HISTORY
The Department of Child Care and Youth Services at our Vocational School was established in the 2002–2003 academic year. The department offers a first-shift Child Development program with a duration of four semesters.
The Child Development Program is a two-year (four-semester) associate degree program designed to train individuals who recognize and can implement various national and international educational programs; who are equipped with knowledge to support all developmental domains of children (physical, cognitive, psychomotor, language, social, and emotional); who possess knowledge about child health and diseases; who can assist the development and adaptation of children with and without disabilities who require special education; who can implement drama, art, music, physical education, movement, and native-language activities; and who can use effective communication skills and child-assessment techniques.
At our Vocational School, the Child Development Program has been implemented in accordance with the universal principles of science, the European Union and Higher Education Qualifications Framework, professional and technological developments, and the relevant legislation of Higher Education Institutions within the scope of İKMEP (Project for the Development of Human Resources through Vocational Education), which began in the 2011–2012 academic year. When determining occupational and elective courses included in the program, sector demands, regional needs, institutional conditions, and student interests and expectations are taken into consideration.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES / EMPLOYMENT AREAS
Graduates of the Child Development associate degree program may work as non-tenured master instructors in practice classrooms of Anatolian Girls’ Vocational and Girls’ Vocational High Schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education, as well as in kindergarten classes of primary schools. They may also work as assistant teachers in public and private preschool institutions such as nurseries, day-care centers, kindergartens, and children's clubs. Additionally, they may find employment in pediatric clinics, special education and rehabilitation centers, children’s literature, toy manufacturing companies, and children’s play areas within tourism and sports centers.
DEGREE AWARDED
Students who successfully complete the Child Development Program and meet all program requirements receive an Associate Degree in Child Development and earn the title “Child Development Technician.”
ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Students are admitted to the Balıkesir University Child Development Program through the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) administered by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). Candidates may enter the program with their TYT (Basic Proficiency Test) score and receive a two-year associate degree education.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND RULES
To successfully complete the program, students must pass all courses (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits), have no FF, DZ, or YZ grades, achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00, successfully complete compulsory internships, and receive approval for graduation by the relevant administrative board.
EXAMS, ASSESSMENT, AND EVALUATION
Students must register for courses at the beginning of each semester and attend at least 70% of the classes to be eligible for the final examination. Each course includes at least one midterm exam and one final exam. All exams are graded out of 100 points, and the final grade is calculated by taking 40% of the midterm and 60% of the final exam. Students must score at least 50 on the final exam and achieve a minimum weighted score of 45. Letter grades are assigned based on the grading scale. Students who receive AA, BA, BB, CB, or CC are considered successful. DC and DD are conditionally successful grades. Courses failed with an FF grade must be repeated the next time they are offered.
ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR HORIZONTAL TRANSFER
Procedures and principles for horizontal transfers between diploma programs within Balıkesir Vocational School or between equivalent programs at other higher education institutions are regulated by the “Directive on Internal and Inter-Institutional Horizontal Transfers of Balıkesir University.”
Students wishing to transfer based on central placement scores (Additional Article 1) must have a central (YKS) placement score—obtained in the year they were admitted—that is equal to or higher than the base score of the program they wish to transfer to. Additionally, they must not have previously benefited from this right. Relevant procedures and requirements are outlined on the specified web page.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR VERTICAL TRANSFER
Graduates who wish to continue their education may transfer to four-year undergraduate programs at various universities based on their scores and available quotas in the Vertical Transfer Examination (DGS) administered by ÖSYM.
Undergraduate programs accessible through vertical transfer from the Child Development Program include:
-
Child Development (Bachelor’s Degree)
-
Preschool Teaching
Graduates of the program may work in public institutions and private preschool education settings. They may also be employed in special education and rehabilitation centers and as master instructors in schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education.