Sample Four-Year Academic Plan
BS in CHILD and ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT (CHAD)— Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Important notes:
 Completion of a bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 college units. To finish in four years, you must
complete 30 units per year (15 units per semester).
 Courses listed in bold below apply to the CHAD major, regardless of their prefix.
 Courses with a CAS prefix (taught by your major department) do not count for General Education
First Semester (Freshman Year)
Classes
Units Additional Notes
GE-A.1—Oral Communication
 If required, complete all remediation (Math 30A-B,
or
3
40, 45, ENGL 99 or 100) by the end of your second
GE-A.2—English 101
semester to avoid Administrative Disqualification.
GE-B.4—Math 110 or 115 or 120
3-4
 Complete GE courses in areas A.1, A.2, A.3, and B.4
GE-C.1—Intro to the Arts
3
with C or better.
GE-C.4—History 110A
3
 Visit UH 123B Academic Advisement Center to review
GE and graduation requirements.
Elective
3
 Watch the OVERVIEW OF THE CHAD MAJOR before
registering for your second semester at CSUF
(available at
http://chhdapps.fullerton.edu/caspodcastsurvey/)
15-16
 See a CAS Major Academic Advisor to develop an
Academic Plan to complete CHAD major after
attending an Overview.
Second Semester
CAS 101—Intro. to Development
GE-A.1—Oral Communication
or
GE-A.2—English 101
(whichever not completed in first semester)
GE-B.1—Physical Science
GE-D.1—Intro to Social Science
GE-D.2—History 110B
3
3
3
3
3
15
Third Semester (Sophomore Year)
CAS 201—Child, Family, and Community
SPED 371—Exceptional Individual
GE-A.3—Critical Thinking
GE-C.2—Intro to the Humanities
Recommended Elective – CAS 215 –
Introduction to Observation in EC
Fourth Semester
CAS 300—Professional Communication
CAS 301—Inquiry and Methodology
GE-B.2—Life Science
GE-B.3—Science Lab
GE-D.4—Political Science
GE-D.3—American History
If you have not already done so,
 Watch the OVERVIEW OF THE CHAD MAJOR before
registering for your second semester at CSUF
(available at
http://chhdapps.fullerton.edu/caspodcastsurvey/)
 See a CAS Major Academic Advisor to develop an
Academic Plan to complete CHAD major after
attending an Overview PRIOR to registering for your
THIRD semester.
30-31 Units completed
3
3
3
3
3
15
45-46 Units completed
3
3
3
1
3
3
16

See a CAS Academic Advisor PRIOR to registering for
your FIFTH Semester to adjust your academic plan.
The “upper-division Option Core” classes must be
taken in sequence due to academic prerequisites.
 Visit the Academic Advising Center in UH 123B to
ensure that all GE is complete or planned.
61-62 Units completed
Sample Four-Year Academic Plan for a BS in CHAD – ECD
Fifth Semester (Junior Year)
CAS 325A—Development Conception-8
CAS 394+L—Practicum in CHAD
ECD Topical Development Course #1
ECD Topical Development Course #2
Elective
Sixth Semester
CAS 325B—Development 8-Adolescence
CAS 305—Assessment & Observation in EC
ECD Topical Development Course #3
ECD Topical Development Course #4
Elective
3
3
3
3
3
15

3
3
3
3
3
15


Page 2
Approved ECD Option Topical Developmental Courses
are listed below.
If you have not yet completed your GE classes,
continue taking GE rather than elective units.
76-77 Units completed
If applicable, discuss graduate school applications
with a CAS Major Academic Advisor.
 If interested in pursuing a teaching credential or
graduate program, make sure that you are
completing required prerequisites.
91-92 Units completed
Apply for Graduation through your Student Portal after you have earned 85 units.
Seventh Semester (Senior Year)
ECD Topical Development Course #5
ECD Topical Development Course #6
Elective
Elective
Elective
Eight Semester (Senior Year)
CAS 490T—Topical Seminar in Development
Or
CAS 491 – Leadership in ECE
CAS 464 + L— Adv. Practicum Early Childhood
GE-B.5 Implications & Explorations of
Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Elective
Elective
3
3
3
3
3
15

If applicable, apply to graduate schools. Attending a
post-baccalaureate program at CSUF requires that
you reapply as a post-baccalaureate student.
106-107 Units completed
3

3
3
3
3
15
If applicable, apply to a credential program. Attending
a credential program at CSUF requires both applying
to CSUF as a post-baccalaureate student and applying
to the specific credential program.
120 Units completed = Graduation
ECD Topical Development Classes (Students choose one class from each topical cluster, completing six Topical
Development Courses. Additional Topical Development courses may be selected as electives. These classes
may be taken in any order).
 One Family Contexts Class: CAS 341 Work with Parents of Young Child or CAS 340 Parenting in the 21 st
Century
 One Health Class: CAS 346 Modern Cult & ECD, CAS 326 Optimizing Devel School Age Child, or CAS 306
Health & Safety for EC
 One Depth Class: CAS 321 Infant/Toddler Devel, CAS 322 Preschool-Age Devel or CAS 353 Learning &
Motivation in EC
 One Diversity Class: SPED 400 EC Special Education or CAS 490T Behavioral & Developmental Disorders
 One Language and Literacy Class: CAS 351 Lang & Literacy Devel in EC, READ 340 Language & Literacy
Readiness, or SPED 425 Lang & Culture for Special Pop
 One Curriculum Class: CAS 352 Num& Science in EC, ART 380 Art & Child Devel, MUS 433 Music in Child, or
approved alternate