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Online Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education

Program Highlights

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Female early childhood teacher smiling with child

12 credit hours |  In-state tuition: $480.90/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $590.53/credit hour

  • Convenient, 100% online graduate certificate program offered by UTEP’s College of Education for working caregivers, teachers and education-related professionals
  • Can be completed in as few as two semesters
  • Does not lead to teaching certification, yet provides a critical perspective and deeper knowledge of early childhood education theories and pedagogies needed to teach in today’s diverse Birth to Age 8 classrooms
  • Allows all courses to be fully applied to the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

 NOTE: 

  • YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE TO APPLY.
  • GRADUATE CERTIFICATES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL AID.

PROGRAM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Help Support Early Learners

The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education is a fully online, 12 credit program that provides professional development for educators (licensed and non-licensed) serving young children, Birth to Age 8, in Early Childhood care settings and classrooms. Coursework in this certificate program emphasizes the practical application of current theory, research, and pedagogy in Early Childhood Education, with particular attention to supporting linguistically and culturally sustaining educare practices related to early literacy, early STEM and responsive child guidance. 

All courses in this graduate certificate may be applied to the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education at UTEP.

Course Overview

The 12-credit online Early Childhood Education Graduate Certificate program requires you to successfully complete 4 master’s-level courses.

Program Coursework

Focus on historical and contemporary psychological and psychosocial theories of development of young children from Birth to Age 8. Examine the relationship of development and early learning to: biological factors; child and family factors; early schooling; and other sociocultural factors, particularly in diverse educational contexts. Evaluate children’s physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional development as both contributors to, and as consequences of, early learning experiences.

This course focuses on the early language and literacy acquisition of young children, taking a broad view of early literacy. It covers the components and linguistic underpinning of emergent literacy, Birth to Age 8. It further explores how young children create meaning in multimodal ways and the use of a wide range of cultural, linguistic, communicative, and technologically diverse teaching practices to support early literacy/biliteracy learning. Students will synthesize differing views of early language and literacy pedagogy and current research to create curricula that supports diverse literacy learners in the Early Childhood classroom.

This course focuses on the early STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Engineering, Mathematics) learning of young children and the use of culturally sustaining teaching methods and materials to support early STEM/STEAM learning. It covers how environmental interactions, sociocultural relationships and STEM/STEAM practices form the basis of early STEM identity development, early problem solving and domain-relevant conceptual development. Students will synthesize differing views of STEM/STEAM learning, inquiry-based learning pedagogy and current research to create curricula that supports diverse STEM learners in the Early Childhood classroom.

Focus on responsive relationships and their impact on the brain and social-emotional development of young children, Birth to Age 8. Explore relationship building including the system of relationships (interconnected and reciprocal) between the child, teacher, family, peers and community. Also examine notions of care, discipline and child guidance strategies from infancy to early elementary school, as well as the design of learning environments.  Explore multiple frameworks to both understand and challenge traditional ideas of “classroom management”.

CONNECT WITH US

The University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP Online Programs
Kelly Hall, Ste. 115
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Texas 79968
E: utepconnect@utep.edu
P: 1-800-684-UTEP