Frequently Asked Questions

Having an ECE credential will allow you:

  • access higher wage ECE jobs, 
  • access to benefit packages, 
  • become a member of a teacher union through a school district, 
  • access to professional development opportunities, and
  • teach Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade.

The program is anticipated to accept students for the 2025-2026 academic year or once we receive approval from the California Commission on Teacher Credential (CTC).

To be eligible to apply for the PK-3 credential, candidates must meet the subject matter competence requirement through one of the following two options::

A) Earn a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education with a degree major in Child Development, Child and Adolescent Development, Human Development, Early Childhood Education, Child and Family Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Human Development and Family Science, Family Science, or Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies.

B) Complete 24-semester units or the equivalent quarter units of non-remedial, degree-applicable coursework in child development or early childhood education.

You are off to a great start! If you have any of the 9 approved degrees then you meet the subject matter requirements: 

  • Child Development 
  • Child and Adolescent Development 
  • Human Development 
  • Early Childhood Education 
  • Child and Family Studies 
  • Early Childhood Studies 
  • Human Development and Family Science 
  • Family Science 
  • Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies 

Check back in the Spring for more information.

Obtain 24 units of child development or early childhood education and so you will be eligible for the PK-3 ECE Credential once the credential is reviewed and approved by the CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Earn an Associate's degree in child development and transfer to a four-year university for a bachelor's degree, preferably in one of the 9-degree majors listed above.

To be eligible for a PK-3 credential, you should 

  • Apply to a four-year university to earn your bachelor's degree in one of the 9-degree majors listed or
  • Apply to a community college to earn an Associate's degree in child development, and then transfer to a four -year university for a bachelor's degree. 

Total number of units required is 45.  

  • Phase 1 (15 units)
  • Phase 2 (15 units)
  • Phase 3 (15 units)

School District Curriculum Specialists, Directors, and Program Coordinators.