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Certificate Program

Early Childhood Education: Associate Teacher

The youngest minds teach us the most

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certificate Description

Teach our youngest to love learning.

Preschool teachers and child care center operators in the Early Childhood Education Associate Teacher program gain the academic preparation and field experience needed to work in preschools, day care facilities, infant and toddler centers and other programs serving young children. You will study the latest instructional techniques that promote intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative growth in children.

Key focus areas

  • Child growth and development
  • Strategies for effective classroom teaching
  • Developmentally based curriculum
  • Current research and trends in this field

ECE Associate Teacher Learning Outcomes

  • Develop daily schedules and implement age-appropriate curriculum for a center or classroom.
  • Identify social, intellectual, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of infants through middle childhood.
  • Distinguish differences in major learning theories and curriculum models relating to early childhood education center philosophies.
  • Communicate effectively with families, staff, and communities about the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs of children.
  • Decode healthcare policies and procedures that relate to child care setting licensure.
  • Develop positive guidance strategies to work with diverse groups of children including those with special needs.
 

Meet state licensing requirements

Dept. of Social Services Title 22

The  Early Childhood Education Associate Teacher certificate program satisfies the Department of Social Services Title 22 Community Care licensing requirements for qualified infant-toddler and preschool teachers, as well as before and after school-age caregivers in a licensed early childhood program.

Department of Education Title 5

This program also satisfies the California Department of Education Title 5 child development coursework requirements for the Child Development Assistant or Associate Teacher permit. 

Transitional Kindergarten ECE

This program is designed for teachers requiring ECE/CD coursework for Transitional Kindergarten ECE units.

Program Overview

Program Overview | Downloadable PDF

Estimated Cost: Starts at $2,880. (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost

Program Requirements: 5 courses (20 quarter units).

Minimum Hours of Instruction: 200 hours of instruction.

Estimated Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate 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

Syllabus Library Detail View
Course Quarter Units Fall Winter Spring Summer
1. Required Course(s):
ECE 1: Development in Early Childhood 4.0 Winter Flexible Summer Flexible
ECE 2: Introduction to Teaching Young Children 4.0
ECE 3: Curriculum Development in Early Childhood Programs 4.0
ECE 4: The Young Child in the Family and Community 4.0
ECE 8: Child Health, Safety and Nutrition 5.0
2. Completion Review:
Early Childhood Education Associate Teacher Certificate Completion Fee None
3. Related Course(s): These Courses Are Not Part of The Certificate Program
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the Classroom 3.0
ECE: Brain Development in Early Childhood 3.0
ECE: Creative Arts for the Young Child (Preschool Through Grade 3) 3.0 Summer Flexible
ECE: Infant/Toddler Growth and Development 3.0
ECE: Principles of Infant/Toddler Caregiving 3.0 +
Math Development in Young Children 2.0
Science Play: Inquiry-Based Learning Made Easy 1.0 +

Meet Our Instructors

Anna Heredia

Anna Heredia

Teacher, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Irene Vargas

Irene Vargas

Head Start Preschool Teacher, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Jessica Roth

Jessica Roth

Teacher, Mentor, Curriculum Developer, Academic Coach
Lu Perez

Lu Perez

Teacher
Lynne Goldfarb

Lynne Goldfarb

Chief Executive Educator, Doctors of Education | Consultant
Melissa Le

Melissa Le

Teacher
Ninet Moradi

Ninet Moradi

Instructor | Program Chair | ECE Professional Advisor
Robyn F Stone

Robyn F Stone

Leader in STEM Education

What students are saying

"She’s really inspired me to do a lot of things I was not doing with the kids. It helps you think differently about your role. It helped me a lot with teaching art and creativity. If they want to color a heart blue, we let them do it."
— Vandana Gupta     International Student Child Care Teacher

Vandana Gupta
Program: Early Childhood Education: Associate Teacher
Instructor: Melissa Le

Certificate Inquiry Form

Contact Us

Speak to a student services representative.

Call (408) 861-3860

Envelope extension@ucsc.edu

Professional Development

Child Development Permit

Here's what you need to apply for the Child Development Associate Teacher Permit:

  • Coursework completion of coursework.
  • Complete 50 days of experience in an instructional capacity in a child care and development program, working at least three hours per day.
  • Instructional experience needs to have occurred in the last two years.

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

There are no requirements to join the program.

Advisory Board

Ninet Moradi, ECE Chair and Instructor

Certificate Program Chair

NINET MORADI, BA, MA, is a published author with about three decades of combined experience in the field of early childhood education and special education. An early childhood education professional advisor with the California Child Development Training Consortium, she has run her own childcare program and has worked as an administrator of many childcare centers with different philosophies, programs, and settings.

Read her full biography.

Certificate Program Advisor

ROBYN STONE, M.A.
Educational Leader in Santa Clara County
Instructor, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension ECE Certificate Programs

Establish Candidacy

Steps for Establishing Candidacy

Establish Candidacy

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.

See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.