Early Childhood Professional Preparation and Continuing Education

The School of Education at Montgomery College provides a wide range of coursework as well as three degree options in the field of Early Childhood education.

Entry level students can take ED 120 Child Development and ED 121 Curriculum Planning to earn the 90 Hour Course Certificate required by the State of Maryland for most child care center staff.   Additional courses can be added to this foundation for further professional development on the way to a 30 credit hour Certificate in Early Childhood from Montgomery College.  (See the FAQ’s for more information.)

Students who participated in the Child Development programs in Montgomery County Public Schools may be eligible to articulate credit in ED 120, ED 121 and possibly ED 122 via portfolio review. Contact Dr. Jeannie Ho for more information, or see related information on the MCPS website.

The Associate of Applied Sciences (A.A.S.) in Early Childhood is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as a program designed to meet degree requirements for center directors and lead staff.  The program outline provides the courses needed for the degree, and the Majors Checklist for Early Childhood helps students in the program make sure they stay on course for graduation.

NEW! Starting this fall students may earn a Letter of Recognition in Early Childhood Leadership and Management. This program addresses a new NAEYC accreditation requirement for Early Childhood administrators. Upon successful completion of this program, students/candidates will receive a Letter of Recognition and nine college credits toward the Associate of Applied Sciences in Early Childhood.

Teacher Education Transfer Degrees

The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) programs offer the first 64 to 68 credits of a four-year bachelor’s degree and teacher certification, and are fully articulated with the public colleges and universities in the state of Maryland.  Students in the program fulfill their General Education requirements, participate in fieldwork experiences, and complete a core of professional education coursework appropriate for the first two years of teacher preparation.  To earn the AAT, students must complete all required coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.75, and pass state mandated basic skills tests.   See the AAT FAQ’s and Majors Checklist for the AAT for more information; detailed program outlines are also available for each of the degrees below:

PreK through 3rd grade: Early Childhood Education
Grades 1 - 6  (and possibly middle school):  Elementary Education
Special Education (Pre K to high school):  Generic Special Education
Secondary (grades 7 – 12): Chemistry, English,  Math, Physics, Spanish.

Note: For certification areas not listed above, please visit ARTSYS for specific transfer information within Maryland and make an appointment with an advisor to develop an educational plan.  Associate degrees in Art Education and Health Education are also available at Montgomery College, but must be customized for each potential transfer school.

Students with prior college credit that may apply to the AAT degrees should have official transcripts sent to Montgomery College directly for transfer credit evaluation.  For more information on transfer schools and other transfer planning tips, go to Transfer Advising Notes for Education Majors.

Professional Education Coursework

The School of Education also offers coursework for persons who already have a Bachelor’s Degree and wish to become a certified teacher in Maryland, or for teachers who need to enroll in additional courses to maintain certification. To ensure that potential teachers are enrolling in the correct certification courses, these students should have their college transcripts evaluated by the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Certification.

Before the Maryland State Department of Education transcript evaluation can occur, students must pass a basic skills test (SAT, ACT, GRE or Praxis I scores are acceptable if at the appropriate level). ets.org/praxis. Upon receipt of the transcript evaluation, students can then determine what courses Montgomery College offers that meet the MSDE Professional Education course requirements.  Note that Montgomery College does NOT provide the opportunity for supervised teaching experiences which are required for certification in Maryland.

To obtain a list of the Montgomery College courses which can be applied to certification, click here.

Individuals who are seeking to become middle or high school teachers in the sciences, mathematics, Spanish may want to investigate the Alternative Certification for Effective Teachers (ACET) program, a partnership program between Montgomery College and Montgomery County Public Schools.