BC ECE Basic Certificate

Female teacher sits with two babies reading them a book

 

Certification by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care provides students with a basic foundation of the knowledge and skills needed to work in early childhood educational settings (ages birth to 5 years).

Graduates from this program can work as Early Childhood Educators once they apply for and are granted a certificate from the BC ECE Registry in the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

Please Note: The BC ECE Basic certificate is specific to ECED professionals practicing in the province of British Columbia only, and may not meet inter-provincial or international requirements. It is up to the individual to contact the specific Early Childhood Education credentialing body in the location where they wish to work to determine if this program meets their needs.

Students in the BC ECE Basic Certificate program will also complete the requirements to graduate with a Diploma in Early Years Education (EYED).

Attention International Applicants >

The Program

The BC ECE Basic Certificate program consists of 39 credits (13 courses) of prescribed online courses and 9 credits of in-person practicum courses held at BC-licensed early childcare centres (48 credits total). While most practica will take place in the Lower Mainland, our practicum coordinator will work with students who may need a rural or non-Lower Mainland practicum.

This 32-month part-time program has been designed to accommodate working students.
Note: students may opt to expedite the program with a full-time schedule to complete the program earlier (minimum completion time is 16-20 months).

Applicants should recognize that all courses in the UBC BC ECE Basic Certificate program are upper-level (300- or 400-level). Therefore, applicants should consider the academic/workload demands of the program in their decision to apply. Students should expect to spend an average of 9 hours per week dedicated to a given course (excluding practicum). For example, if you are enrolled in four courses, you would have approximately 36 hours of academic work per week.

Current ECBC Students:

Dear ECBC students, we have extended the deadline for the 24W2 practicum registration until Friday, October 18. If you missed the practicum survey which was closed on September 27, please make sure to email our ECED Practicum Coordinator about your three preferred practicum sites for 24W2. Students who have already submitted theirs through the online form practicum survey which was sent on September 12 do not have to re-submit an intent this time. If you have any questions, please let us know at eced.educ@ubc.ca

Quick Info:

Intakes: January, May, September
Length: 2.5 years
Credits: 48 credits
13 courses (39 credits) + 3 practicum sessions (9 credits)
Format: Online | Part-time
Domestic Tuition: $10,513.70 CAD
International Tuition: $48,248.96 CAD

Apply by:

March 1, 2025

for a May 2025 program start

Additional Intake Dates & Deadlines

  • March 1 for May intake
    (Submit your documents by March 31)
  • July 1 for September intake
    (Submit your documents by July 31)
  • November 1 for January intake
    (Submit your documents by November 30)

Courses & Practicums

The ECE Basic Certificate requires that you take the following courses

Practicum

Sample Course Schedule

Below is a sample 32-month course schedule; course order may vary but prerequisite courses must be completed before each practicum (see practicum courses listed above):

Term Course 1 Course 2 Practicum
1 ECED 400 EPSE 406 -
2 ECED 401 ECED 407 -
3 ECED 421 ECED 438 -
4 ECED 405 ECED 406 Practicum ECED 490 (90 hours)
5 ECED 442 EPSE 348 -
6 ECED 420 LLED 441 -
7 ECED 439 - Practicum ECED 491 (140 hours)
8 - - Practicum ECED 495 (195 hours)

Below is a sample 24-month course schedule; course order may vary but prerequisite courses must be completed before each practicum (see practicum courses listed above):

Term Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 Practicum
1 ECED 400 ECED 438 - -
2 EPSE 406 ECED 406 Practicum ECED 490 (90 hours)
3 ECED 401 ECED 442 EPSE 348 -
4 ECED 407 ECED 420 Practicum ECED 491 (140 hours)
5 LLED 441 - - Practicum ECED 495 (195 hours)
6 ECED 439 ECED 405 ECED 421 -

Program Fees

Program Fees

Tuition fees for Education undergraduate programs are found in the UBC Calendar: Post-baccalaureate Tuition. The information below is subject to change, and only information in the UBC Calendar is official.

Fees are in Canadian dollars, are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors, and are subject to change (typically 2% in May each year).

