60 Credits AAS3515/AAS2515, Academic Catalog 2024-2025
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This award will prepare individuals for careers in a variety of family and child services settings. Students will learn skills such as positive behavioral interventions, health and safety, cultural sensitivity, family dynamics, record keeping and interpersonal communication.
The Family Service Specialist program is designed to establish a foundation in early childhood education, improve the quality of early childhood services, and prepares learners for positions in several areas in the health, human services, and education fields with children, adolescents, adults, and senior citizens. Those who may be interested in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Home Visitor for children and families or other health-related areas may want to consider the Family Service Specialist program as a well-rounded educational base to support further development.
Campuses: Faribault and North Mankato
Program Start Semesters: Fall and Spring
Base estimate for 60 credit program
Tuition is paid on a semester by semester basis and will vary depending on the courses and total credits you take.
Tuition and Fees: $12,317
Tools and Equipment: $ n/a
Total Estimated Cost: $12,317 *
and you'll see that tuition at 色中色 is much more affordable than other institutions.
*Based on 2024-2025 tuition and fees rates. Does not include extra expenses for online delivery, course fees, or course differential. Books, transportation, and living expenses also not included.
The course requirements listed below are specific to the current school year (noted above). If you need to view the program from previous years view our Catalog Archive.
Required Technical Courses (14 Courses)
Complete the following courses:
ECE1210 Child Growth and Development (3 Credits)
This course is the first in a series of courses that is required for a degree in Early Childhood Education and Family Services. This course encompasses multiple, interrelated areas of children's development - including both typical and atypical, for children from conception through age eight in the areas of physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive and aesthetic/creative development and is supported by coherent theoretical perspectives and by current research. The course emphasizes variations across cultures and interactions between maturational processes and environmental factors. (Prerequisite: None)
ECE1220 Health, Wellness & Nutrition (3 Credits)
This course will guide the student in obtaining skills needed to establish and maintain a physically and psychologically safe and healthy learning environment for young children. Topics include preventing illness and accidents, handling emergencies, providing health, safety, and nutrition educational experiences, meeting children's basic nutritional needs, child abuse and, current health-related issues. This course does NOT include CPR or first aid certification. (Prerequisites: None)
ECE1230 Behavior Guidance (3 Credits)
This course encompasses multiple, interrelated areas of positive child guidance techniques for individual and group situations - including problem prevention and positive guidance strategies, communication, setting limits, problem solving and behavior modification and is supported by coherent theoretical perspectives and by current research. This course emphasizes ways to establish supportive relationships with children and guide them in order to enhance learning, development, and well-being. (Prerequisite: None)
ECE1240 Diverse Children and Family Relations (3 Credits)
This course examines how to work with many types of families. Investigates the importance of the family/school partnership, study methods of effectively communicating with families, and identify community organizations and networks that support families. Various classroom strategies will be explored emphasizing culturally and linguistically appropriate anti-bias approaches supporting all children in becoming competent members of a diverse society. (Prerequisites: None)
ECE1270 Creative Activities and Environments (3 Credits)
The student will gain knowledge and skills related to providing age-appropriate learning experiences and learning environments for young children. The student will examine the role of the teacher in providing learning experiences to meet each child's needs, capabilities, and interest, and ways to implement the principles of developmentally appropriate practices. The student will practice language and literacy, social, emotional and sensory learning, art and creativity, and math and science learning experiences. (Prerequisite: None)
ECE1310 Infant-Toddler Development and Learning (3 Credits)
This course will examine infant and toddler development as it applies to early childhood educational settings. Students will integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives, analyze development, correlate prenatal conditions with development, summarize child development theories, analyze the role of heredity and the environment, examine research-based curriculum models, and examine culturally and developmentally appropriate environments for infants and toddlers. (Prerequisite: CDEV 1210)
OR
ECE1311 Infant-Toddler Development and Mental Health (3 Credits)
This course provides an overview of infant-toddler theory and development whether in home or center-based settings. Students will gain knowledge of developmental needs, developmentally appropriate environments, effective caregiving, teaching strategies, and observation methods. (Prerequisite: ECE 1210)
ECE2310 Introduction to Special Education (3 Credits)
This course examines the development of children with differing abilities. Students will integrate strategies that support inclusive programs for children, apply legal and ethical requirements including, but not limited to, American Disabilities Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Differentiate between typical and atypical development, analyze the differing abilities of children with physical, cognitive, health/medical, communication, and/or behavioral/emotional disorders. Explore strategies to adapt curriculum to meet the needs of children with developmental differences and cultivate partnerships with families. (Prerequisite: ECE 1210)
ECE2580 Observation and Assessment (3 Credits)
This course focuses on the appropriate use of observation and assessment strategies to document children's development, growth, play and learning, and to join with families and professionals in promoting children's success. The students will explore recording strategies, rating systems, multiple assessment tools, and portfolios. There will be a focus on increasing objectivity in observing and interpreting children's behavior, observing development characteristics, and increasing the awareness of normal patterns of behavior. (Prerequisites: ECE 1210 and ECE 1230.)
