The Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education is tailored for individuals who are already working in the early childhood education field and require certification to advance their careers.
School leavers with CSEC/CXC qualifications who would like to work with young children as a Teaching Assistant
Duration and Programme Modality
The B. ED in Primary education is offered in two modalities – full-time and part-time
- The full-time programme is normally completed over a four-year period, between the hours of 8:00am- 4:30pm daily.
- The part-time programme is normally completed over a five-year period, between the hours of 4:30pm to 8:30pm daily.
Programme Structure
The B. Ed. programme has two parts:
- Part 1 includes years 1 and 2, and normally delivers the foundation courses; primarily teaching content.
- Part 2 (years 3 and 4 and 5) focuses especially on professional attitudes and competences.
Programme Requirements
Normal Matriculation
Four (4) CXC/CSEC subjects at the General Proficiency Grades I, II and III (effective June 1998) or their equivalent. This should normally include English A and Mathematics. A student with three CXC/CSEC subjects at General Proficiency Grades I, II, and III as above and two subjects at Grade III obtained prior to June 1998 will be deemed to have satisfied the minimum entry requirements. English A must be obtained at General Proficiency Grade I, II, or III (effective 1998).
Students seeking entry to the Early Childhood Associate Degree Programme may use the NCTVET Level II qualifications in Early Childhood as one of the four subjects required for matriculation.
For the purpose of equivalence, CXC General I- III, GCE ‘O’ Level at Grade A–C; SSC National Assessment Levels 4 and 5
Mature Entry
Candidates 30 years and over seeking admission into the programme and who do not have the academic qualifications set out in (a) above but who have completed at least five years of teaching in one or more recognized early childhood institutions may be able to seek entry under the mature entry clause but must establish clear evidence of their competence in the field. Colleges desiring to admit students under this clause should have applicants undergo the following processes:
Submission of a portfolio which documents competence/accomplishments in the following ways:
- Recommendations from professional educator(s) and person(s) who have supervised him/her on his/her area of competence.
- Documentation to substantiate certificates/awards obtained in the informal setting, e.g. on-the-job courses.
- Written 500-word account of life history and a vision of his/her role in education.
- A portfolio with representative sampling of work (where applicable) over a period of three years immediately preceding application.
- Certification to demonstrate that the candidate has obtained at least 2 subjects through a formal examination system. CSEC English (or its equivalent) is mandatory.
- Undergo an entrance examination to assess candidates learning potential which should include basic proficiency in Numeracy and English Language.
Documents Required
Completed Application Form
- Application Fee
- Birth Certificate
- CSEC/GCE/SSC Academic Certificate(s)
- 2 References (written with stamp or seal on a Letterhead)
- 1 Passport Size Photograph
- Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
- Deed Poll (if applicable)
N.B. Original and copies of documents must be presented at the submission of the application
| Associate Degree | ||
| Code | Course | Credits |
| SC110GEA | Health & Family Life | 2 |
| ED110ECA | Historical & Philosophical Foundations of ECE | 2 |
| LA110GEA | Introduction to Communication Skills I | 3 |
| ED101PCB | The Emerging Professional | 3 |
| ED111PCA | The Emerging Teacher | 2 |
| ED110PCA | Child Growth & Development | 4 |
| SS121ACA | Foundation of Social Studies | 3 |
| ED112PCA | Introduction to Information & Communication Technology (ICT) | 2 |
| MT110ACA | Teaching Mathematics in the Early Years I | 3 |
| AE210ECA | Integrated Arts for Early Childhood Education | 4 |
| LA120GEA | Introduction to Communication Skills II | 4 |
| ED100PCA | Practicum 1 | 1 |
| ED121ECA | Oberservation and Assessment in EC | 3 |
| ED122ECA | Pedagogical Strategies in ECE | 3 |
| MT120ACA | Teaching Mathematics in the Early Years II | 3 |
| ED210ECA | Curriculum for Three to Five Year Olds | 3 |
| ED211ECA | Guiding Behaviour in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ED200PCA | Practicum 2 | 2 |
| SC211ACA | Science for Early Childhood | 3 |
| ED222ECA | ECE Policies, Regulations & Programme Management | 4 |
| PD210GEA | Personal & Character Development | 0 |
| ED220ECA | The Birth to Three Curriculum | 2 |
| ED221ECA | Children with Special Needs in EC | 3 |
| LA211ECA | Language & Literacy in the Early Years | 3 |
| ED220PCA | School, Family & Community Relations | 3 |
| ED300PCA | Practicum 3 | 5 |
Entry Requirement
Mature Entrants
– English Language
– Mathematics
– And any other academic subject
– Be over 30 years old
– 5 years teaching experience at the early childhood level
– Portfolio of work
– conformation of work status
Regular Entrants
– English Language
– Mathematics
– 2 other subjects
Duration of Programme
– 2 years (Part time ONLY)
Documents Required
– Application Fee
– Birth Certificate
– CSEC/GCE/SSC Certificate(s)
– 2 References (written with stamp or seal on a Letterhead)
– 1 Photograph