Early Childhood Director Credential​
Graduate Certificate | Fully Online
The 9-credit Early Childhood Director Credential program is designed as a standard to measure and validate the abilities and competencies of directors and administrators to manage high quality early childhood and school-age programs.
The courses are offered completely online, allowing for flexibility and convenience in completing coursework. To be eligible for the Pennsylvania Director Credential, students must successfully complete the required business course (ECH 564) and at least two additional courses from this set of six. Candidates must have previously completed a bachelor’s degree.
Students who take courses for the PA Director Credential at Shippensburg University may take the courses on a non-degree basis. Each student is responsible for submitting an application for a Director Credential directly to the Pennsylvania Keys to Quality program with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. The credential is awarded by the PA Key, not Shippensburg University. For more information, visit The Pennsylvania Key.
Earn Your Master of Education Degree
The courses taken as part of the Director Credential may be transferred directly into a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction-Early Childhood Cluster at Shippensburg University.
For more information about the NAEYC accredited Master of Education in Early Childhood Education, visit the education program page.
Course Details
Admissions:
To be eligible for the PA Directors Credential, students must successfully complete the required business course (ECH 564) and at least two additional courses from a set of six. Candidates must have successfully completed and earned their bachelor’s degree.
SUMMER
- ECH 510 Diversity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
- ECH 520 Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood
- ECH 540 Families and Early Childhood Education
FALL
- ECH 530 Cognitive and Language Development in Early Childhood Education
- TCH 575 Advanced Child Development
SPRING
- ECH 563 Leadership in Early Childhood Education
- ECH 577 Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment
Program Delivery
Each course is 3 credits and delivered in an online format. Each course is limited to 25 students. The six courses will be offered throughout the calendar year enabling students to easily complete the three of six courses within six months to one year.
For full course descriptions, please see the Graduate Catalog.
Registration
Each student is responsible for submitting an application for a Director Credential directly to the Pennsylvania Keys to Quality program with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. For more information, visit The Pennsylvania Key. The credential is awarded by the PA Key, not Shippensburg University.
Non-Degree Students
Students who take courses for the PA Director Credential at Shippensburg University may take the courses on a non-degree basis.
Current & Past Students
Log in to your MyShip Portal using your Ship email address and password to register for courses.
- Uncover the reasons for and create a budget.
- Be familiar with internal and external auditing.
- Master adjusting entries, inventory, correcting accounting errors, and payroll for different types of employees.
- Understand and account for depreciation.
- Understand and implement internal controls and fraud prevention.
Tuition & Financial Assistance Options
Pennsylvania Keys to Quality offers a College Tuition Reimbursement Voucher up to $500 per college credit and up to $3000 per year in tuition reimbursement. The application can be found at pakeys.org.
Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled at least part-time (6-8 credits) at Shippensburg University are eligible to receive the Federal Direct Stafford Loan. Graduate students enrolled in less than 6 credits may apply for an Alternative Loan to cover the cost of education.
For more information:
Information about tuition, fees, paying your bill, and the refund and withdraw policies are available on the Student Accounts page.
For additional questions regarding tuition and financial aid, contact the Financial Aid Office.
If you are receiving financial assistance from your employer to pay your tuition and/or fees, you must complete the Employer Reimbursement Tuition Deferment Application.