The Program
The online A.A.S. degree program in Early Childhood Education (ECE) is designed to prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for employment as an assistant teacher, paraprofessional, or caregiver. This 60-credit course of study combines asynchronous instruction in foundational, introductory, and pedagogical content with practical application conducted in schools, child-care centers, and other agencies providing programs for children from birth through second grade.
This program is intended to support you as you develop the skills necessary to create and implement developmentally-appropriate activities, lesson plans, and assessments in an inclusive setting that respects diversity and provides equitable opportunities for all children. You will be able to choose an elective course from a lengthy list of sections that focus on topics such as bilingual education and instructional technology. This degree transfers within CUNY to bachelor-degree programs at Lehman College and Medgar Evers College through articulation agreements.
Field Experiences
You will conduct a 20-hour observation and complete a 120-hour field experience in a professional setting as part of their studies. If you live in New York City, our Career Services staff can help you find a place to conduct your field hours. For those of you who do not live near the Hostos community, we will help you choose an acceptable setting in your own community. These field hours are to let you practice what you have learned and envision the positive impact you can make a difference in the lives of young children.
Earn Credit for Credentials or Experience
If you hold a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or have professional experience working in early-childhood or child-care settings, you may be eligible to receive 3-6 credits toward their degree.
Our Faculty
Our faculty are dedicated professionals who share a common goal--helping you achieve your dream of earning a degree in Early Childhood Education. They have vast experience teaching in the online environment. They have developed effective online-learning environments that are engaging, rigorous, and supportive. In fact, our Teacher Education unit has had this state-certified online degree for more than a decade. Our students have enjoyed the flexibility of our program and have found that its design allows them the unique opportunity to pursue their own education while also caring for families and/or working.
Save Money
Something else that might interest you--our Early-Childhood courses do not use for-pay textbooks. That's right. We use open educational resources (OERs) that will be available for you online. You will not pay anything for the academic content needed in the nine ECE classes you will take as part of this program. We estimate your savings to be between $800-$1000.
What does asynchronous mean?
When an online course is taught asynchronously, the teaching and learning takes place in an online environment with a syllabus, course content, assessments, interactions with other students through online discussions, the ability to communicate with the instructor, and a schedule of topics, due dates, and faculty office hours--most of what you expect in a typical college class.
The difference between an asynchronous course and one taught at a specific day and time is that you have the freedom to choose when you do the work--read, study, homework, etc.--as long as it is done by the due date set by the instructor. Asynchronous courses share the same course description, cover the same material, and meet the same learning outcomes as courses taught in traditional on-campus classrooms.
Contact Information
Interested in the Hostos A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood Education but still have questions? Feel free to reach out to Dr. Jacqueline M. DiSanto, the Teacher Education coordinator and chair of the Education Department, at jdisanto@hostos.cuny.edu. She is happy to answer your questions.