Online Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education
Expand your career opportunities in early childhood educational settings with instruction from our industry-experienced faculty.
Program Overview
Discover why our online Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education stands out from the rest
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.
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.
The School of Education programs are approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB).
"I wanted to get a better understanding of the business from a management perspective. I also wanted to understand more about financial management and economics. The MBA provided that outlook for me."
– Alexis Alexander
EWU Master of Business Administration graduate
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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:
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per 4-Credit Hour Course | Per Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate – Early Childhood Education | $325 | $1,300 | $9,750* |
Application Fee: $75
*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:
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:
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Registration Deadline | Tuition Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter I | 12/30/24 | 12/16/24 | 12/24/24 | 12/28/24 |
| Winter II | 2/10/25 | 1/27/25 | 2/5/25 | 2/8/25 |
| Spring I | 3/31/25 | 3/17/25 | 3/26/25 | 3/29/25 |
| Spring II | 5/12/25 | 4/28/25 | 5/7/25 | 5/10/25 |
Now enrolling:
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
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.
