Bachelor of Arts in Child Development

In this foundational course, students explore the principles necessary for achieving personal and career success. GEN 101 serves as a road map, guiding students as they begin their academic journey. Through self-discovery, surveying available resources, connecting with UAGC groups, and engaging with Career Services, students learn the essential skills of planning and goal setting. Students apply their personal strengths, skills, and lifelong learning strategies to develop essential career competencies. By making these meaningful connections students gain a deeper understanding of how their education relates to their desired career path.  Congratulations on embarking on this college journey filled with growth, exploration, and endless possibilities! This course is not available for non-degree seeking students and is not available as an elective.

This course offers an overview of digital fluency as it applies to personal, academic, financial, and professional success. Students will analyze the impact of digital technology on personal, social, and diversity issues and will develop digital skills that will assist in achieving academic, personal, and career goals. An overview of digital media is introduced with practical strategies for application in personal and professional life.

Learn and use key, practical skills that are applicable at home, at work, and in all UAGC courses! As UAGC students progress in their academic journey, strategies for personal, professional, and academic success continue to develop. This introductory course takes a two-pronged approach to setting students on a path to success. It merges fundamental informational literacy concepts with essential resources and skills that prepare students for college and career. Students learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge information obtained through UAGC Library databases and internet search engines. By applying the research process, students sharpen critical thinking skills and learn to use information ethically. The final project is a practical and relevant opportunity for students to apply their learning in personally, professionally, and academically meaningful ways.

ENG 121 is designed to introduce students to the standards of writing in both academic and professional settings. The class will operate by first introducing, and then allowing students to practice, several written communication skills. Throughout, we will work to understand writing as a process, one that is strengthened through critical thinking, deepened by research, and built on a foundation of professional standards. Students will articulate a sense of their own skills and goals, and engage in collaborative conversations with peers and their instructor so as to be able to express their ideas more effectively. During the course, students will use the writing process to scrutinize their own perspectives while challenging them to embrace a wider conversation.

This course is designed to expand students’ appreciation of film and knowledge of how films are made. Through analysis of storytelling in a visual medium, students will examine the ways in which movies are shot, develop characters, evoke emotion, depict physical reality, reflect society, and have the power to influence it. Though the focus of the course is film itself, students will gain deeper intercultural fluency while growing their skills in critical thinking, written communication, and visual analysis.

This course is a study of correct and incorrect reasoning involved in everyday activities. The fundamentals of language and argument, deductive and inductive reasoning and other aspects of practical reasoning are examined. 

This course examines and evaluates theories and arguments concerning ethics and moral reasoning from a philosophical perspective. By engaging with historical and contemporary sources, students will analyze theories about the meaning, nature, and justification of ethical concepts; determine and assess how different forms of moral reasoning apply to contemporary moral issues; become more reflective and informed about their own moral beliefs; and develop their capacity for critical practical reasoning.

In this course, students will develop and hone academic and professional writing skills by employing those skills to communicate with range of audiences across a range of situations and contexts. To do that, students will receive instruction and practice in writing well-structured, logical, and effective academic essays while developing critical thinking skills and effective work habits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C-” or better.

This course is designed to aid students in understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Verbal and nonverbal communication patterns among people in personal, social, academic, and professional settings will be examined, within and between cultures, including both face-to-face and technologically mediated channels.  The nature of these interactions will be evaluated using contemporary communication theory. The course will enable students to identify their interpersonal communication skills and behaviors and to more critically evaluate their own oral communication and that of others. The primary goals of the course are to improve the quality of students’ communication in their personal and professional relationships, to enhance students’ experience and. confidence with oral communication, and increase awareness of the importance of interpersonal communication that is inclusive and equitable.

A survey of government at the national level. Emphasis is placed on the constitutional basis of American government, federalism, the sources and forms of political behavior, the operation of the three branches of government, and the making of national policy.

Students explore culture in its role of guiding human behavior and providing social order, structure, and stability for individuals and groups of people. Culture is presented as a system of adaptation involving beliefs, behavior, language, customs, socio/political strategies, traditions, and technology that evolve over time. Recommended prerequisite: ENG 122.

This course focuses on sustainable development from a cross-disciplinary approach, including, economics, management, education, policy, and science. Students discuss sustainability conflicts at the national and international levels, and use online simulations to understand and evaluate sustainability practices.   Topics include zero waste, water management, smart growth, green technology, global change, renewable energy, agriculture, and land management.  

In this course students will explore a wider range of Algebra topics beyond the introductory level. Topics will include polynomials, functions, rational expressions, systems of equations and inequalities, operations with radicals, and quadratic equations. Emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the use of mathematics as it exists in the world today.

