Liberal Arts: Child Development (AA)
Program Overview:
Get the Foundation You Need to Launch Any Career in Child Development
Developing the skills and knowledge to become a teacher is an inspiring and challenging undertaking. With LASC’s Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts: Child Development, you will gain an incredibly important foundation in child development that will help you have the fundamental skills and hands-on training needed to succeed in this dynamic, and ever-evolving field.
While similar to LASC’s Associate in Arts in Child Development, our liberal arts degree focuses on the academic histories, current trends, and practical theories in child development to broaden and enrich your knowledge, skills, practices, and techniques for working with children. With this degree, you will understand how to better assist children in learning various subject matters, develop engaging lessons for the classroom, and ways to promote a love of learning in young children.
Those with careers in child development often choose to lead an elementary school classroom or specialize in psychology to help children who have traumatic or behavioral difficulties move through their negative and damaging feelings. Many in the field are also on the cutting-edge, working to advance technologies that can help educate children. When you understand the way the body, brain, and a child’s emotions develop, you can use your caring and supportive demeanor to lead them on a path to success.
Careers in Child Development
Most people with degrees in child development work in education, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to how you can apply your education. And, with a liberal arts degree in Child Development, you’ll have the foundation to launch your career wherever you see a need, such as a pediatric nurse, speech pathologist, museum educator, and consulting and regulating educational programs, to name just a few.
Here are some careers you can have with a Child Development degree:
Career information below is taken from bls.gov in November 2019. Go to bls.gov for most current career information.
Work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $59,780/year | N/A |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 4% increase (as fast as average) | 437,200 |
Educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | $29,780/year | $14.32/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 7% increase (faster than average) | 523,600 |
Help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $49,470/year | $23.79/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 11% increase (much faster than average) | 707,400 |
Plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $47,860/year | $23.01/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 7% increase (faster than average) | 19,800 |
Assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | $77,510/year | $37.26/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| Internship / Residency | 27% increase (much faster than average) | 153,700 |
Instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $57,980/year | $27.87/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 3% increase (slower than average) | 1,569,000 |
What You’ll Learn at LASC in Child Development
You can get an Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts (AA) degree through LASC’s Child Development program where you will come away with a deep, fundamental understanding on child development and how children process and learn from birth to age 8. You will understand what is a developmentally appropriate curriculum for differently-abled children, and be prepared for a future career in teaching and childcare:
- Review our Child Development Brochure program to discover the skills, academic foundation, and hands-on training to help you develop the skills you need to succeed in careers in child development.
- Working with children requires being able to react quickly and appropriately for any given situation. You’ll expand your critical-thinking skills for working with and teaching young children so you will have the foundation to manage different children’s needs and developmental stages in various situations.
- Gain an insider’s view of a child development center by putting your classroom knowledge into action at LASC’s Child Development Center.
- Create developmentally appropriate success strategies for young children to help them move from one stage of development to the next.
- Learn how to check your own biases when it comes to education and educating children.
- Want to transfer? Save money getting your Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts: Child Development (AA) degree at LASC learning from innovative, caring faculty before you transfer to a four-year college or university. You may also want to review LASC’s Associate in Science for Transfer (AST) degree in Early Childhood Education where you can graduate with guaranteed admission to a CSU, and some UCs! Visit your academic counselor to find out more.
Requirements to Become an Early Educator:
Once you successfully complete your Associate in Arts in Child Development at LASC, you will be ready to take the Child Care Licensing Exam, as well as meet the minimum requirements to work within the Los Angeles area and the state of California.
Please review the requirements below to find out what you’ll need to work in child development in L.A. and California:
Review the Child Care Licensing Requirements needed in California
Review the requirements needed to work in the Los Angeles Unified School District
LAUSD Early Childhood Education Division
Child Development Training Consortium Permit Matrix
California Department of Education Immunization Requirements
State of California Health & Human Services Agency – Request for Live Scan
Degrees & Courses You Will Take
Review the LASC Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts (AA) and Associate in Arts (AA) degrees in Child Development below, along with our suggested course of study for these programs. Go to LASC’s current Course Catalog for specific course information:
Major Code: 4901.02
Total Units Required: 60
Upon completion of this program, you should be able to:
Integrate understanding of the needs, the characteristics and multiple influences on the development of children from birth to age eight as it relates to optimum growth and development.
Create developmentally appropriate strategies, techniques, and curriculum incorporating domains of learning, health, safety, nutrition, as well as anti-bias and adaptation principles for working with typical and atypical developing children.
Evaluate and utilize various observation and assessment methods for measuring and recording children’s developmental progress.
