Fullerton College: Associate in Science for Transfer in Early Childhood Education Requirements
Fullerton College offers an Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). This degree program is specifically designed to prepare students for seamless transfer to California State University (CSU) campuses offering bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Education.
Purpose of the AS-T Degree
The Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degrees are intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor's degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (Senate Bill 1440, now codified in California Education Code sections 66746-66749) guarantees admission to a California State University (CSU) campus for any community college student who completes an “associate degree for transfer,” a newly established variation of the associate degrees traditionally offered at a California community college. These degrees may not be the best option for students intending to transfer to a particular CSU campus or to a university or college that is not part of the CSU system. The Early Childhood Education Associate in Science Degree for Transfer, also called the ECE AS-T, prepares students to transfer to CSU campuses that offer bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Education.
Degree Requirements
To earn the AS-T degree in Early Childhood Education at Fullerton College, students must fulfill specific requirements:
- Total CSU Transferable Units: Complete a minimum of 60 CSU transferable units.
- Major Units: Satisfactorily complete 18 or more units and all requirements for a major or area of emphasis.
- GPA: Maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
- Course Grades: Achieve a grade of C or better in all major coursework, as mandated by Title 5 regulations.
- General Education: Complete the CSU General Education (GE) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements.
There are no additional graduation requirements beyond these stipulations for the AS-T degree.
Coursework and Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to prepare students for working with young children from birth through the age of 8 and for employment in child development programs, public and private pre-schools, and children's centers.
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General Education Requirements and Transferability
Fullerton College may accept courses completed at other regionally accredited colleges/universities to satisfy general education requirements on Fullerton College’s local AA/AS GE pattern. Students may satisfy the requirements for any Fullerton College general education area (A-E) through submission of an official transcript that demonstrates completion of a general education course at another regionally accredited college/university if it can be determined that the course clearly fits the Fullerton College Title 5 based criteria for a specific general education area. A general education course completed at a University of California (UC) campus, a regionally accredited independent college or university in California that does not maintain a CSU GE Breadth certification list or a regionally accredited out-of-state institution of higher education under one of the following regional institutional accrediting organizations (MSA, MSCHE, NASC, NCA/NCA-HLC, NEASC-CIHE, NWCCU, SACS, WASC), may be reviewed by the Articulation Office to determine applicability to a specific Cal-GETC, CSU GE, and/or IGETC requirement. The Articulation Office will determine comparability for standard general education courses through consideration of the GE pattern and specific course objectives at the institution where the course was completed.
Lower division general education courses completed with a passing grade at a California State University (CSU) prior to enrolling at a California community college will be accepted to meet requirements on the CSU GE pattern in the GE area for which they were approved at the CSU where the course was completed. In addition to course-to-course equivalency, Fullerton College will also accept courses that meet a Cal-GETC, CSU GE or IGETC requirement at the college where they are completed to satisfy Fullerton College Associates Degree general education (or “GE”) requirements in the related GE area on the Fullerton College AA/AS GE pattern.
Students may use the same course to fulfill both a local general education requirement and a general education requirement at the California State University or the University of California, provided that the receiving institution accepts the course for this purpose.
Credit for Prior Learning
Students may receive credit for knowledge or skills acquired through a campus' procedures for awarding credit for prior learning toward an associate degree.
Residency Requirement
The student is required to satisfactorily complete at least 12 degree applicable semester units of study in residence at Fullerton College or Cypress College. Units awarded as Credit for Prior Learning, including Credit by Exam, do not count toward associate degree residency units. Courses completed at other institutionally accredited institutions that meet or exceed the standards of the California Community Colleges shall be counted toward associate degree unit requirements. Students are required to submit official transcripts from all other institutions they have attended, prior to applying for graduation in order to earn an associate degree.
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Additional Information
It is important to note the following:
- Continuous Enrollment: Students may only use CSU GE Breadth or IGETC toward an AA-T or AS-T if they enrolled at a California Community College or California State University (CSU) and maintained continuous attendance prior to Fall 2025.
- Course Applicability: A course may not be applied to more than one general education area, even if it is approved for multiple areas.
Traditional AA/AS Degrees vs. Transfer Degrees
The Fullerton College graduation requirements described above apply for traditional Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degrees. These graduation requirements do not apply to the Associate Degrees for Transfer, called “AA-T” and “AS-T” degrees.
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