Certificate in Early Childhood Education (Level 5)

A New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)-approved program

The New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC) Certificate in Early Childhood Education (Level 5) is a one year program which will provide a strong foundation of knowledge and practice in early childhood education.

It will also equip you with fundamental writing and research skills to help you prepare for higher level study.

Courses within the Certificate

Mode of study

You can choose between our three different modes of study: College based, Field based, and Distance Learning (NZTC Online).

Start dates

With NZTC Online you can start any time - “enrol today, start tomorrow”.

College based students can start in February or August of each year.

Field based students can start in February.

Field Practice

You will be required to attend 6 weeks of full-time (40 hours per week) field practice during your Certificate studies. 3 weeks can be carried out in your home centre (your main centre, at which you may already be employed) and 3 weeks must be carried out in a different centre to your home centre.

Assessments

All courses within the program are internally assessed and include theory-based assessments and practical components. There are no exams.

Pathway to a degree in early childhood education

If you successfully complete this program of study, you are eligible to apply for our Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education), which is recognised by the New Zealand Teacher’s Council. Graduates from our Bachelor program are eligible to apply for teacher registration in New Zealand.

You can credit up to 8 courses from your Certificate in Early Childhood Teaching to the Bachelor program. Entry criteria and prerequisite courses will apply; please see our Pathways page for more details.

Entry Criteria

The below entry criteria apply for students who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. If you are an international student, please refer to our International Student Entry Criteria.

Before being accepted into the program, candidates must:

• Turn 17 within one month of starting program

• Have completed four years of secondary schooling (if under 20 years old)

• Have achieved a score of 20 or less in four Sixth Form Certificate subjects (one of which must be English or Maori with a score of 5 or better) or achieved 48 NCEA credits at Level 2 or better across four subjects (one of which must be English or Maori) with a minimum of 12 credits in each subject

• Meet the New Zealand Teachers Council criteria for registration as a teacher

• Provide at least two written references

• Satisfy NZ Police clearance conditions

• Meet the staff health requirements for early childhood centres as outlined in the New Zealand Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

• Declare any physical or learning disability that may impair your performance as a student teacher

• Succeed in a personal interview

Please note: students with English as a second language must have an English proficiency level equivalent to an IELTS (Academic) score of 5.5 overall.

Adult applications (over 20 years of age)

We welcome applications from students aged 20 years old and over who may not have the formal high school qualifications required for entry. We will assess your work and life experience and make a judgement about whether you can meet the academic standards the program requires.