Infant/Toddler

The B.S. in Child Development with a concentration in Infant/Toddler examines the foundations of development and the importance of relationships to the social and emotional well-being of infants and toddlers as well as quality relationships and environments that foster growth in all developmental domains—social and emotional, cognitive/linguistic, and physical. Through the Making Connections courses, you keep up-to-date with discussions and explorations of current research, trends, and issues that are impacting the lives of young children, their families, and your work as an early care and education professional.

The Bachelor of Science in Child Development courses are based on the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). These standards are critical indicators of quality in early childhood care and education and their inclusion reflects the integrity of the Walden learning experience as well as its relevancy in an educational setting.

Courses in the Infant/Toddler concentration center on

• Professionalism and advocacy in early care and education
• The foundations of infant/toddler development and the integral role of the infant/toddler caregiver and family in children’s growth
• Promoting healthy infant/toddler growth
• Forming respectful partnerships with families across a range of cultures
• Developing high-quality programs and environments that are child-centered, family friendly, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate

Completion Requirements

• 181 total quarter credit hours
  • General education courses (45 cr.)
  • Core courses (56 cr.)
  • Concentration courses (30 cr.)
  • Making Connections courses (18 cr.)
  • Capstone (7 cr.)
  • Electives (25 cr.)

Estimated time to completion: 4 years, depending on individual progress and credits transferred. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Core Courses

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
COMM 1000	Communication Skills For Career Development	1
EDUC 1001	Introduction to Education	5
EDUC 1002	Pioneers and Philosophies of Education	5
EDUC 1011	Making Connections: The Early Childhood Field	2
EDUC 1003	Educational Psychology	5
EDUC 1004	Child Development	5
EDUC 1012	Making Connections: The Developing Child	2
EDUC 1005	Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition	5
EDUC 1006	Child, Family, and Community Relationships	5
EDUC 1013	Making Connections: The Well-Being of Children	2
EDUC 2001	Language Development	5
EDUC 2002	Children’s Literature	5
EDUC 2011	Making Connections: The Foundations of Literacy	2
EDUC 3003	Observation and Assessment of the Young Child	5
EDUC 4004	Children With Special Needs	5
EDUC 4011	Making Connections: The Individuality of Children	2
EDUC 4005	Cultural and Linguistic Diversity	5
EDUC 4012	Making Connections: Living in a Diverse World	2

Concentration Courses

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EDUC 3101	Professionalism and Advocacy in the Early Childhood Field	5
EDUC 3102	Quality Programs for Infants and Toddlers	5
EDUC 3211	Making Connections: Foundations of Infant/Toddler Care and Education	2
EDUC 3203	Infant/Toddler Mental Health	5
EDUC 3204	Family Cultures of Infants and Toddlers	5
EDUC 3212	Making Connections: Healthy Infant/Toddler Growth and Development	2
EDUC 4205	Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Infant Settings	5
EDUC 4206	Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Toddler Settings	5
EDUC 4211	Making Connections: Effective Programs for Infants and Toddlers	2

Capstone Course

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EDUC 4001	Capstone	7

Electives

Choose five additional electives (25 cr.) from either general education or any bachelor's program, including B.S. in Child Development, B.S. in Psychology, and B.S. in Business Administration.

Course Descriptions