Early Childhood Education Program (Consecutive Diploma/Degree) (C118)

Program Description

Program Overview

This Early Childhood Education program is currently offering a $2,000 tuition grant to domestic students starting in September 2023.*

*This opportunity is funded in partnership with the City of Torontothe Region of Durhamthe Region of Peel, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada under the new Canada-Ontario Early Childhood Workforce Agreement, which provides one-time federal funding to support the retention and recruitment of a high-quality child care and early years workforce.

logos for City of Toronto, Durham Region and Region of Peel

George Brown College's Early Childhood Education (Consecutive Diploma/Degree) (C118) is a joint program with Toronto Metropolitan University that offers many distinct advantages, including the ability to graduate with both an Early Childhood Education diploma from George Brown College and a Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Studies degree from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Full Description

This Early Childhood Education program is currently offering a $2,000 tuition grant to domestic students starting in September 2023.*

George Brown College's Early Childhood Education (Consecutive Diploma/Degree) (C118) is a four-year program that leads to both an Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma from George Brown and a Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Studies degree from Toronto Metropolitan University.

As a student in this program, you will spend the first two years earning an ECE diploma at the Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre for Studies in Community Health, located at George Brown's Toronto Metropolitan University Campus (co-operatively managed with George Brown College), and the latter two years completing a degree in Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University.

We have structured this Consecutive Diploma/Degree program to alternate between blocks of classroom theory with blocks of field practice to ensure you have the chance to implement your newly learned skills in a practical setting. We believe this incremental approach helps to solidify your classroom learning as you progressively learn to apply the theory and build related skills .

While earning your George Brown ECE diploma in years 1 and 2, you will learn how to support children as they grow and will:

  • study the holistic development of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children
  • learn how to plan and implement programs that support children’s learning
  • have an opportunity to engage with families and the broader community

In the final two years of this program as you earn your degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, you will:

  • study policy, advocacy and legislation as it realtes to the Early Childhood sector
  • explore the cognitive development of young children as it relates to literacy, creativity, science, technology and more
  • engage in a research project
  • get hands-on experience in the field

The distinct advantages of this Consecutive Diploma/Degree program include:

  • college-level tuition fees for the first two years, rather than higher university fees
  • classes with George Brown College faculty who are national leaders in applied ECE
  • practical training at one of George Brown’s 12 Greater Toronto Area child care lab schools
  • direct entry into the third year of Toronto Metropolitan University's degree program
  • expanded career scope and direction by earning both a diploma and degree in ECE

*This opportunity is funded in partnership with the City of Torontothe Region of Durhamthe Region of Peel, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada under the new Canada-Ontario Early Childhood Workforce Agreement, which provides one-time federal funding to support the retention and recruitment of a high-quality child care and early years workforce.

logos for City of Toronto, Durham Region and Region of Peel

Your Field Education Options

Field placement plays a significant role in this Early Childhood Education Consecutive Diploma/Degree program by providing students the opportunity to integrate and apply classroom theory to practice.

Placements are offered in semesters 1, 2, 3 and 4 for three days per week, seven weeks per semester. During this time, students will have the chance to work with children of different age groups in a variety of settings.

To support student learning outcomes and ensure you have access to facilities that model the best practices we consider essential, we operate Ontario's largest network of college-run lab school child care centres that serve over 1,100 children and their families each year. These 12 child care centres, located across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), will expose you to the kinds of environments where you will eventually work and provide valuable services to the families and communities that they serve.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of our field placement partners may require students to show proof of full vaccination. As such, students who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may not be able to complete the required field placement component of their program in the regularly scheduled time frame. Please visit this page for the latest updates on COVID-19.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Graduates of this Early Childhood Education Consecutive Diploma/Degree program may find employment in:

  • child care centres
  • early years centres
  • full-day kindergarten
  • parent resource centres
  • pediatric playrooms
  • special education settings
  • integrated kindergartens
  • therapeutic nursery programs
  • in-home care

Upon successful completion of the ECE diploma, graduates are eligible for entrance to Ontario’s College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE).

Industry

Successful completion of this Early Childhood Education Consecutive Diploma/Degree program will make you eligible for entrance to Ontario's College of Early Childhood Educators as a Registered Early Childhood Educator. 

Graduates of this program will:

  • Learn to design curriculum for child-centred, play-based learning
  • Support children’s learning and development by responding to their unique needs and interests
  • Build caring relationships with children, families and communities
  • Create safe, healthy and inclusive early learning environments

Educational Pathways

Students who complete the Early Childhood Education diploma program with a GPA of 2.70 or higher may apply to complete the bridge courses for entry into the third year of George Brown's Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (Degree Completion) program.

 

For information on future study options, see Transfer Guide.

Narmin Pirani was finishing her bachelor’s degree in sociology when she took a job in a hospital child care centre to help pay her bills. That’s where she found her true calling.

"I discovered that I loved working with little kids. It came naturally to me, and I knew it was the kind of job that I’d look forward to every day," she remembers.

Narmin knew she'd need training if she wanted to get serious. When she looked at the options, George Brown College's Early Childhood Education program interested her right away, particularly the seven weeks of in-class followed by the seven weeks of field placement.

"The courses at George Brown sounded more academic compared to the other ECE programs I was considering, but the main thing that appealed [to me] was the amount of field placement," says Narmin. "We learned how to handle every possible situation in the classroom, but then when you have to use that information for real, you discover all the things that can't be taught in a book. There’s no better way to learn."

Narmin Pirani
Ontario College Diploma
Toronto Metropolitan University Bachelor's Degree

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