Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education

Introduction

The Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education is designed for individuals who have an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education (or a related field such as child psychology, education, and social work), and who are desirous of making a greater contribution to the field of early childhood education. The programme will provide students with an opportunity to receive practical training to harness the required knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become competent professionals. The programme aims to expose early childhood professionals, who work with young children between the ages 0-8 years and their families, to contemporary approaches in the field of early childhood education. 

This Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education is geared towards improving the standard of care and delivery of services undertaken by early childhood professionals. Students will gain specialised knowledge and skills, which will deepen their understanding, desire, and attitude to function effectively in the field of early childhood education. It will provide a cadre of educators who will be better suited to address the challenges associated with ECE in the Caribbean and provide recommendations for instructional and policy changes. Ton completion of this programme, graduate can move on to pursuing master’s and doctoral programmes in the field of ECE or in other related fields more aligned to their professional goals.
Graduates of this programme will be able to lend their expertise in the following areas: 

• ECE Specialists or Curriculum designers 
• Education program specialists/Education Consultants 
• Child development instructor /Lecturer in early childhood studies 
• Lead Teachers, Supervisors, Managers/Principals 
• Professional development facilitators 
• Public policy coordinators 
• Child and family advocates 
• Childcare Administrators/Directors or Owners of a childcare Centre 
• Special education teachers 

 

About the Programme

The Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE) is a fully online programme, which will run for a duration of twelve (12) months (minimum). This 22-credit postgraduate diploma programme is designed for individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in early childhood education or a related field. The objective is to train these persons to become specialists and leaders in the field. Participants will be exposed to various content, assessment activities and practical learning experiences to build on their undergraduate training, as well as enhance their individual work experience and competencies. The major areas of study include early childhood curriculum and assessment, diverse needs and inclusive education, language and literacy, and educational management.

 

Who is this programme for?

The programme targets trained early childhood educators and others with the relevant qualifications at the undergraduate level. These includes:

• Preschool teachers at private and public educational institutions;
• Elementary school teachers;
• Workers at childcare centres;
• Special education teachers;
• School counsellors;
• Home-based service providers;
• Childhood development researchers

 

Duration of Programme

The Post-Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education will be offered over three teaching periods (2 semesters and one summer).

 

Programme Structure

All courses in the programme are assessed based on 100% coursework. The programme includes the following six core courses:

Course Title	Course Credits
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education	4
Curriculum Design in Early Childhood Education	3
Language and Literacy Development	4
Diverse Needs & Inclusive Education	4
Educational Management and Sustainable Practices	4
Current Developments in Early Childhood Education	3
TOTAL CREDITS	22

All courses consist of content and activity units, arranged in modules, which includes content representing the academic equivalent of 12 lecture hours per credit per semester.

Assessment

Assessment in this programme will be on a continuous basis and, as such, there will be no formal examination at each course. The courses will be governed by the GPA system instituted for graduate courses. Each course will consist of three components and students will be required to pass each component to pass the course.  

 

Academic Preparation

All post-graduate students must pass OOL6001: Introduction to Online Learning. OOL6001 is a required preliminary course for students pursuing post-graduate studies with the Open Campus.