Early Childhood Education and Development

The Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) at MCC-Penn Valley is recognized as a leader in providing comprehensive education for aspiring early childhood and youth development professionals.

ECED offers college credit courses at the MCC-Penn Valley campus delivered in flexible ways to accommodate professionals entering or already working in the field. Courses are offered in 8, 12 and 16 sessions, on ground, hybrid and online.


To apply

This program, which leads to either an Associate in Applied Science degree or a certificate, prepares students for jobs in child care. Requirements for the degree and certificate are listed below.

To be admitted to the program, students must complete the following application process:

  1. Complete the MCC admissions process.
  2. Complete a background check by going to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Family Care Safety Registry.
  3. Attend the New Student Orientation.

Every student in the ECED program should be aware that the Missouri State Board of Education may refuse to issue or renew, or may suspend or revoke a certificate of license to teach if an individual has pleaded or been found guilty of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude whether or not sentence is imposed; upon evidence that the certificate was obtained by fraud, deception, misrepresentation or bribery; upon evidence of incompetence, immorality or neglect of duty; or if the certificate holder is subject to discipline in another state.


Credit for active CDA

Do you have an active CDA or are you in the process of attaining one in the Early Childhood Education field? If so, you can earn your ECED certificate or degree from MCC more quickly than you think.

The Early Childhood Education and Development program offers individuals with a current CDA nine credit hours towards our certificate and A.A.S degree.

In order to receive the nine credit hours, students must take an additional nine from MCC's Early Childhood Education and Development course offerings. Once complete, credit for ECED 101, 110, and 112 will be granted and added to your transcript. See cdacouncil.org for instructions on how to obtain this credential


Career and salary information

Visit the MoSCORES website for information on MCC's programs, including length, credit hours, and wage and employment data. Search Metropolitan Community College. Note: The historical data listed is informational and can vary based on the number of credit hours students earn, local wage conditions and other factors.


Frequently asked questions

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