ECE2590 Introduction to Children's Mental Health (3 Credits)
This course provides a deeper look at social-emotional learning experiences and the long-term effects of positive experiences. Students integrate knowledge of healthy child development, developmentally appropriate learning environments and trauma-informed teaching methods to promote positive emotional development, social development, self-concept, self-esteem, social skills, diversity awareness, resiliency, and attachment. (Prerequisite: ECE 1210 and ECE 1230)
HSER1000 Introduction to Counseling (3 Credits)
This course provides students with an introduction to the skills of counseling. Students will learn how to identify and explore feelings, set up a positive environment, learn effective helping skills, and explore treatment issues. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the principles of interviewing and on the demonstrated application of these skills by the student. Students examine how these skills affect relationship building and therapeutic interventions. Guided encounters, discussions, presentations, and assigned projects will be utilized. (Prerequisites: None)
HSER1010 Disability and Person Centered Planning (4 Credits)
This course gives an overview of how service providers work with one another in order to assure the delivery of optimal supports. It will introduce you to a variety of strategies and techniques used to facilitate person centered planning for individualized and real life goals. Topics covered in the course include: the use of support teams (effective team work, team dynamics, communication skills and problem solving skills); working with families; direct service provider roles and responsibilities; diversity, confidentiality, and advocacy issues; the civil and disability rights movement; interdisciplinary team planning processes; and use of the Planning Alternate Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) planning system to promote minimally invasive care and support strategies. (Prerequisites: None)
HSER1020 Behavioral Interventions (3 Credits)
This course provides an in-depth look at positive supports and interventions for those with challenging behaviors, and reviews human development, learning styles, and teaching techniques. Additionally, analysis of a wide variety of multiple positive behavior strategies will be conducted. This course reviews the philosophy of behavior modification and theory, incident and accident reports, and documentation requirements. Emphasis is placed on understanding and supporting an individual's learning barriers by using positive approaches, as well as understanding and responding to behaviors with positive supports. Students will explore how their individual values and personal experiences influence the ways in which they respond to and assess individual's abilities. Students will also acquire knowledge and skills relating to functional and specialized assessments, the importance of using non-aversive interventions and the selection and use of appropriate non-aversive behavioral supports. Methods for designing, planning, developing, and implementing skill orientated support plans are taught in this course. (Prerequisites: None)
HSER1030 Poverty (3 Credits)
This course examines the causes and consequences of poverty. Students will learn the terminology and analyze the philosophical, conceptual, and theoretical frameworks utilized by diverse agents to understand and address poverty. Specific interventions are explored and analyzed. The goal of this course is to develop social work professionals who understand the problem of poverty from a variety of disciplines, understand key concepts, and will be prepared and willing to intervene regardless of area of practice. (Prerequisite: None)
HSER2000 Field Experience (4 Credits)
This course is designed to provide the student with a practical experience within the social services field. Each field experience is individualized and students will be placed within a social service agency by the instructor based on the student's interest, skill set, and agency availability. The focus of field experience is to give the students experience with a client population and practice modeling social work values and ethics. Students will complete field experience their last semester. (Prerequisites: Instructor approval required)
Required Arts and Sciences (3 Courses)
To complete an AAS Degree, students must complete 16 credits from 3 of the 10 MnTC goal areas. The following courses are required:
ENGL100 Composition (4 Credits)
Composition is concerned with developing, through theory and practice, the ability to communicate in written form for personal and professional reasons. Students will develop writing skills, analytic skills, and critical thinking skills. Students will complete readings, papers, grammar exercises, and in-class activities. Students will complete research and write a research paper. Students will learn methods of writing informatively and persuasively. (Prerequisites: Must have one of the following: (MCA Reading score of 1047 or higher, or ACT Reading score of 21 or higher or Next-Generation Accuplacer Reading score of 250 or higher, or Classic Accuplacer Reading score of 78 or higher) OR (READ 0095 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher) OR (completion of either READ 0090 or EAP 0090 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher) AND (completion of either ENGL 0090 or EAP 0095 with a grade of C [2.0] or higher) (MNTC 1: Communication)
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology (3 Credits)
The world is a far more diverse place than you might think! This course is a broad survey of sociology and its practical uses for all of us. In this course, students are introduced to a variety of topics, emphasizing breadth rather than depth. After learning about the basic theories and methods of sociology, students will cover topics such as race, gender, education, religion, social class, work, family, the environment, government and politics, organizations and bureaucracy, and other topics. Students will learn about the nature of all of these areas and their effects on individuals and their broader implications for society. In the end, students will leave with a far greater understanding of how society is organized and what that means for where we have been, where we are, and where we are going as a people. (Prerequisites: Must have a Next-Generation Accuplacer Reading score of 250 or higher, or Classic Accuplacer Reading score of 78 or higher, or completion of either READ 0090 or EAP 0090 or READ 0095 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, or ACT Reading score of 21 or higher or MCA Reading score of 1047 or higher.) (MNTC Goal Areas 5 & 8: History and Social Sciences, Global Perspective)
Arts and Sciences Electives
Select an additional 5 credits of Arts and Sciences in consultation with your Advisor.
PLEASE NOTE: All program plans are preliminary and curriculum may change without notice. Your catalog of record may have different requirements.