Program Description
The associate of arts degree in early childhood multicultural education (AAECME) provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to work with children, birth through age eight, and their families in a variety of settings including child care centers, Head Start programs, family child care settings, preschools, and in public schools as early childhood teaching assistants.
This degree, plus experience, meets the qualification requirement for director of a child care center as specified in the New Mexico child care facilities licensing regulations.
Career and Educational Advancement Opportunities
The AAECME degree addresses the seven general early childhood education competency areas required as partial fulfillment of the New Mexico Department of Education licensure in early childhood education (birth to third grade). In addition, all coursework for the AA in ECME can be applied toward the baccalaureate degree in early childhood multicultural education offered by the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque Campus. The BA degree in ECME leads to licensure by the state for public school teachers working with children from birth through age eight who are developing both typically and atypically.
Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all pre-admission course work.
Program Requirements
Total credit hours required: 64 (35 hours of general education courses and 29 hours of program-specific courses). Please refer to the University of New Mexico Core Curriculum on pages 72-73 for a list of allowed courses for Physical & Natural Sciences, Social & Behavioral Sciences, and Fine Arts.
Students who intend to transfer to UNM-Albuquerque Campus must also complete a course chosen from the UNM Core Curriculum in Foreign Language.
Contact and Advising Information
Information about the AAECME degree program is available from:
Advisement & Counseling (505) 925-8560 vcadvise@unm.edu ,
The program’s lead faculty, Linda Lawrence, (505) 925-8610 linla@unm.edu,
Chair of the Education Department, Jon Conescu, (505) 925-8614 jconescu@unm.edu, or
Dean of instruction, Reinaldo A. Z. García, (505) 925- 8601 rgarcia@unm.edu.