Make a difference in the lives of young children by providing quality care and education for healthy learning and development. Specialize your skills while you apply theory to practice with children ages 30 months to five years in a variety of early care and learning settings. The certificate program is offered in both full and part-time options, allowing you to balance other commitments while you study.
These courses gave me confidence to plan activities that support the development of the whole child. I learned foundational theories and strategies to communicate with children across various cognitive stages.
Attendance is required in all courses. Students who miss more than 10% of a course may be asked to repeat the course for credit.
To complete the program, students must successfully complete all courses with an overall average of 60% and a minimum of 55% in each course. A student who fails any course in the program cannot progress until the course is passed.
In order to repeat a course, the student must reapply to the program in a subsequent offering of the same term in which the failure occurred providing there is an available seat. If in repeating the course, the student fails again, then the student will be removed entirely from the program and can only re-enter by going through the admission process. Please note that the student may be required to begin at Term 1.
A student who has failed a course, re-entered the program and successfully repeated the failed course, and then fails another course, will be removed entirely from the program and can only re-enter by through the admission process. Please note that the student may be required to begin at term one of the academic year.
Re-entering the program under any circumstance is dependent on an available seat and at the discretion of the Early Childhood Care and Education department and in consultation with the Dean. Students who fail a course may be asked to complete a learning assessment prior to being reconsidered for re-admission. These regulations are important to the profession to ensure that graduates have the required skills and knowledge, and are therefore deemed safe to practice.
Students are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia. Failure to adhere to these principles may result in the student being required to leave the program.
C in one of Provincial English 12, English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12, NIC ENG-096, ENG-098, ESL-090 or equivalent; or English assessment.
A signed Requisite Skills and Abilities (RSA) document. The RSA document describes the requirements for practice in early childhood care and education. Prospective students need to review these and decide whether they believe they are able to meet them. Should you have concerns about being able to meet the RSA's, please contact the ECCE Department Chair.
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has provided Special Program approval to allow priority admission for a selected number of self-declared Aboriginal applicants to this program beginning in September 2013. For more information please refer to NIC's Aboriginal Education Services program page or contact an Aboriginal educational advisor at your local campus.
Complete a Solicitor General Consent for Criminal Record Search form. This form will be sent to you from the admissions office once you are offered a seat in the program. Processing costs will be incurred by the student.
Hold a current Child Care First Aid certificate OR take the required course offered at North Island College during the first month of the full time program. Students who provide proof of a current equivalent certificate are not required to duplicate this training. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain certification throughout the program.
Full-time students will be required to submit a Portfolio containing the following documentation on the first day of class. Note: Part-time students will be required to submit the portfolio and their First Aid certificate to their practicum instructor before beginning their practice placements.
Completed Personal Immunization form. This form will be sent to you by the admissions office when you have a seat in the program. It must be validated by a health care professional, ie. a physician or public health nurse at your local health unit.
Two (2) character reference letters attesting to your good character, temperament and ability to work with children.
Students with previous course work from another accredited institution may apply to transfer course credits to NIC. For more information refer to Steps to University Transfer or contact Student Services.
Your previous life, work or study experience, unassociated with formal education, may qualify for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). Your knowledge and skills will be evaluated to determine if you meet the objectives for selected courses up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the program. To qualify for PLAR, you must apply to the program and meet all the program requirements. The fee for each PLAR course is 75 per cent of the regular course fee. Refer to NIC policy #4-10: Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition. For information about which courses qualify for PLAR please contact the program department chair.
The Early Childhood Care & Education certificate can be completed full time in 10 months or on a flexible, part-time basis.
Earn your Early Childhood Care and Education certificate while you work, with NIC's new, part-time evening and weekend program starting January 2019 in the Comox Valley.
This accessible program offers all the same courses, practice opportunities and benefits of our full-time program, but gives busy students like you an opportunity to keep working while you start your career or upgrade your ECCE certification in a provincially-recognized early childhood education program. Classes run evenings and weekends over two years, with an average workload of two courses per semester.
Please note: Students must meet the program admission requirement of a C in Provincial English 12 or equivalent before the program begins. Assessments for prior learning and tuition-free upgrading is available this September. Please contact an advisor at questions@nic.bc.ca for details.
During the first term, you are introduced to the fundamental principles of child development, health, safety and nutrition for the caregiver and the child, as well as positive child guidance. You will also have opportunities to plan early childhood play-based activities in the areas of art and literacy.
The second term builds on the content from Term 1, developing further into studies of child guidance and the foundations of professional practice. You will explore responsive learning environments and different curriculum models, including emergent and project-based curriculum.
In addition to scheduled classes, you will participate in a variety of practicum experiences. This allows you to explore different models of child care and different early learning environments. You will begin your practicum experiences with a focus on observation and will advance to implementing curriculum and working directly with children.
In the third term, you will participate in a field placement four days a week, working with a mentor while planning and implementing curriculum. Some classroom work is also required, such as participation in seminars and attendance in the Child, Family, and Community course.
A flexible approach of study allows you to create the schedule that works with your lifestyle. A range of part-time options from a single course to multiple years of study are available and should be discussed with the department chair or instructor on an individual basis.
For example, the blended learning option allows you to take classes with a diverse and vibrant community of learners in the Comox Valley, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Port Hardy and Ucluelet. Classes take place in the evening via Interactive TV and online sessions, allowing you to balance work, family and school while earning your certificate.
Program graduates receive NIC's Early Childhood Care and Education certificate, which fulfills the provincial ECE curriculum requirements for certification and employment in the early childhood education sector in BC. Requirements for your BC Early Childhood Educator certification (including 500-hours of work experience) are posted on the BC Early Learning website.
Employment opportunities in the field will increase with further training and work experience. The Early Childhood Care & Education certificate prepares you to work with young children of varying abilities from 30 months to five years, in a variety of early learning settings. Program completion is the first step toward your BC Early Childhood Educator certification. This program also provides opportunities for you to work with children and their families in other related fields.
If you plan to continue your education, you may enter the NIC Early Childhood Care & Education diploma program, or you may choose to transfer your certificate credentials to a program at another post-secondary institution. Many institutions will recognize the certificate program for block transfer credit. The opportunity to continue into a degree program in child and youth care is also available. You should contact an educational advisor at your university of choice for information regarding admission and transfer credit.
Practicums are an essential component of the Early Childhood Care and Education program, giving you the opportunity to put your theory and knowledge into practice under the direction of qualified early childhood educators. Before beginning your practicum, you will have opportunity to consult with faculty to collaboratively plan your practicum placement. Please note, while the majority of practicums occur where you live, it may be necessary to complete a practicum outside of your community. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from practicum settings.
Additional costs for International students are the $100 application fee (required) and the $250 Accommodation Placement fee (optional).