Indigenous Land- and Place- Based Diploma in Early Years Education

Program Overview

The Land- and Place-Based Knowledges Cohort offers the provincially approved BC Early Childhood Education (ECE) Basic Certificate through a distinctive cohort experience designed for students living and working in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across British Columbia.

Students complete the academic requirements for Diploma in Early Years Education within a supportive learning community grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, relational learning, community engagement, and land- and place-based pedagogies. Flexible online coursework is enriched through Seasonal Learning Gatherings, local practicum experiences, and community partnerships that connect university learning with the lands, cultures, languages, and relationships shaping early childhood education.

The approved course requirements remain unchanged. What distinguishes this cohort is how learning is organized: Indigenous pedagogies provide a relational framework connecting course outcomes, Seasonal Learning Gatherings, Elder and Knowledge Holder teachings, Advisory Circle guidance, and place-responsive experiences.

Provincial Partnership
This cohort is offered through a partnership with the British Columbia Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, supporting expanded access to early childhood education in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.

Cohort Experience

This cohort is more than a pathway to an ECE credential; it is a relational learning journey rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing. Learning is grounded in relationships with Land, place, children, families, communities, and one another, connecting university study with local contexts and lived experiences.

• Monthly virtual Seasonal Learning Gatherings
• Learning with Elders and Knowledge Holders
• Guidance from an Indigenous Advisory Circle
• Land- and place-based learning inquiries
• Community partnerships and knowledge exchange
• Indigenous scholarship woven across the curriculum
• A reflective professional learning portfolio
• Peer mentorship and collaborative learning

Graduates leave prepared to be reflective, relational, and culturally responsive educators who work in partnership with children, families, Nations, and communities across British Columbia.

Course Sequence

Learning unfolds through intentional progression. Students begin by developing their professional identity and understanding of early childhood education, then deepen their knowledge of children, families, and communities before moving into documentation, curriculum, pedagogy, and land-based learning.

Learning Experience

Indigenous ways of knowing are embedded throughout the entire cohort experience. Every course includes Indigenous learning objectives and outcomes, supported by Indigenous approaches to assessment and evaluation. Together, the courses create a connected learning journey grounded in relationships, story, Land, place, community, and lived experience. Students bring this learning into practice through local practicum experiences, including the pairing of ECED 480, Land and Young Learners: ECE Curriculum Outdoors, with Practicum II. 

Practicum Learning

The program includes three in-person practicum courses. Placements are arranged collaboratively and, where possible, take place in BC-licensed early learning and child care centers in each student’s local community.

Delivery and Student Workload

• Academic courses are delivered online through Canvas, UBC’s learning platform, and may be accessed through a web browser or mobile device.
• Courses follow UBC’s academic terms: September-December, January-April, and May-August.
• Monthly virtual Seasonal Learning Gatherings complement the asynchronous coursework. These gatherings build community, support learners, and create opportunities to learn with Elders, Knowledge Holders, and guest speakers.
• Coursework is asynchronous: instructors provide weekly readings, learning activities, assignments, and deadlines, and students choose when to complete the work within those timelines.
• Assessment is based on Indigenous assessment practices through the Mind, Heart, and Spirit framework, including learning journals, circle discussions, and local learning experiences.
• Students should anticipate approximately three hours of coursework per credit each week. A three-credit course requires approximately nine hours of study weekly.

Fees

The figures below are working estimates in Canadian dollars. Fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors and are subject to change. Only the fees published in the UBC Calendar: Specialized Undergraduate Tuition (under “All other Education programs”) are official.

Domestic (Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident):

Funding

ECEBC Education Support Fund

Provides bursaries of up to 80% of eligible course costs, to a maximum of $500 per course. Applicants should consult ECEBC for current eligibility, funding availability, and application details.

Métis Nation British Columbia STEPS Program

The Skills Training, Employment & Post-Secondary (STEPS) program provides funding and wraparound supports for eligible Métis learners pursuing post-secondary education and skills training in British Columbia. Applicants should verify current cohort funding and wait-list information directly with MNBC.