Compare and contrast the basic theories in child development, family studies, as well as historical perspectives of ECE programs.
Demonstrate strategies and techniques for building a sensitive and respectful family and community relationships.
Develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for learning and promoting learning in young children.
| Required Courses: | Units |
|---|---|
| CH DEV 1 Child Growth and Development | 3 |
| CH DEV 2 Early Childhood: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| CH DEV 7 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum | 3 |
| CH DEV 10 Health, Safety, and Nutrition | 3 |
| CH DEV 11 Child, Family, and Community | 3 |
| CH DEV 42 Teaching in a Diverse Society | 3 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 18 |
The mission of the Child Development program is to provide an environment for quality learning for a diverse population of students in the discipline of Child Development. Our courses, programs, and activities are designed to educate, inform, and model “Best Practices” for educating and nurturing young children, working with families, and providing services to the community in a variety of early childhood educational careers.
The program is designed to meet your educational and vocational training needs to either prepare you for employment or broaden your knowledge if you are already employed in public (Title 5) or private (Title 22) preschools.
The Child Development Department and Child Development Center laboratory school collectively provide the education and vocational training necessary for LASC Child Development students to succeed in their higher educational/transfer goals, individual career choices, and professional business plans.
Upon completion of this program, you should be able to:
Integrate understanding of the needs, the characteristics and multiple influences on the development of children from birth to age eight as it relates to optimum growth and development.
Create developmentally appropriate strategies, techniques, and curriculum incorporating domains of learning, health, safety, nutrition, as well as anti-bias and adaptation principles for working with typical and atypical developing children.
Apply developmentally appropriate social-emotional learning strategies and positive guidance techniques in a professional early childhood setting.
Evaluate and utilize various observation and assessment methods for measuring and recording children’s developmental progress.
Implement various early childhood environment rating scales and assessment tools.
Compare and contrast the basic theories in child development, family studies, as well as historical perspectives of ECE programs.
Uphold professional standards (based on NAEYC Code of Ethics) for job seeking, respecting, interacting, and communicating with others (parents, staff, children, community members, colleagues and peers).
Demonstrate strategies and techniques for building a sensitive and respectful family and community relationships.
Develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for learning and promoting learning in young children.
| Required Courses: | Units |
|---|---|
| CH DEV 1 Child Growth and Development | 3 |
| CH DEV 2 Early Childhood: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| CH DEV 7 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum | 3 |
| CH DEV 8 Curriculum in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| CH DEV 10 Health, Safety and Nutrition | 3 |
| CH DEV Child, Family, and Community | 3 |
| CH DEV 22 Practicum in Child Development I | 4 |
| CH DEV 23 Practicum in Child Development II | 4 |
| CH DEV 34 Observing and Recording Children’s Behavior | 3 |
| CH DEV 42 Teaching in a Diverse Society | 3 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 32 |
Get Ready Before You Start
Interested in a career in child development? Before your first class starts at LASC, you can start preparing for your early childhood education career:
Make an appointment with your LASC academic counselor to review LASC’s program, develop a Student Education Plan (SEP), and discuss your career goals to see if transferring to a four-year college or university may be beneficial for what you want to do in the future.
Still in high school? Contact local childcare and daycare centers, elementary schools, and preschools to see if you could observe for an afternoon to watch child development educators in action. Contact local social welfare offices to see if they have any summer internships or volunteer experiences. Talk with your high school counselor to see if they can recommend any local opportunities that you could be a part of.
Grants
Make the most with your time at LASC, and gain career experience while meeting and working with others who want to further their knowledge and experience for a thriving career in child development:
Child Development Teacher Grant – get money to help pay for your child development education so you can enter the field of childcare and development in a licensed children’s center.
Program Learning Outcomes
As a student, once you complete the program, you should be able to:
- Understanding of the needs, characteristics, and multiple influences on the development of children from birth to age eight.
- Creating developmentally appropriate strategies, techniques, and curriculum, and adaptation principles for working with typical and atypical developing children.
- Applying developmentally appropriate social-emotional learning strategies and positive guidance techniques in a professional early childhood setting.
- Evaluating and utilizing various observation and assessment methods for measuring and recording children’s developmental progress.
- Implementing various early childhood environment rating scales and assessment tools.
- Comparing and contrasting the basic theories in child development and family studies, as well as historical perspectives of ECE programs.
- Upholding professional standards (based on NAEYC Code of Ethics) for job seeking, respecting, interacting, and communicating with others (parents, staff, children, community members, colleagues, and peers).
- Demonstrating strategies and techniques for building a sensitive and respectful family and community relationships.
- Developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for learning.