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Effective January 2012, UAS is no longer accepting applications to any of our Early Childhood Education programs.

Graduate Certificate in
Early Childhood Education; PreK–3rd Grade

Mission Statement

To provide high quality, culturally responsive, educational opportunities based on a framework of theoretical research, current early childhood pedagogy, and alignment to state and national early childhood professional guidelines.

Statement of Goals

1. Prepare teachers to facilitate children's development toward intellectual and moral autonomy.
2. Develop teachers to view their role as a sophisticated one, requiring personal pedagogical (educational and instructive) reflection leading to analysis of current classroom beliefs and practices.
3. Develop and empower early childhood professionals to lead the nation in providing high quality, culturally competent, developmentally appropriate programs for young children.

Program Delivery & Information

The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education program designed with an emphasis on classroom application.

Our programs are mainly distance–delivered. Students are encouraged to be self-directed learners, have access to high speed Internet, and be able to complete weekly field experience assignments. The program consists of two 2-week, on-campus summer institutes where students interact with distinguished professors, create peer relationships, and establish a network of early childhood professional contacts. Our distance-delivered courses, coupled with our summer institutes create a learning environment that is real, relevant, and meaningful to our students.

The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education (ECE) is a 21 credit program (semester system) and can be completed in 2 to 7 years. It may be possible to transfer up to 9 approved graduate level credits into the program.

Graduate Certificate ECE Philosophy & Alaska Standards

• Philosophy and program overview (PDF | 68k) 
• Standards for Alaska's teachers:
  http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/pdf/teacher.pdf (PDF | 832k)

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All education programs through the School of Education at University of Alaska Southeast are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, a performance-based teacher accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education recognized by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.