Indspire Post-Secondary Education Grant

Offers needs-based support to eligible First Nations, Inuit, and Métis post-secondary students. The working information indicates funding of up to $2,600 per academic year; applicants should confirm current amounts, criteria, and deadlines with Indspire.

TRICORP Employment, Skills & Training Services

May provide financial assistance, career planning, employment support, and access to child care for eligible Indigenous learners in its service region, from Haida Gwaii to Burns Lake and from Hartley Bay north to the Yukon border. Support depends on individual eligibility and training plans.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must:

1. Be at least 19 years of age when the program begins.
2. Have completed high school or equivalent credentials.
3. Have a minimum of 75 hours of experience working or volunteering with children (ages birth to 9 years) in a formal group setting (e.g., licensed childcare centre, pre-school, after school care, community centre, etc.), together with two letters of reference that can speak to the experience. Letters of reference should support the work/volunteer experience statement, and both must be from a professional reference who can speak to the ECE experience indicated on the application and the skills and/or assets they would bring to the program.
   OR
   Achieved third-year standing at an accredited post-secondary institution (i.e., you have completed your 2nd year in, or have graduated from, a four-year degree at an approved university, or have completed 60 credits in a two-year program at an approved university or college).
4. Meet UBC’s English language competency requirements through an accepted study pathway or language assessment.
   • If you have any questions about how to meet the English requirement, please contact us at eced.educ@ubc.ca.
5. Complete a Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA)  check after admission and before practicum participation.

How to Apply

*WES evaluations are not considered official supporting documents. 

For information or assistance with admissions, please contact us. If you are a current or past UBC student, please include your UBC student number.

STEP 1: Confirm You Meet UBC’s English Language Proficiency Requirements

English Language Proficiency Requirements

English is the primary language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students, regardless of country of origin or citizenship status, are required to demonstrate a minimum level of English before they are admitted. This requirement can be met in several ways:

• Have completed at least four years of secondary or post-secondary studies taught in English, OR
• Completed an undergraduate or graduate level degree at a recognized university where English is the primary language of instruction, OR
• Completed six credits of post-secondary English courses at a recognized university in an English-speaking country, OR
• Taken either an IELTS Academic or TOEFL English assessment test and met the UBC required minimum scores (see this webpage for minimum scores and other accepted language tests).

If you have any questions about how to meet the English requirement, please contact us at eced.educ@ubc.ca.

STEP 2: Apply Online

Applicants should review the form and have all required information and documents ready to submit at the time of completion. If additional time is needed, applicants may elect to save entries and continue the form at a later date by selecting ‘Save & Continue Later’ at the bottom of form.

Please note: If you have previously applied to or attended UBC, please include your past UBC student number. If you do not remember your student number, indicate “unknown” in the Student Number field.

• Upon submission of your application, you should receive an email from UBC acknowledging receipt of your application. Please check your spam/junk mail folder if you do not immediately receive the email. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please email us at eced.educ@ubc.ca.
• Once your online application payment is successful, your application will be assessed. Should we require additional information, you will be emailed with further instructions.
• Please monitor your email, as this is the method that UBC will use to communicate with students and applicants. Please include your UBC student number in all communications.

STEP 3: Transcripts

Applicants must provide an official transcript for every secondary/post-secondary institution they have attended. Applicants who attended a BC secondary school may order transcripts through the BC government website. UBC transcripts are not required.

To be considered official, academic records must be received in official envelopes that have been sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or sent as secure electronic documents directly from the issuing institution.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Attention: Early Childhood Education
Office of Professional Learning
Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia
1304 – 2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4

Secure electronic transcripts should be sent directly from the issuing institution to: eced.educ@ubc.ca.

Contacts

For questions about admission, registration and program information:

ECED Senior Program Assistant
604-822-2013
eced.educ@ubc.ca