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BASECE: Frequently Asked Questions

Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education

Frequently Asked Questions

At least 2 lab hours in a preschool through third grade classroom will be required every quarter, during BAS Years 1 and 2. During BAS Year 3, you will do student teaching with a mentor teacher in a PreK-3rd grade classroom in one of our partner schools. Student teaching hours are typically unpaid and are a significant investment of time.

Yes, but only during BAS Years 1 and 2. During BAS Year 3, you will do your student teaching with a mentor teacher in a PreK-3rd grade classroom in one of our partner schools. Student teaching hours are typically unpaid and are a significant investment of time.

Yes, this program has been approved by the Professional Educators Standards Board to award candidates a Washington State Residency P-3 Teaching Certificate, with an endorsement in Early Childhood Education.

You will complete 540 hours of student teaching during your third year of the program. While you will be able to continue working in Fall quarter, in Winter you will need to be part-time, and you will not be able to work during the spring quarter. The time commitments consists of:
 
  • Fall quarter: Full-time first 2 weeks of school, then 2hrs/week remainder of quarter
  • Winter quarter: 2 full days each week
  • Spring quarter: 5 full days each week

This program offers multiple career paths. Some of those career options are:

  • Teacher (Preschool-3rd grade)
  • Head Start Lead Teacher
  • Head Start Center Manager
  • Childcare Center Manager
  • Early Achiever Coach

The Bachelor in Early Childhood Education degree is a hybrid program, with in-person classes held every other Saturday on the Mount Vernon campus. During the week, online learning engagements will take place.

As a community college program, the cost is significantly lower than a 4-year university teacher certification program. Upper-division classes carry higher tuition rates than associate degree courses. 

This Bachelor of Applied Science program focuses on real-world applications, not just theory-based learning. You will be able to apply the concepts and tools to your current work, practicum, and student teaching experiences, and the curriculum will ensure you have practice integrating your learning into real-world relevant early learning scenarios.

A Bachelor of Applied Science is a degree granted by the community and technical colleges in Washington that enables those with non-transfer professional-technical degrees or certificates to obtain a bachelor’s qualification. They build on the education and training from two-year technical associate degrees with two or more years of upper-level course work. The BASECE program will be three years of upper-level course work.

For more information on Applied Science degrees in Washington State, visit Applied Baccalaureate Degrees.

Check out the program map here.

 

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