Academic Program

Title

Graduate Certificate

Headline

Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education

Degree Type

Graduate Certificates

Location/Availability/Method

Online

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Teacher reading to a group of young children

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Areas of Interest

Education

Intro Text

If you’re looking to advance your career as an early childhood educator, consider Creighton University’s Early Childhood Education Graduate Certificate.

Description

In this program, you’ll learn to create healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments for all children. You’ll understand the importance of developing partnerships with families and learn to build relationships that support and empower children and families.

“In my own experience as a student, Creighton's education programs are very user-friendly and easy to work into a busy schedule. They are incredibly practical, enabling you to bring what you're learning in class right to your classroom and life experiences.”

—Jean Hearn, EdD | Associate Professor and Program Director, College of Arts and Sciences

Creighton’s early childhood education graduate certificate program goes far beyond the administrative aspects of the classroom. You’ll learn to model Jesuit values such as the importance of compassion, relationship-building, reflection and humility in your work. Through hands-on, project-based learning experiences, you’ll also gain experience that will prepare you for a successful career in early childhood education.

This early childhood certificate program provides practical learning opportunities in clinical, community and school practicum settings. Your field experience, combined with exposure to a wide variety of teaching and assessment strategies, will prepare you to understand and implement developmentally appropriate practice in your own classroom.

A graduate certificate that fits your lifestyle

We know that a graduate education is no small investment of your time and money, so we make sure that your investment in your early education credential is a smart one—and one that you can fit in your schedule. This 18-credit program is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals and can be completed online in about a year.

Application Link

Apply Now

Admissions Representative

Enrollment Specialist

Featured Information

Statistic Highlight

Stat Highlight - Named Among Best Online Programs

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Link

https://gradschool.creighton.edu/why-creighton/rankings-and-reputation

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Stat Highlite - 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio

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Details

PROGRAM DETAILS

Program Goals and Curriculum

The Early Childhood Education graduate certificate program is designed for students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree and wish to work as an early childhood educator.

To earn this certificate, you must complete 18 credit hours:

Foundations and Best Practices of Early Childhood Education
Investigating Critical and Contemporary Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education
Content and Methods Specific to Early Childhood Education
Significant Concepts for Early Childhood Education
Assessment, Observation, Screening and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education
Becoming an Early Childhood Teaching Professional

View all courses for this program

Creighton’s education programs are nationally recognized as excellent by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Higher Learning Commission. This reputation is earned thanks to Creighton’s carefully designed program curricula and standards, as well as the talented faculty who apply Jesuit values to ensure student success.

Meet the program faculty

Specific Application Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Early Childhood Education Graduate Certificate program, applicants must:

Complete an application
Provide an official transcript from the institution that granted the Bachelor’s degree. Read more about sending transcripts here
Teaching license required

A personal interview may be requested in addition to the above requirements. The interview may be conducted in-person or virtually.

Due to the specific features and requirements of this program, international students cannot be admitted. Unique situations may be discussed with your enrollment specialist.

Tuition and Financial Aid

To show our appreciation for the important work done by educators like you, Creighton University offers a special tuition rate to students in the Early Childhood Education certificate program.

Tuition rates change in the fall of each year. Visit the Tuition and Fees page for more details.

Scholarships
Creighton is pleased to offer scholarships and tuition discounts for students interested in our graduate education program. To learn more about our available tuition discounts, please schedule an appointment with our enrollment specialist.

Financial Aid
To help make your graduate studies at Creighton University more affordable, we encourage you to file the FAFSA to apply for financial assistance. We also encourage you to apply for available graduate student scholarships and fellowships.

Learn more about funding your education

Have questions? Email or call a friendly financial specialist at 402.280.2731 for any additional questions you may have.

Dates and Deadlines

The table below details the enrollment deadlines and starting dates of courses for the current academic year. If you have any questions about dates, deadlines, or application materials, please contact an enrollment specialist for personalized assistance.

ONLINE

Start Classes In	Apply By
August	August 1

Apply Now

*Applications for this program are open in even years only. If you are interested in pursuing your education sooner, please explore our MS in Educational Specialist Areas.

Catholic School Leadership (Graduate Certificate)

Magis Catholic Teacher Corps (Masters)

Educational Specialist (Master of Science)

School/College/Department Link

Learn more about Creighton’s Department of Education

School/College/Department

Education

Next Steps

Next Steps Band – Program Detail B