Are you excited about becoming an educator in the field of early childhood? 

This Certificate provides the Early Childhood Education Practitioner with a course of study that satisfies multiple requirements and content needs. The core licensing requirements required by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing are satisfied as well as the courses required for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Child Development Permit.  Students interested in working as a classroom teacher in ECE, transitional kindergarten or similar settings will develop the foundational knowledge of how children learn and grow and what they need for optimal development in a range of settings.

Explore Potential Careers

Obtaining an Early Childhood Education Practitioner Certificate can lead to a variety of different jobs or career paths, and usually students begin with: 

  • Early Childhood Assistant
  • Early Childhood Classroom 
  • PreK teacher

Program Options 

Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan to you and your Academic goals.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Semester 1 

Course NumberCourse TitleUnits
CDEV C1000 (formerly CDEV 53)Child Growth and Development3
CDEV 65Orientation to ECE Principles and Practice3
CDEV 66Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum3
CDEV 67Child, Family, Community3

Total Units: 12 

Semester 2

Course NumberCourse TitleUnits
CDEV 72, 73, 92, or 93Supervised Field Experience in Early Childhood Education,  Observing and Assessing Young Children, Health, Safety and Nutrition in Early Childhood Programs, or Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education3
 See catalog--multiple options3

Total Units: 6

Certificate Total Units: 18 units

Transfer Options

If you're interested in pursuing future study, check out the AS degree in Child Development and Family Studies or the AS-T Transfer Degree in Early Childhood Education to transfer to SFSU or another CSU!