2024-2025

Interdisciplinary Studies - Early Childhood, Bachelor

Department of Teaching and Learning

College of Education

This flexible bachelor's degree offers you an opportunity to design a plan of studies, in consultation with an advisor, to meet your individual educational needs. You may choose this degree if you plan to enter an occupation that requires a broad general education, if you are seeking career advancement or personal intellectual enrichment, or if you are considering a preprofessional plan.

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 24 units of Early Childhood specialization requirements

  • Completion of a Concentration, Minor, or Certificate

  • Completion of Computer Literacy, Communication Skills, and Science or Language Requirements

  • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Foreign Language Optional
University Honors Program Optional
Progression Plan Link View Progression Plan

Purpose Statement

The Interdisciplinary Studies, Early Childhood Education degree program provides students with a framework for entering an occupation that requires a broad general education, for seeking career advancement or personal intellectual enrichment, or for considering a pre-professional plan. This program’s major requirements include an early childhood specialization, the option of a concentration, minor, or certificate, and interdisciplinary coursework in the areas of communication, language or science, and computer literacy.

This flexible bachelor’s degree offers students the opportunity to design a plan of studies, in consultation with an advisor, to meet individual educational needs, and the purpose of this degree, which does not lead to teacher certification, is to provide a general knowledge of child development, early literacy development, and preschool curriculum and assessment. Students who complete this program will have an early childhood education background that will enrich them both personally and professionally.  This degree does not lead to teacher certification.
 

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Knowing and understanding young children's characteristics and needs, from birth through age 8.
  • Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning.
  • Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children.
  • Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.
  • Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.
  • Involving families and communities in young children's development and learning.
  • Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment - including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children.
  • Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection.
  • Knowing about and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities.

Liberal Studies Requirement
    • Students who have completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) from an Arizona public or tribal community college, the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or California State University General Education (CSUGE) from a California public community college are considered to have satisfied NAU’s Liberal Studies Distribution Blocks and Foundation requirements as well as the US Ethnic and Global Diversity requirements.
    • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.
    • You may not use the specific courses in your Concentration to satisfy liberal studies requirements.
Major Requirements

  • This major requires 63 - 74 units distributed as follows:

    • Early Childhood Specialization: 24 units
    • Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements: 24 - 25 units
      • Communication Requirement: 6 units
      • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 18 - 19 units
    • Certificate, Concentration, or Minor Requirement: 15 - 25 units
      • Minors: 18 - 24 units
      • Concentration: 15 units
      • Certificates: 15 - 25 units

  • Multi-use of coursework is not permitted within the Major Requirements. Major Requirements include Specialization, Communication, Computer Literacy, Language and Science.

  • Take the following 63 - 74 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course:

    Early Childhood Specialization (24 units)
    The Interdisciplinary Studies degree does not lead to teacher certification.


    If you wish to transfer credit from community colleges into this Specialization, you may only use courses designated in the Arizona Higher Education Course Equivalency Guide (AGEC) as either Direct Course Equivalencies or as Departmental Elective Credit. Courses transferred from institutions outside Arizona or from Arizona colleges or universities that don't have formal articulation agreements with Northern Arizona University require the approval of the department chair.
     

Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

  • Communication Requirements (6 units)
    Select 3 units from each the following two categories (6 units)

    • Performance-based courses, select one from the following: (3 units)
      Performance-based courses are defined as having at least 51 percent of the evaluation of the student being based upon oral performance.

       

    • Please note that you cannot use CLEP or locally prepared exams to satisfy this requirement. Transfer credit used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the program director.

  • Foreign Language or Science Requirement Option (18 - 19 units)

    • Foreign Language Requirement Option (19 units)

      • Foreign Language Requirement (16 units)
        • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP, or other exams.
      AND
      • Computer Literacy (3 units)
        • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
  • OR

    • Science Requirement Option (18 units)

      • Science Requirement - Select from the following: (12 units)
        • ANT 101, ANT 250
        • GSP 130, GSP 150
        • Or take at least 12 units from courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, or Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.
      AND
      • Computer Literacy (6 units)
        • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
          • Select one from the following: (3 units)
          • Select one from the following: (3 units)
            • BBA 340
            • Or advisor-approved coursework including the CIS or CS prefix.
  • Certificate, Concentration, or Minor Requirement - Select one (15 - 18 units)
      • Concentration (15 units)

        Take at least 15 units that include a minimum of 3 units in each of the follow ing blocks: Ethical Reasoning; Creative Inquiry; Scientific Reasoning; Changing Worlds; and Cultural Perspectives. Courses used to satisfy this requirement may not have been used to satisfy any other requirement for this degree. At least 9 units must be taken at Northern Arizona University and at least 6 units of the 9 units must be upper-division (300 or 400-level).

    • Certificate (15 units)

      You may also fulfill this requirement by completing a certificate outside your specialization field, instead of either a concentration or a minor.

      The certificate, which will require at least 15 units, must be completed according to the requirements listed in your catalog of graduation. Refer to specific academic areas within this catalog for information about the coursework requirements for specific certificate(s) you may be interested in.

      Not all certificates are available statewide or online.

    • Minor (18 units)

      You may also fulfill this requirement by completing a minor outside your specialization field, instead of either a concentration or certificate.

      The minor, which will require at least 18 units, must be completed according to the requirements listed in your catalog of graduation. Refer to specific academic areas within this catalog for information about the coursework requirements for specific minors you may be interested in.

      Not all minors are available statewide or online.

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.