Online Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education

Expand your career opportunities in early childhood educational settings with instruction from our industry-experienced faculty.

4/29/24 Next Application Due Date
5/13/24 Start Classes

Program Overview


Discover why our online Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education stands out from the rest

$9,000* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
30 Credit Hours

The Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education online from Eastern Washington University will enhance your capacity to shape effective instructional experiences for children from birth to age eight. In this online graduate program, you will learn about brain development, gain an understanding of family systems, and explore the evolution of policies, programs, and practices in early care and education.

You will also study how risk and protective factors can impact social -emotional, -physical, and -cognitive growth in young children, examine the functions of behavior, and define preventative strategies in early childhood home and classroom settings. Coursework in this program can also be applied to the M.Ed. – Early Childhood Education online degree program for an accelerated completion time.

Note: Educators certificated within the state of Washington can add the P-3 early childhood endorsement on their teaching certificate. Educators outside the state of Washington will need to follow the authorization for endorsements granted by their state.

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The Eastern Washington University School of Business is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

Also available online:

If you are interested in pursuing your master’s degree, completed courses in this certificate program can help you earn your Master of Education in Early Childhood Education online from EWU.

$9,000* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
30 Credit Hours
Professional Educator Standards Board logo

The School of Education programs are approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB).

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Need More Information?

Call 800-826-3411

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Tuition


Earning your online certificate is easy on any budget with pay-as-you-go tuition

This affordable Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education online program features pay-by-the-course tuition, with the same rate for all in-state and out-of-state students.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$9,000* Total Tuition

*Tuition and fees subject to change. Total program cost does not include foundation courses. If foundation courses are required, the cost will be added to the total program cost.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$9,000* Total Tuition

Calendar


Take a glance at the schedule with important dates and deadlines

The Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education online program is designed to be flexible for working professionals, with six-week courses and seven start dates a year. View the full calendar for upcoming start dates and deadlines for registration, required documents, and tuition payment.

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes
TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition Deadline
Winter II2/12/241/29/242/7/242/10/24
Spring I4/1/243/18/243/27/243/30/24
Spring II5/13/244/29/245/8/245/11/24
Summer I7/8/246/21/247/2/247/6/24
Fall I9/23/249/9/249/18/249/21/24
Fall II11/4/2410/21/2410/30/2411/2/24

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions


Get registered quickly and easily – here’s what you need to know

We’ve streamlined the Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education online admissions process to help you get started quickly and easily. A teaching certificate is not required for admission to this program. However, this program will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Official transcript from degree-granting university

  • Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field from a regionally accredited institution
  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded postsecondary credit hours**
  • Official transcript from the college/university where degree was earned

Document Submission Information

For Spring 2024 Applications: Please do not send transcripts directly to EWU, as this may delay processing your application. If you are ordering electronic transcripts, please select the CAS application as the recipient.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Note: You will need to use the Transcript ID form (found in your GradCAS application portal) as part of your submission so that your transcript can be matched to your application.

For Summer 2024 Applications and all future terms:

Order your official, electronic transcripts from the degree-granting institution where you earned your highest degree (bachelor’s or master’s) and have them sent to Eastern Washington University.

  • Most EWU graduate programs only require one transcript. Please submit a transcript from your degree-granting institution. This transcript should include the final two years of your degree completion. If it does not, please submit transcripts to cover your final two years of earned credits.
  • Please note that transcripts ordered by main may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

Eastern Washington University
Showalter Hall 206
Cheney, WA 99004

Have a question? Call us at 800-826-3411.

**We encourage you to apply if your GPA is lower than a 3.0 and you have at least 3 years of professional work experience. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Please contact an Enrollment Services representative at 800-826-3411 for more information.

This offering is available as an endorsement program for those teachers who hold or who have held an initial, residency, continuing or professional teaching certificate in the state of Washington. If you do not hold a teaching certificate in Washington or do not hold a teaching certificate at all, you are still encouraged to apply.

Please note however that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. Additionally, this program may satisfy the requirements for states other than Washington. Please check with your applicable licensing board to determine whether this program satisfies the requirements for licensure in the state in which you reside. For current contact information for applicable licensing boards, please refer to our State Authorization page. For information on certification in the state of Washington, contact Christi Wavada at [email protected].

Please note, however, that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. If you are looking for an initial teaching certificate, please visit the School of Education’s webpage.

Courses


View the courses for your online Graduate Certification in Early Childhood Education

In order to earn the EWU Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education online, you must complete nine courses for a total of 30 credit hours.

You must take the following courses.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers early childhood development (birth – 8), which includes the impact of prenatal, as well as social and societal influences. Students will learn about brain development, and how risk and protective factors can impact social-emotional, physical and cognitive growth in young children.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will focus on classical and contemporary issues in early childhood education (birth – 8). Five larger domains (i.e., stakeholders in ECE, differentiation, standards, and curricula) will be examined through selected readings.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Course content will provide a framework for early childhood professionals to plan, deliver and assess evidence-based, integrated curriculum content in the early childhood classroom (e.g., math, science, social studies, music, creative arts).
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course prepares students to create a positive climate for young children. The quality of learning environments will be examined with regard to both the social and physical design and layout. Students will explore the function of behavior and define preventative strategies in early childhood home and classroom settings.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course is based on an understanding of family systems and the application of family-centered principles in early childhood education and home-based services. Students will gain an understanding of family and cultural contexts in which child development occurs and explore service delivery models and frameworks for supporting a collaborative partnership with families.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will require students to think critically about the evolution of policies, programs, and practices in early care and education. Students will apply perspectives to current practice and policy through critical analysis of research, and program evaluation.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
This course provides MEd candidates the opportunity to assemble a portfolio of work from graduate education courses that includes a reflective component. Candidates will provide evidence aligned with corresponding professional competencies. The course provides candidates the opportunity to prepare for the written comprehensive examination, which serves as the capstone experience in lieu of a thesis or research report.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Practical, on-the-job experience for specialized school personnel planned cooperatively by a school district and the university. Students are selected for this experience by the university and the district in which the student is working. To register, students must make application to the program advisor during May of the previous year.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Continuation of Early Childhood Internship I. Practical, on-the-job experience for specialized school personnel planned cooperatively by a school district and the university. Students are selected for this experience by the university and the district in which the student is working.

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