Minor in Early Childhood Studies

 

Girl playing with rocks

The minor in Early Childhood Studies is offered by the School of Education. The minor gives students from any major at Sonoma State University a concentration in the study of early childhood development and learning. This minor is useful for students interested in pursuing careers involving work with young children from birth through age eight in fields such as Education, Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, and others. For a minor in Early Childhood Studies, students must take five required courses (18 units) plus an additional six units of elective courses, for a total of 24 units.

Courses required for the minor can be used to apply for a California Child Development Permit, and when the appropriate electives are chosen, the minor can cover prerequisites for the Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential program or child development units for teaching in transitional kindergarten (with a Multiple Subject credential). If your ultimate goal is to obtain a Child Development Permit or enroll in the Multiple Subject Credential program, please be sure to consult with an Early Childhood Studies advisor and the Multiple Subject Credential Advisor to ensure that you take the appropriate courses.

Prerequisites

Students wishing to add the Early Childhood Major or Minor are required to have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5.

Declaring the Early Childhood Studies Minor

If you wish to declare the Early Childhood Studies minor, please complete a change of minor/major form.  Please note that you must declare the minor well in advance of registration in order to have access to EDEC courses.

Early Childhood Studies Minor Requirements

Core Requirements (18 units)

EDEC 110 Understanding Development: Birth through Adolescence (3 units)

EDEC 220 Child Observation with Field Experience (4 units)

EDEC 270 Children and Families in a Diverse Society (4 units)

EDSP 432 Young Children with Special Needs (4 units)

EDEC 450 Empowerment and Equity for Children and Families (3 units)

Electives (6 units)

EDEC 201 Foundations of Early Care and Education (4 units)

EDEC 237 Early Childhood Curriculum with Field Experience (4 units)

EDEC 247 Physical Development and Health in Childhood (3 units)

EDEC 405 iPlay: Child Development in the Digital Age (3 units)

EDEC 406 Positive Guidance (3 units)

EDEC 407 Children’s Literature for Social Justice (3 units)

EDEC 408 Science, Literacy, and Play: Exploring the Natural World (3 units)

EDEC 409 Play in Early Childhood (3 units)

EDEC 410 Language Development (3 units)

EDEC 411 Infant and Toddler Development (3 units)

EDEC 437 Integrated Curriculum with Field Experience (4 units)

EDEC 435 Leadership and Advocacy on Behalf of Children and Families (4 units)

EDEC 447 Children’s Emotional Development and Health (3 units)

EDEC 460 Introduction to Research in Early Childhood Education (4 units)

EDEC 490 Special Topics in Early Childhood Studies (1-4 units)

EDUC 250 Teaching in a Changing World (3 units)

EDSS 417 School and Society (3 units)

EDMS 419 Identity and Agency for Socially Just Classrooms & Communities (3 units)

AMCS 339 Ethnic Groups and American Social Policy (3 units)

AMCS 445 Multiculturalism and Education (4 units)

CALS 405 The Chicano/Latino Family (4 units)

CALS 450 Chicano/Latino Children’s Literature (4 units)

CALS 456 Sociology of Education/Latinos and Education (4 units)

KIN 400 Elementary School Physical Education (3 units)

KIN 427 Individuals with Disabilities in Educational and Recreational Settings (3 units)

PSY 409 Social and Emotional Development (4 units)

PSY 411 Child Psychopathology (4 units)

PSY 414 Infant Development (4 units)

PSY 418 Psychology of Family (4 units)

PSY 431 Introduction to Art Therapy (4 units)

PSY 448 Cognitive Development (4 units)

SOCI 345 Sociology of Families (4 units)

SOCI 445 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence (4 units)

Notes:

  • Additional courses might qualify as electives - consult your advisor.

  • If you are planning to obtain a teaching credential, be sure to consult an advisor about the best electives for your career goals.

Are you deciding between the Education minor and the Early Childhood Studies minor?

The Early Childhood Studies minor is appropriate for students who want to work with younger children (birth to age 8) in child care programs, preschools, the early elementary grades, health care settings, etc.  If you are interested in teaching in transitional kindergarten (a high need area), the Early Childhood Studies minor can give you the 24 units of required early childhood coursework when appropriate coursework is chosen; you will also need a Multiple Subject teaching credential.

The Education minor is appropriate for students who want to work with older elementary, middle school, or high school students. It is also a great choice for anyone who is generally interested in education or who anticipates that education might be a significant part of their career (museum docent, park ranger, trainer, etc.)

For more information, please contact Giselle Perry at perryg@sonoma.edu for the Education minor or ECS minor.