Of course, different universities have different required courses for ECE programs, but there are a few constants. The first year of a four-year program usually consists of an Introduction to ECE, with a view to the history, philosophy, public policies and careers of ECE. Some colleges require the students in ECE to take general courses in communication and mathematics to prepare (or refresh) students for teaching the same concepts to young children.
The second year of a B.A. in ECE consists of more specialized classes. Having completed the basics with writing and communication classes in the first year, you begin to focus on topics specific to ECE. Again, there's some variation between different schools, but a sampling of second-year courses includes nutrition and health studies, motor skills and movement, literature and the humanities, literacy and special needs students.
The bulk of ECE-specific courses appears during the third year of study. Third-year required courses include child development; children, family and society; language development in young children; early childhood curriculum and methods; children's literature; collaboration with parents and community; a few specific courses related to toddler and infant care, depending on your specialization; observation and assessment; and instructional planning, strategies and presentation integration. In some programs, there are more third-year required courses than available slots to take these courses, so you can balance by taking some during your second or fourth years.
The number of required courses in any program drops significantly in the fourth year of study. There are only two or three mandatory fourth-year courses in ECE, so the last year of your program can be used to round out your degree with required courses you may not have had time for in your first three years or with elective courses. One ECE program has two fourth-year courses (children and families in a diverse culture and ECE capstone) while another has three, but more generally defined as a social science, physical science and arts and humanities course.