Early Childhood

Child care is the sixth largest industry in terms of job growth during this decade and the number of workers in the field are growing fast. This program provides job-related skills that are in high demand.

The early childhood degree program provides a strong combination of coursework and field experience to help you be a knowledgeable and competent early childhood professional. You will learn a philosophy of teaching and learning, child development, and how to design and provide experiences for children in science, social studies, literature, math, music, and art.

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of working early childhood professionals who need further education, and the needs of recent high school graduates who wish to pursue a career in the early childhood field.

• Field Experience
• Career Opportunities
• Transfer Options
• Degree Requirements (Sequence A - General)
• Degree Requirements (Sequence B - Transfer)
• Program Chair / Faculty

Aditional Early Childhood Information

• Non-Traditional Occupation Services

Field Experience

Extensive field experience is a vital and required piece of the early childhood degree. You will participate in a supervised field experience in a licensed or certified day care center, pre-kindergarten - second grade, or nursery school classroom.

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Career Opportunities

The early childhood degree program provides skills in high demand, both locally and nationally. Graduates of this program are trained for positions as teachers at a child care center or nursery school, family child care providers, Head Start teachers and family workers, and teacher’s assistants in special education or in an elementary school.

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Transfer Options

The Early Childhood A.A.S., sequence B degree prepares students for transfer to a bachelor's degree in early childhood education (birth - second grade). Many of our graduates transfer to SUNY Cortland. Other transfer institutions include:

• SUNY Cobleskill
• SUNY Oneonta
• SUNY Plattsburgh
• SUNY Potsdam
• Wells College

For specific transfer information, contact the Counseling, Career, and Transfer Services office.

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Program Requirements

Program requirements by semester are detailed in the Degrees and Certificates (pdf, 1.6MB) section of the TC3 college catalog.

All sections of the current college catalog are available online.

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Program Chair / Faculty

Carol Sammis

Program Chair
Instructor (Early Childhood Education)

B.A. , Juniata College; M.S. , SUNY at Cortland.
Email Professor Sammis

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