Child Development Teacher Permit

The two-year Early Childhood Education program or the four-year Child Development major with an appropriate practicum fulfill coursework and fieldwork requirements for a Child Development Teacher Permit.

The requirements as established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing are the following:

• Completion of an Associate of Arts degree or higher in early childhood education or child development.
• A supervised field experience (EDU 39) in an early childhood education setting.
• The candidate must have earned a C or above in each course used for the permit.

This permit is issued for five years and is renewable for successive five-year periods with the completion of 105 hours of professional growth. A Child Development Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child development program, and supervise a Child Development Permit Associate Teacher, a Child Development Permit Assistant, and an aide.

As Title 5 California Administrative Code Regulations pertaining to revisions in the Child Development Permit are enacted, notification of such revisions are made to students who are enrolled in the program, as well as those who make inquiry regarding it. It is recommended that those reading this section for the first time inquire as to whether the regulations stated here have undergone revision by the state.

Admission Requirements

To be accepted as an Early Childhood Education major, a student entering Mount Saint Mary’s University must have a high school GPA of 2.5. SAT or ACT scores are also considered; an interview may be required. Transfer students applying for the Early Childhood Education program after university experience must have a GPA of 2.25 in college-level courses, grades of C or better in all Early Childhood Education courses accepted for transfer, and a grade of C or better in a college-level (non-remedial) English course.

Specific Program Requirements

The student must complete all Early Childhood courses with a grade of C or better. A grade of C or better must also be achieved in ENG 1A and ENG 1B.

Students in the Early Childhood Education specialization must be able to establish rapport with very young children and their families. They must be able to create an environment where children can discover themselves; to do this, they need broad knowledge of children's physical, social/emotional and cognitive development. Coursework, including observation, participation, and supervised teaching of children, is designed to enable students to demonstrate expertise in these areas within the two-year period.