Course details

Summary

Thinking about becoming an early childhood educator?

This one-year course sets you up with the introductory skills to begin a career in early childhood education (ECE). You could become a non-registered educator in an early childhood setting, a home-based carer, or a nanny.

You find out how to enhance young children’s physical, social, cultural and educational development. You learn about the principles of the national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, and how to incorporate these into teaching and learning.

As part of the course you spend time on placement at an early childhood centre supervised by a registered teacher. We find the placements for you!

This course makes up the first year of our Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. By enrolling in the diploma first, you can see if teaching is for you. If you’re ready for higher-level study by the end of the course, you can then apply to move into the degree for the remaining two years.

Upon successfully completing the requirements you'll receive the award of:

• New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5)

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Early childhood educator in a range of early childhood contexts such as:

• centre-based
• hospital-based (play specialist assistant)
• home-based
• parent-led
• as a nanny
• culturally-based

TOPICS YOU'LL COVER

• Ritenga Mātanga Tuatahi: Professional Practice 1
• Tauwhitiwhiti mō ngā kaiako kōhungahunga: Communication for ECE Teachers
• Tīmatanga Marautanga: Introduction to Curriculum
• Ngā Kōhungahunga: Infants and Toddlers
• Ngā Rereketanga-Ahurea: Diversity
• Te Reo me ōna Piringa: Language and Literacy
• Ritenga Mātanga Tuarua: Professional Practice 2
• Te Puawai

Entry criteria

You must have:

• NCEA Level 2 with passes in English/Te Reo 毛利, OR
• New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3), OR
• New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4), OR
• evidence of ability to meet academic requirements.

English Language requirements:

IELTS Academic score of 6.0 with no band score lower than 5.5; TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) score of 60 or higher (with a writing score of 20); TOEFL Paper-based test (pBT) score of 550 (with an essay score of 5.0 TWE); FCE, FCE for schools, CAE with a score of 169, no less than 162 in each skill; NZCEL of Level 4 with the Academic endorsement; PToE (Academic) score of 50.