Early Childhood Education Certificate
Certificate
Next program start date
January 06, 2025
Learning includes
- Online
- Campus Support and Resources
January 06, 2025
You can earn your ECE Certificate for under $8,000 to help make your goals more affordable. Gain the skills you need to help create a positive learning environment for children. With our online ECE Certificate, you can lay the foundation for a career as an educator working with young children in as few as 9 to 12 months.1 You will also be academically prepared to apply for the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential during your Certificate courses—allowing you to build your resume while you complete your program.3 Already have your CDA? Save time and money by requesting a course waiver for up to 12 credits.
Our ECE programs do not prepare students for licensed teaching positions in any public school setting, but students will have the opportunity to help shape the futures of young children from birth to age six in a childcare or non-public school setting or leadership role.
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This program's Early Childhood Education courses are aligned to the standards of the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Students will be academically prepared during their courses to apply for the CDA credential.
Rasmussen University’s ladder curriculum allows you to easily transfer your credits toward an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Upon receiving your Associate's degree, you can transfer those credits toward an ECE Bachelor’s degree.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the yearly projected job growth potential between 2020 and 2030 for Childcare Workers is 9%.4 Enhanced skills and knowledge from Rasmussen University can help set you up for success in this growing field.
Use your knowledge and skills to work with young children from birth to age six in a childcare and non-public school setting.
Help children learn and develop their skills and knowledge in a variety of entry-level roles and settings.
Based on real, practical experiences in your courses, you will observe and implement developmentally appropriate practices while interacting with children and adults.
Value the ability to effectively communicate in a variety of situations, from the workplace to your communities and families whose children are in your care.
Promotes the development of young children in the academic, social and emotional domains. Examines developmentally appropriate methods for writing and assessing behavioral objectives, lesson plans and activity goals.
Explores characteristics of children at different ages, children’s developmental needs and the foundation of early childhood education. You'll learn the fundamentals of developmentally appropriate practices as it relates to child development, individual needs, building self-esteem in children and using interpersonal skills and communication within the program or setting.
Explores effective strategies for observation and assessment in early childhood education. You'll learn to understand the observation, assessment and planning cycle and its impact on promoting children’s development.
9 Courses to Complete
36 Credit Hours
Rasmussen University is committed to making education more affordable for all students. Our tuition estimating tool can help you visualize the cost of your degree and see what savings opportunities are available to help you achieve it.
While we aim to reduce your tuition through our credit transfer policies and other ways to help you save on your education—we encourage you to seek outside scholarships as well.
You can also receive course waivers if you have earned specific professional credentials:
Florida Child Care Professionals Credential (FCCPC)
Florida Early Childhood Professional Credential (ECPC)
Florida Child Care Apprenticeship Credential (CCAC)
Wisconsin Infant and Toddler Credential
Wisconsin Preschool Credential
Wisconsin Administration Credential
Wisconsin Leadership Credential
AIM4Excellence Director Credential
CDA Credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
For more information, please view the School of Education Waivers from the course waiver section in the course catalog.
The Gateways Scholarship Program will pay a portion of tuition for eligible professionals working in early care and education or school-age programs who want to earn college credit, credentials or degrees.
As an entitled institution, Rasmussen University has aligned coursework to the IL Gateways Credentials. More information on the IL Gateways Credentials can be found here.
There's no application fee and you can get started sooner with 8 start dates throughout the year.
Entrance requirements at the Rasmussen University School of Education vary depending on the program. We do not require enrolling students to submit standardized test scores; however, every entrant must have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.
We believe in giving credit where it’s due. Prospective students can transfer credits and receive course waivers in this ECE program. For example, if you already have your CDA credential, you may be eligible to transfer up to 12 credits toward your certificate. Talk to an admissions advisor today or explore our Transfer Policy page to review our seamless credit policies designed to maximize credits, potentially save money and expedite graduation.
Higher education should be a manageable investment. Talk to an admissions advisor and learn how these programs can make it more affordable with self-directed assessments, credit for prior learning, loans and grants, scholarship opportunities, corporate grants and military discounts for those who qualify.
At Rasmussen University, we want our courses to be available on your schedule, not the other way around. Select programs are available for enrollment through a specific campus and nationally online, but students complete the courses online and are able to utilize online and on-campus support and resources. See below to find out where you can find an online Early Childhood Education program near you.