Marilyn Allison ’20

“What I value most about my experience thus far is the closeness and compassion of the faculty and my cohort. As a non-traditional student and mother of six, being able to continue my education and pursue my goals of becoming a knowledgeable and skilled social worker has been a life-changing experience.”

Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs

The Elms College bachelor’s degree completion programs offered at Berkshire Community College meet all general requirements of Elms College. You enter this program with the required associate’s degree (and at least 60 credits) , satisfy Elms’ core requirements, and complete the requirements of your specific degree program.

Classes are held at the Berkshire Community College campus in Pittsfield on Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-5 p.m., and are taught by Elms faculty. By completing your coursework in 10 eight-week sessions over a 20-month period, you can save thousands of dollars by completing your degree.

Interested in the RN-BSN online program? Click to learn more.

Early Care and Education

Take your interest in early childhood education and transform it into a rewarding career. The degree completion program offered at Berkshire Community College will provide you with the knowledge and skills to foster cognitive, social, and emotional growth in young children.

  • Earn your degree in 20 months
  • Classes held Saturdays (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-5 p.m.) on the BCC campus
  • Classes taught by Elms faculty
  • Financial aid available

Early childhood education specialists make an impact in public and private schools, childcare centers, daycares, and more.

  • Early childhood education specialists can earn an average salary of $36,036 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.
  • Preschool and childcare center directors can earn a median salary of $47,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By accelerating your studies over 20 months, you can save thousands of dollars while completing your degree. All you need to do is:

  • Enter the early care and education program with the required associate's degree (and at least 60 credits)
  • Satisfy the Elms College core requirements
  • Complete the requirements of the early care and education program

Jean Barrett ’20

Photo of Jean Barrett, a student in the BCC early care in education off-campus program

“With the Elms at BCC program, I’m able to complete my bachelor’s degree while working full time during the week as a preschool teacher. The professors for my early education and care courses all work right here in the Berkshires, so we can hear from their experiences. Having this degree will help me pursue my dreams of opening my own childcare center.”

Curriculum

Click to view course requirements for the Social Work (B.S.).

The bachelor’s degree program requires 120 credits. You can transfer in a maximum of 78 credits from BCC or other regionally accredited colleges. A minimum of 42 credits must be earned through Elms College.

Minimum of 60 Elms Credits and a Minimum of 120 Credit to Graduate with a Baccalaureate Degree. Additional requirements: Macroeconomics; Introduction to Sociology; General Psychology; Philosophy; U.S. History I or II; Human Growth & Development; Fine/Performing Art. A college-level math is strongly recommended. Courses and sequence subject to change.

*400 hours of fieldwork required outside of the program schedule

Session 1 – Fall 1

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 2101Professional Communication in Social Work3
SWK 1001Introduction to Social Work3

Session 2 – Fall 2

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 3002Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families3
SSD 2002American Government/Public Policy (online)3

Session 3 – Spring 1

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 3001Social Welfare Policies and Services3
SWK 3003Mental Health and Mental Illness3

Session 4 – Spring 2

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 3105Social Work Practice with Communities3
MAT 1009 Statistics3

Session 5 – Summer 1

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 2005Human Behavior in the Social Environment II3
BIO 1005Human Biology (online)3

Session 6 – Summer 2

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 3007Social Group Work3
REL 2105World Religions (online)3

Session 7 – Fall 1

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 4002AAdvanced Social Work Practice3
SWK 3100ASocial Work Research3
SWK 4001DField Work Experience*3

Session 8 – Fall 2

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 4002BAdvanced Social Work Practice3
SWK 3100BSocial Work Research3
SWK 4001EField Work Experience*3

Session 9 – Spring 1

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 4004ASurvey of Social Work Issues (Capstone)
SWK 4001FField Work Experience*3

Session 10 – Spring 2

Course #Course NameCredits
SWK 4004BSurvey of Social Work Issues (Capstone)
SOC 3106Racial and Ethnic Groups (online)3
SWK 4001GField Work Experience*3

Click to view course requirements for the Early Care and Education (B.A.).

The bachelor’s degree program requires 120 credits. You can transfer in a maximum of 78 credits from regionally accredited colleges. A minimum of 42 credits must be earned through Elms College.

Courses and sequence subject to change

Session 1 – Fall 1

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3309Writing in the Professions for ECE3
PHI 2402Ethics (online)3

Session 2 – Fall 2

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3108Technology for Early Childhood Educators3
Elective3

Session 3 – Spring 1

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3400Health, Safety and Nutrition for ECE (online)3
REL 3002World Religions (online)3

Session 4 – Spring 2

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3308Assessment of Young Children3
EDU 2004Multicultural Children’s Literature3

Session 5 – Summer 1

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3207Addressing Challenging Behaviors in ECE3
EDU 2400Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders in ECE3

Session 6 – Summer 2

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3307Early Literacy and Bilingualism3
Elective3

Session 7 – Fall 1

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3401Inclusionary ECE Classroom3
EDU 3601Advanced Case Studies in Child Psychology3

Session 8 – Fall 2

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3602Inquiry Based Strategies for Teaching Math to Young Children3
Elective3

Session 9 – Spring 1

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3603Pubic Policy and Advocacy in ECE3
EDU 3702Nature and Environmental Curriculum: An Inquiry-Based Approach3

Session 1 – Spring 2

Course #Course NameCredits
EDU 3703Capstone Portfolio Seminar3
Elective3