Frequently Asked Questions

The following list includes general examples; future career options are not limited to this list.

• Case Manager
• Child and Family Advocate
• Family Service/Support Specialist
• Housing Stability Specialist
• Lead Teacher for an early childhood Head Start or ECEAP program
• Social and Community Service Program Manager
• Social Service Worker
• Supervisor/Manager for a preschool and/or early childhood center
• Other positions in social services and early childhood education that require bachelor degrees

Admission into the CYFS-BAS program is by application only and has its own admission process in addition to the general Edmonds College admissions process. At this time, the CYFS program begins every fall quarter. Please see the application process for more information on admission guidelines.

Yes! The CYFS-BAS is an approved degree program for international students with F-1 student visas. Applicants must complete all standards for admission with the Office of International Programs before applying to the CYFS-BAS program.

The CYFS-BAS program follows a cohort model, which means all students begin at the same time and take the same sequence of classes together. Each cohort can have a maximum of 30 students.

In general, the CYFS-BAS program is considered the last two years of a 4-year baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree. Therefore, an Associate in Applied Science - Transfer (AAS-T) degree, or equivalent, is ideally completed before starting the CYFS-BAS program.

A typical student will have completed 90 credits of college-level courses that can be transferred towards the CYFS-BAS degree before enrolling in upper division (300-400 level) CYFS courses. Please contact the CYFS Program Manager for a preliminary review of your transcripts and to complete academic planning.

If you begin the program with 30 general education credits and 60 credits of proficiency (i.e., coursework in early childhood education, human services, family support studies, or addiction studies), you will complete the program in two years. This assumes you are enrolled full-time with 15 credits per quarter (fall, winter, spring) with summers off.

A third year may be needed if you are enrolled part-time or if you take time off. You will have to wait until the following cohort to take any missed class(es) again because classes are only offered once a year at this time. The CYFS Program Manager will work with each student on a case-by-case basis during these situations to customize an academic plan. At this time, new cohorts are scheduled to start every fall quarter.

Full-time: Fifteen credits each quarter for fall, winter, and spring quarters, for a total of six quarters. Ten credits each quarter will be upper division (300-400 level) CYFS courses. The remaining five credits in a quarter will be a lower division (100-200 level) course.

Part-time: Ten credits per quarter for fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters, for a total of nine quarters.

Please note: if additional general education credits were completed prior to the CYFS-BAS program and are transferable, the courseload may decrease.

Class times
This program will have a mix of online and evening/hybrid classes. You can choose whether to attend your hybrid course in person or virtually. Our courses are scheduled in the evening (between 6-9 p.m.). The classes are then supplemented with online coursework.

Cohorts will alternate with either Monday and Wednesday classes or Tuesday and Thursday classes for the duration of the program, depending on which year they begin. For example, the cohort that started in fall 2021 had Tuesday and Thursday classes, and the cohort that began in fall 2022 had Monday and Wednesday classes.

Please note: these class times are for the upper division CYFS courses of the program only. Lower division course times will vary based on the options students choose.

If students are scheduled to complete an AAS-T degree or equivalent by the start of the CYFS-BAS program in the fall quarter, they can still apply before actual completion. The expectation is that 90 transferable credits will be completed with the minimum GPA and grade point prior to the start of the program.

Students who are close to finishing but cannot meet minimum requirements by the fall deadline are encouraged to consult with the CYFS Program Manager to explore their options and eligiblity. 

Tuition for upper division (300-400 level) CYFS courses will cost more than the regular lower division tuition. Please visit the Edmonds College Tuition Webpage for specific tuition amounts. Tuition is subject to increase each year. Total tuition will vary based on how many upper-division and lower-division credits are taken in the same quarter.

Tuition breaks are given when enrolled in more than 10 credits per quarter. Please visit the CYFS-BAS Tuition and Fees page for more details.

The U.S. Department of Education has approved this program for Federal Student Aid. Students are encouraged to fill out a FAFSA before the due date for fall quarter. Please see financial aid for more details. 

VA Education Benefits and Worker Retraining funds are also approved for this program.

There are annual scholarships available from the Edmonds College Foundation. The application period for these scholarships begins in Febraury and ends in April.

If Early Childhood Education students are currently working in an Early Achievers program, they may be eligible for the Child Care Aware of WA Scholarship.

Yes! Edmonds College was granted accreditation at the baccalaureate level by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) in January 2019. This includes the accreditation of the BAS in Child, Youth, and Family Studies degree program effective September 1, 2017.

Graduates of the CYFS-BAS program are eligible to apply to related graduate school programs. Potential degrees can include, but are not limited to:

• Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
• Master of Arts in Family and Child Life
• Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling
• Master of Education - Early Childhood Education
• Master of Public Health
• Master of Social Work