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Learn the skills to work in a range of early childhood contexts, working professionally and collaboratively to provide education and care of infants, toddlers, and young children with UCOL's New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care.
The Diploma has been developed in partnership with Iwi to ensure inclusion of local culturally competent practices that include history, stories and knowledge that can be shared confidently with tamariki in and early childhood setting.
This locally driven curriculum will ensure the whakapapa of the area is entwined in the early childhood teaching practices and meets the growing need for educators to be able to incorporate Te Reo and Tikanga in the day to day delivery of Te Whariki. This diploma has been designed to ensure that there is a balanced delivery of practical and theory based learning.
The New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care is offered as a blended delivery programme with one day a week on campus.
Career & Study Outcomes
Graduates of the New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education will be proficient educators who, in a range of early childhood contexts, can competently care for infants, toddlers and young children. Employment options may include:
Graduates may provide supervision and/or guidance of volunteers or other staff, depending on the workplace setting.
This qualification does not lead to teacher registration, but graduates may choose to undertake further study towards:
Certain graduates may be able to undertake further study towards Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education).
Course Information
This programme comprises 120 credits.
February 2025
UCOL Whanganui Campus
16 Rutland Street,
Whanganui,
4500, New Zealand
February 2025
Palmerston North Campus (Main Campus)
Universal College of Learning (UCOL),
18 Princess Street,
Palmerston North,
4410, New Zealand
Students must authorise UCOL to obtain a background check from the New Zealand Police Licensing and Vetting Agency.
English language Requirement: IELTS - Academic: Score of 5.5 with no band lower than 5; TOEFL (iBT) - Score of 46 (with a writing score of 14); Cambridge English Qualifications - B2 with score of 162; no less than 154 in each skill; OET - Minimum Grade C or 200 in all subtests; NZCEL - Level 4 (General or Employment); and Pearson Test of English (Academic) - Score of 42 with no band less than 36.
Under 20 years of age:
For international applicants under 20 years of age who do not hold NCEA, International Academic Qualifications Entry Criteria apply (Entry requirements vary from country to country).
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
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