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 (General Education)
All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major
Children and Families Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDC 240 | Psych of Child Development | 3 |
| EDC 412 | Social Devl/Pos Guidnce Techn | 3 |
| EDC 414 | Early Child Ed Special Needs | 3 |
| EDC 439 | Child Maltreatment and Trauma | 3 |
| EDC 442 | EC: Fam/Sch/Comm Collaboration | 3 |
| EDB 422 | Lead,Advoc, Admin Early Ch Prg | 3 |
| HHS 210 | Intro to Social Work | 3 |
| HHS 305 | Introduction to Play | 3 |
| HHS 310 | System of Care | 4 |
| HHS 312 | Family Preservation & Recovery | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 31 | |
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
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDA 210 | Early Literacy: Birth to Kindergarten | 3 |
| EDD 422 | Teach Strategies Early Child B-K | 3 |
| EDD 423 | Cross-disciplinary Emergent Inquiry Curriculum in B-K | 3 |
| EDD 446 | Intervention Strat EC Spec Ed | 3 |
| EDFP 438 | Apprenticeship I: Birth to Kindergarten | 3 |
| EDT 317 | Learning Technologies in Content Areas | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 | |
Social Agency Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HHS 350 | Comm Organizing for Health | 4 |
| HHS 407 | Fundraising & Grantwriting | 3 |
| HHS 425 | Work w/Child in Health Setting | 3 |
| EDD 418 | Children and Families Intern | 4 |
| SOC 200 | Understanding Society | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 17 | |
Learning Goals
- Knowledge and understanding of child development—physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and aesthetically.
- Knowledge and understanding of children and families in socio-economic and cultural contexts.
- Knowledge and skills to understand the principles of an effective early childhood classroom.
- Opportunities to achieve competence in early childhood education as a profession.