Early Childhood Education: Advanced Teacher
The advanced ECE classroom
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certificate Description
Advance your ECE classroom
The Early Childhood Education Advanced Teacher program at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension prepares preschool teachers and operators to manage the unique challenges they face in our region.
Aspiring ECE lead teachers will gain both a thorough academic preparation and practical field experience to work in child centers, preschools, day care facilities, infant and toddler centers and other programs serving young children. Our students learn instructional techniques that promote intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative growth in children.
The foundation for a successful ECE career
- Understand child growth and development.
- Build strategies for effective classroom teaching.
- Identify developmentally-based curriculum.
- Know current research and trends in this field.
- Be confident to teach in a daycare center.
ECE: Advanced Teacher certificate learning outcomes
- Assess teaching styles to inform future experiences with children.
- Master techniques in observation and assessment of the social, intellectual, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children from birth through adolescence.
- Develop positive guidance strategies to use when working with diverse groups of children including those with special needs.
- Apply differences in major learning theories and curriculum models as it pertains to early childhood education center philosophies.
Program Overview
Estimated Cost: Starting at $2,655. (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost
Program Requirements: 5–7 courses (minimum 17 quarter units). Take 4 required courses (14 quarter units) and 1–2 elective courses (minimum of 3 quarter units).
Minimum Hours of Instruction: Minimum 170 hours of instruction.
Estimated Duration: A student can complete this specialization in 9–12 months.
Modality: This is a fully online program with live-online & self-paced course formats.
Special Programs: This program is not approved for workforce or international students.
Courses
1. Required Course(s):
2. Electives: At Least 3 Units
3. Completion Review:
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Recommended Course Sequence
Flexible course sequence
Courses in the Advanced Teacher program may be taken in any order provided the prerequisites are met and your final course is ECE 7: Practicum in Early Childhood Education.
While you may stack or take concurrently your required ECE courses in both the ECE Associate Teacher and ECE Advanced Teacher certificate programs, you must complete the ECE Associate Teacher certificate program before applying for the Advanced Teacher certificate.
Please see our section on Requisite knowledge for more information.
Substitutions
To receive your certificate
Professional Development
Child Development Advanced Teacher Permit
A Child Development Teacher Permit authorizes the holder to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child care and development program, and supervise a CDP Associate Teacher, a CDP Assistant, and an aide. Please visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for more information.
Licensure and Certification Policy
Professional licensure or certification is mandatory to practice in this field of instruction. Please see our Licensure and Certification Policy to learn more.
Requisite Knowledge
To complete the ECE 7: Practicum in Early Childhood Education for this advanced program, you need to have taken the following courses:
- ECE 1: Development in Early Childhood
- ECE 3: Curriculum Development in Early Childhood Programs
- ECE 4: The Young Child in the Family and Community
Please see our section on Recommended course sequence for more information.
Advisory Board
ROBYN STONE, M.A., an educational leader in Santa Clara County, has been teaching at the pre-kindergarten, elementary, and middle school levels in both science specialty and general education classes for 13 years. She holds several California credentials, including an Administrative Services Credential, a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit, and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. A member of the National Science Teachers Association, the California Science Teachers Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the California Association for the Education of Young Children, she presents workshops for educators and administrators at regional and national education conferences. She has served as chair since 2024.
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Grade Requirements
Please note that only letter grades of C or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements. Personal Financial Planning students have additional grade requirements for individual courses to attain a certificate.
See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.