The capstone serves as an opportunity to reflect upon, integrate, and showcase learning achievement. Through discussions and course-embedded assessments, students will demonstrate a mastery of essential general education competencies as they relate to their personal and professional lives and provide evidence of growth through application of competency related skills to real-world situations. Prerequisite: 75 completed credits or permission of the student’s college or dean.

This is an introductory course for students considering teaching as a career path or individuals seeking an increased understanding of the complexity and importance of education. The first focus is on topics in education that include, but are not limited to, teaching as a profession, diversity in the classroom, facilitation of student achievement and accountability, classroom management, and requirements for continuing professionalism in the field. The second focus of this course is on academic writing as a necessary component in the field of education. 

This course provides a basic introduction to the nature of human growth and development from conception through adolescence. Students are provided the opportunity to explore the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive factors of growth and development from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. The context and impact of the family and society as well as individual, cultural, moral, and linguistic differences on development will be covered.

Introduction to Child Development examines the principles of child development from birth to age eight. Students will discuss the major developmental stages, domains, and milestones of child development. Students will also analyze how developmental stages, domains of development, and knowledge of theories support developmentally appropriate practices. Using their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices, students will describe environments that nurture the physical, socio-emotional, language and cognitive growth of every child. Students will conduct observations to plan developmentally appropriate instruction that supports children’s individual needs. Finally, students will explore the importance of family involvement in supporting growth and development of young learners.

This course provides an examination of the essential elements of curriculum planning and design for diverse settings and learners. Students will analyze developmentally appropriate planning, teaching and assessment strategies used with a diverse childhood population. In addition, students will assess the role of educators in fostering each child’s development and joy of learning. Finally, students will create individualized objectives and design integrated standards-based lessons for a diverse childhood population. 

In this course, students will explore cognitive development from infancy through adolescence. They will be responsible for identifying the theoretical frameworks that support cognitive development. Students will have the opportunity to explain the development of perception, attention, and memory. Students will utilize the concepts of knowledge, categorization, and conceptual development in professional contexts. They will also evaluate concepts of language development, thinking, reasoning, and decision making in diverse environments. Additionally, students will prepare to support cognitive development through professional collaboration.

Students will examine factors that promote effective communication and collaboration between early educators, families of children, and the community. In additional, learners will identify resources to foster these partnerships.

This course describes the stages of developmental growth from conception to early childhood. Students will evaluate theory and research that explains the development of young children. Students will describe how biological, environmental, protective, and adverse factors impact children’s development and learning. They will also analyze developmentally appropriate practices supporting growth and development in physical, cognitive, social and emotional, and linguistic domains. Finally, students will analyze how development and learning intersect across developmental domains.

Adolescence is the largest developmental period other than infancy. The purpose of this course is to provide a solid foundation for educators and professionals to be able to critically think about supporting healthy adolescent development. In this course, students will apply key concepts and developmental theories related to the physical, social-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive changes during adolescence.  Students will interpret research on the development of adolescent gender identity, sexuality, and romantic relationships.  Additionally, students will analyze effective practices for communication with adolescents in the context of family and school.  Throughout the course students will analyze the impact of diverse experiences on adolescent development. Lastly, students will propose strategies for supporting adolescents facing mental health and behavioral issues.

This course provides an examination of educational approaches and their impact on the practice of creating learning environments for children with exceptionalities. Students will apply evidence-based instructional methods and strategies to support children with diverse needs in inclusive settings. In addition, students will analyze the collaborative models in inclusive settings that support and serve children and their families. Finally, students will create a professional and ethics-based philosophy of inclusion for children with exceptionalities.

The content in this course will allow students to analyze the purpose of assessment in supporting children across all developmental domains. Using this foundation, students will examine the practical application of assessment tools and utilize assessment strategies to enhance the growth and development of children. Finally, students will synthesize their learning by developing an assessment portfolio that contains intervention strategies for meeting the developmental needs of children. 

This course explores developmental theory and the relationship to the socialization and education of young children in child rearing, caring, and education. Special emphasis will be placed upon exploring how the child is viewed in the context of his or her family and the community at large. 

This course examines the function of play as a theoretical based teaching and learning tool for young learners. Students will evaluate the impact of current issues, trends, and cultural factors on play and the role of play-centered assessments with children. In addition, students will design developmentally appropriate play activities for use at home and in the learning environment and create a framework of play and learning for diverse learners.

The capstone will tie together the themes and concepts students have learned throughout their degree program.  With this information as the foundation, students will synthesize theories, knowledge, and professional standards related to their field of study. Students will assess multiple influences, such as social and cultural factors, contemporary issues, and trends have on their practice. Students will further demonstrate their knowledge of the field by applying evidence-based strategies, approaches, and technologies to their work. The students will explain environments that support optimal outcomes to the field of study. Finally, students will propose professional and ethical based practices that emphasize access, participation, and partnerships with children and families. Prerequisite: GEN 499 & majority of major coursework