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CDV 480 – Practicum in Early Childhood Education

Required course for the Early Development and Learning Concentration. CDV 480 is designed to provide students with practical/clinical experience in preschool settings. Students will complete a minimum of 100 hours of direct interaction with preschool-aged children and teachers at university-approved practicum sites*. Students will demonstrate their ability to observe children and plan learning activities that are developmentally appropriate. Additionally, seminars will provide opportunities to reflect on and integrate their practicum experiences under the guidance of a practicum instructor, fostering a deeper understanding of early childhood education principles. 

What are the benefits of this course?

• Skill Development: Students will practice and demonstrate skills expected of beginning preschool teachers in California, aligned with the .
• Field Experience Requirements: This course fulfills the 3-unit supervised field experience requirement for the Child Development Permit. For more information, visit the .
• Credential Equivalency: Students applying for the PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential will receive clinical practice equivalency for 100 hours completed in CDV 480. Note that the PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential requires a minimum of 600 hours of clinical practice, with 200 hours in a preschool or TK setting. For further details, refer to .
• California Formative Teaching Performance Assessment (CalFTPA): Students will complete the ECE CalFTPA to apply early childhood theories of practice to their work with children, aligning with the ECE Teaching Performance Expectations. This experience equips students with valuable knowledge and skills in teaching performance assessments, beneficial for those pursuing teaching credential programs, as passing such assessments is a requirement for credential recommendation.

* Current or prior job experience will not be accepted as a substitute for this course.

* If you are interested in completing your practicum hours in your current preschool/ECE site, please email the Child Development Department (cdevelopment@csudh.edu) with the contact information of your current preschool/ECE site. You must send this request by April 15 for the Fall semester and October 15 for the Spring semester. The site must be university-approved. The approval is not guaranteed.

* The onboarding process to university-approved practicum sites may take 1–2 months, so please start as early as possible. It may include the submission of required documents (e.g., vaccination records), an interview/orientation, and a background check (e.g., Live Scan).

CDV 496 – Internship in Child Development

Optional course for the General Concentration & Counseling and Family Services Concentration. CDV 496 is designed to provide students with diverse internship experience in a community organization that aligns with students' career interests. Students will complete a minimum of 100 internship hours at university-approved sites. This course does not fulfill the supervised field experience requirement for the Child Development permit.

What are the benefits of this course?

• Provide diverse internship experience that aligns with students' career interests 
• Gain hands-on experience in the Child Development related field
• Build professional skills and prepare for job applications or graduate programs 
• Flexibility - Students can start internship hours as soon as onboarding is completed (e.g., during the summer). Students can determine a weekly schedule with the internship site and complete the required 100 hours as it fits with their schedule (with the agreement of the internship site).

* Current or prior job experience will not be accepted as a substitute for this course.

* The onboarding process to university-approved sites may take 1–2 months, so please start as early as possible. It may include the submission of required documents (e.g., vaccination records), an interview/orientation, and a background check (e.g., Live Scan).