Early Childhood Educator (ECE)
2025-2026 Education Pathway
Certificate, Human Services & Emergency Response Pathways Division
Recommended Course Selection Sequence
| ECE101 | Child Growth and Development | 3 |
| ECE105 | Using the Expressive Arts with Young Children | 3 |
| ECE245 | Field Placement & Seminar 1 in Early Childhood Education | 6 |
| CMP101 | Composition 1 | 3 |
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| Choose 6 credits from the following list of ECE courses | 6 |
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| ECE103 | Supporting the Young Child's Physical and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| ECE110 | Foundations of Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE124 | Introduction to Child Development Associate (CDA) with Portfolio Development | 6 |
| ECE204 | Children With Special Needs | 3 |
| ECE206 | Supervision & Administration of ECE Programs | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 21
Program Notes
- Open admissions
- Stackable credential
- CORI/SORI check required
- Day or evening/online program
Campus Information
Additional Graduation Requirements
- Mathematics proficiency required to graduate
- Cumulative CLGPA at or above 2.0
- Submit your intent to graduate form at: www.northshore.edu/registrar
Advising Notes
This certificate is intended to prepare students, upon completion, to teach young children (aged 2.9 - 6years) in preschool settings such as child care centers, nursery school programs, Head Start Programs, and family child care centers.
If your goal is to work with infants and/or toddlers, please refer to the Infant/Toddler Educator Certificate program.
Students are encouraged to work with a faculty advisor.
Courses are listed in the recommended order that you should take them.
Students are required to take ECE105 - Using the Expressive Arts before or concurrently with ECE245 - Field Placement 1.
ECE245 - Field Placement 1 requires a student teaching placement in a preschool setting, four mornings a week, typically from 8:00 a..m - 12 noon.
When planning to register for ECE245, contact the ECE Program Coordinator Heidi Ferrante (hferrant@northshore.edu) to make arrangements for your student teaching placement.
All degree audits for graduation purposes will be based off the official program of study the student is enrolled in.
Simultaneous awarding of Certificate and Degree policy: Certificates with coursework is embedded in an Associate’s degree program will not be awarded in the same term as the degree.