Children and Families

This Bachelor of Arts degree empowers you to become a strong, skilled advocate for children and families, by developing both a deep understanding of child development and the challenges children and families face within today’s diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts.

After you complete your studies, you can put your passion and expertise to use in a variety of settings. Our graduates work as educators in Head Start and childcare centers, serve as teachers or administrators in programs designed for young children, and help power agencies that advocate for young people and families.  This program does not lead to teacher certification.  Individuals interested in a teaching certificate should select either the Birth-Kindergarten Education or Elementary Education program. 

Dearborn Discovery Core

Please see the Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education) webpage or additional information.

Foundational Studies

Writing and Communication (GEWO) – 6 Credits

Upper-Level Writing Intensive (GEWI) – 3 Credits

Quantitative Thinking and Problem Solving (GEQT) – 3 Credits

Critical and Creative Thinking (GECC) – 3 Credits

Areas of Inquiry

Natural Science (GENS) – 7 Credits

  • Lecture/Lab Science Course
  • Additional Science Course

Social and Behavioral Analysis (GESB) – 9 Credits

Humanities and the Arts (GEHA) – 6 Credits

Intersections (GEIN) – 6 Credits

Capstone

Capstone (GECE) – 3 Credits

Children and Families Course Requirements

EDC 240Psych of Child Development3
EDC 412Social Devl/Pos Guidnce Techn3
EDC 414Early Child Ed Special Needs3
EDC 439Child Maltreatment and Trauma3
EDC 442EC: Fam/Sch/Comm Collaboration3
EDB 422Lead,Advoc, Admin Early Ch Prg3
HHS 210Intro to Social Work3
HHS 305Introduction to Play3
HHS 310System of Care4
HHS 312Family Preservation & Recovery3
Total Credit Hours31

Students have the option of selecting one of two concentrations in the program. The Child Studies concentration is designed to prepare individuals who want to work in early childhood while the Social Agency concentration is for students who want to work with a range of community centered agencies that provide services to children and families. 

Child Studies Concentration

EDA 419Early Literacy/Language Devel3
EDD 406Teach Strategies Early Child3
EDD 410Practicum in Early Child Ed1
EDD 411Directed Tchg: Early Childhood4
EDD 412Seminar in Early Childhood Ed2
EDD 446Intervention Strat EC Spec Ed3
Total Credit Hours16

Social Agency Concentration

HHS 350Comm Organizing for Health4
HHS 407Fundraising & Grantwriting3
HHS 425Work w/Child in Health Setting3
EDD 418Children and Families Intern4
SOC 200Understanding Society3
Total Credit Hours17

Learning Goals 

  1. Knowledge and understanding of child development—physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and aesthetically.
  2. Knowledge and understanding of children and families in socio-economic and cultural contexts.
  3. Knowledge and skills to understand the principles of an effective early childhood classroom.
  4. Opportunities to achieve competence in early childhood education as a profession.