The Early Care and Education two-year degree helps students prepare for employment at the associate degree level in settings that include, but are not limited to, any part- or full-day program in a center, school or home that serves young and school-age children and their families, including children with special developmental and learning needs. While some courses in the program may transfer, the program is not designed as a transfer program.

Key features of this associate degree include career specializations such as Infant and Toddler Development, Early Childhood Development, Child Care Management, School-Age and Youth Development and Early Childhood Special Education. Laboratory placement exists in diverse settings that allow for quality practical and hands-on experiences.

Admission into this program requires proof of high school graduation (or GED) and qualifying scores on SAT, ACT or the TTC placement test. Students who have transfer credits of C or better from an approved, regionally accredited postsecondary institution, may not need to take the placement test. The Early Care and Education associate degree also requires the following additional admission requirements as prerequisites to labs in licensed child care centers: a health assessment denoting good heath, a negative tuberculosis skin test and compliance with technical standards. A clear criminal background check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is also required. In addition to SLED background checks, some child development centers and schools may require fingerprinting as well. Students entering these laboratory courses may opt to additionally be fingerprinted. Fingerprinting and a SLED background check are required for the Early Care and Education work force.