creative activities, language and literacy, working with children and diverse families, and field experiences/practicums. Students must meet the receiving university's foreign language and/or health and physical education requirements, if applicable, prior to or after transfer to the four-year institution. The Associate in Applied Science Early Childhood Education degree program is structured to include three components: • Universal General Education Transfer Component comprises a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit, including at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural sciences/mathematics. AAS Degree programs must contain a minimum of 6 semester hours of communications. Diploma programs must contain a minimum of 6 semester hours of general education; 3 semester hours must be in communications. All Universal General Education Transfer Component courses will transfer as equivalency credit • Technical Core/Major Hours consists of 49 semester hours, 35 of which are in the technical cor...
