Early Childhood Education (Undergraduate Certificate)
Early childhood education (ECE) is one of the most impactful fields in education, and schools are looking for individuals who possess specialized training for pre-K through third grade classrooms. Creighton’s early childhood education certificate program can equip you for an in-demand role in this area.
Creighton’s early childhood education certificate program allows professionals working with children from ages three through eight to develop expertise through a spectrum of early childhood education courses. ECE certificate classes are offered online and on campus.
Program Details
What You’ll Learn
Courses are strongly influenced by the beliefs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and built on the Nebraska Department of Education endorsement standards. The curriculum is designed around the premise that early childhood development is a process of accommodation between the child, the teacher and the child’s environment.
Through combining theory with observation and participation in clinical, community and school practicum settings, you’ll prepare to implement developmentally appropriate practices in the variety of environments affecting young children. You’ll learn how to translate content and academic knowledge into practice.
The early childhood education certificate program will build the following competencies:
- Promoting child development and learning. Using a child development knowledge base, create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging for each child.
- Building family and community relationships. Create respectful, reciprocal, complex relationships that support and empower families, to successfully impact children’s development.
- Observing, documenting and assessing to support young children and families. Use child observation, documentation and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.
- Developmentally effective approaches. Understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions, plus a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.
- Content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum. Design, implement and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child.
- Becoming a professional. Using ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice, demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives to make informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources.
Curriculum
The early childhood certificate includes 18 credits. View the complete list of required courses.
Admissions Requirements
Dates & Deadlines
Applications for the fall semester open on Aug. 1 of the prior year. For scholarship consideration, the earlier you complete your undergraduate application, the better. For up-to-date deadlines, visit our admissions page.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition rates are updated each year. Visit our financial aid site to learn more about the cost of attendance.
Financial Aid
Creighton University’s Financial Aid Office administers over $200,000,000 in student aid each year from federal, state, institutional and private sources.
To help make your undergraduate studies at Creighton University more affordable, we encourage you to file the FAFSA to apply for financial assistance. A variety of scholarships are also available.
