Child and Family Studies: AS Degree
The Napa Valley College Child and Family Studies Program prepares students to work as teachers with young children in public and private early care and education programs. The Child and Family Studies Program may also serve as a beginning for students planning to attend a four year college to obtain a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. Upon completion of the A.S. Degree in Child and Family Studies at Napa Valley College, the student is eligible for the California Child Development Teacher Permit available through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Communicate with empathy to develop nurturing relationships with children parents and co-workers as well as support the parent-child relationship.
- Integrate concepts and components of developmentally appropriate practices into the daily curriculum to engage children at their level of understanding and ability.
- Observe and record children’s behavior to be able to integrate the information gathered into daily curriculum that advocates gender, equity and diversity and meets biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial needs.
- Know, pursue, and implement brain development research and theory in teaching.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (42 units) | ||
| CFS-120 | Child Development 1 | 3 |
| CFS-121 | Health, Safety & Nutrition | 3 |
| CFS-122 | Principles & Practices of Teaching Young Children | 3 |
| CFS-123 | Observation & Assessment 1 | 4 |
| CFS-130 | The Creative Process in Young Children | 3 |
| CFS-135 | The Cognitive Development of Young Children 1 | 3 |
| CFS-140 | The Child, Family and Community 1 | 3 |
| CFS-145 | Language Development & Early Literacy 1 | 3 |
| CFS-150 | Infant/Toddler Development & Education | 3 |
| CFS-165 | Curriculum and Environments in Early Childhood Programs | 3 |
| CFS-184 | Teaching Children in a Diverse Society | 3 |
| CFS-196 | Music and Movement in Early Childhood 1 | 3 |
| CFS-223 | Student Teaching - Practicum | 5 |
| Required Electives (6 units) | ||
| Complete six units from the following: | 6 | |
| Care and Education for Infants and Toddlers | ||
| Sensitive Issues in Early Childhood | ||
| Parenting | ||
| Working With Families | ||
| Studying the Reggio Emilia Approach | ||
| Meeting the Developmental Needs of the School-Aged Child | ||
| The Anthropology of Childhood | ||
| Adult Supervision and Mentoring in Early Care and Education | ||
| Admin & Supervision of Early Childhood Programs 1 | ||
| Supervision & Admininistration of Early Childhood Programs II | ||
| Teaching as a Profession | ||
| Total Units | 48 | |
Notes
- Certificate Program: Students are eligible for the CFS Certificate after completion of the following required courses with “C” or better: CFS-120, CFS-121, CFS-122, CFS-123, CFS-130, CFS-135, CFS-140, CFS-145, CFS-150, CFS-165, CFS-184, CFS-196, CFS-223 and two CFS/EDUC/LGBT electives.
- A.S. Degree Program: All courses as listed. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Consultation with the Program Coordinator is required.
- Specializations: The Child and Family Studies Program offers five (5) specializations for the Master Teacher level of the Child Development Permit: Creativity (CFS-130 and CFS-170), Diversity (CFS-180 and CFS-184), Infant and Toddler (CFS-150 and CFS-151), Working with Families (CFS-160 and CFS-161), and Administration and Mentoring (CFS-270, CFS-271 and CFS-250).
- Transfer to a baccalaureate degree granting institution: Consult the catalog of the college or university of your choice and a Napa Valley College counselor for specific requirements.
To receive an Associate Degree, students must complete 60 degree applicable semester units with a grade point average of at least 2.0. Students must also complete the NVC General Education pattern to earn an Associate degree. Consultation with a Counselor is highly encouraged to ensure all requirements are met.
- 1
Meets General Education requirement. CFS-140 also satisfies the Multicultural/Gender Studies requirement.
- 2
3 units of Physical Education or Health is required to earn an Associate's Degree.
- 3
CFS electives:CFS-125, CFS-151, CFS-155, CFS-160, CFS-161, CFS-170, CFS-175, CFS-180,CFS-190, CFS-200, CFS-250, CFS-270, CFS-271; EDUC electives: EDUC-100; LGBT electives LGBT-120, LGBT-121,LGBT-122,LGBT-123,LGBT-199.