 
Domestic (Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident):

Application fee:
(non-refundable)		 $ 74.50 CAD
Tuition - 13 online courses:
(cost per credit: $ 216.90, paid on a course-by-course basis)		 $ 8,459.10 CAD
Tuition - 3 practicum courses:
(cost per credit: $ 216.90, paid on a course-by-course basis)		 $ 1,952.10 CAD
Criminal Records Check Fee:
(all individuals in the Faculty of Education who will be working with students and/or vulnerable adults are required to complete a criminal records check through the Faculty of Education, payable at the start of program)		 $ 28.00 CAD
Estimated Total:
(not counting supplies or textbooks)		 $ 10,513.70 CAD

 
International:

Application fee:
(non-refundable)		 $ 112.00 CAD
Tuition - 13 online courses:
(cost per credit: $ 1,002.27, paid on a course-by-course basis)		 $ 39,088.53 CAD
Tuition - 3 practicum courses:
(cost per credit: $ 1,002.27, paid on a course-by-course basis)		 $ 9,020.43 CAD
Criminal Records Check Fee:
(all individuals in the Faculty of Education who will be working with students and/or vulnerable adults are required to complete a criminal records check through the Faculty of Education, payable at the start of program)		 $ 28.00 CAD
Estimated Total:
(not counting supplies or textbooks)		 $ 48,248.96 CAD

 
Funding
Please note: The BC ECE Basic Certificate program is not eligible for funding through UBC or government student loans.

Limited funding may be available through ECEBC. See https://www.ecebc.ca/ece-education-support-fund for current funding availability.

Admission Requirements

Find out more about the BC ECE Basic Certificate admission requirements.
 

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know about how to apply to the BC ECE Basic Certificate.

 

Practicum Requirements

  • Students may only complete one practicum per term during the dates listed.
  • Students must successfully complete all required assignments and hours to successfully pass a practicum and proceed to the next practicum in the sequence.
  • Students must successfully complete all required coursework for a given practicum before the practicum begins.
  • Students must have a completed Criminal Record Check on file with ECED before they apply for practicum placement.
  • Students typically complete practicum placements at three different sites. On some occasions they can complete two practicums at the same site but should be engaged in different experiences or aspects of the program.
  • Students can only do one workplace practicum across the course of the three practicum placements.
  • Students may suggest potential practicum placements, however the responsibility for arranging and approving practicum placements is with the program.

 

Criminal Record Checks

UBC is subject to the requirements of the Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA), which means that all students who are enrolled in programs that include a practicum component involving work with children or vulnerable adults will have to undergo a criminal record check before they will be permitted to register in the practicum. The CRRA Check must be carried out by the Criminal Record Review Program (CRRP) through UBC. See Criminal Record Checks, Office of the University Counsel, for more information.

A Criminal Record Check should be completed by the end of the first semester of your program (see How to Apply for a Criminal Record Check).

If you are found to present a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children, or physical, sexual or financial abuse to vulnerable adults, as a result of the CRRA Check, you will not be permitted to register in the practicum. As practicum is required for this program, this means that you would not be able to complete the program and you may not graduate. Therefore, you should consider this requirement carefully before applying to, or continuing in, this program.

 

Attention International Applicants:

 

  1. Please be advised that this program is NOT eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) since this is a distance learning program. If you are interested in working in Canada after completing your studies, you may apply to an academic program on the post-secondary level that is designed with at least 8 months of full-time study in Canada and leads to a certificate, diploma or degree, so that you will be eligible for a PGWP.
  2. As a distance education program, the program is NOT eligible for a Study Permit. However, since the program has three practicum courses which are required to be done in person at BC-licensed early childcare centers, you must apply for a study permit for the time period that you will be in Canada. Please follow the instructions in the tutorial on how to apply for an initial study permit in the UBC International Student Guide. There is no guarantee your application for study permit will be approved, however, a well-prepared application with good organization of all the required documents are the key for success.
  3. You will also need to apply for a co-op work permit for your practicum. You can apply for a co-op work permit together with your study permit application.

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