Algonquin College offers Bachelor of Early Learning and Community Development (Honours), a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences & Education programme in Ottawa, Canada. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 9,918 per semester (CAD 3,450 per semester for local students).
Focused on supporting children, families and communities, this four-year honours degree prepares graduates to work across both the early-learning and community-development sectors, reflecting a wider recognition of how important early learning is for children and the people around them. The course pairs classroom theory with applied practice so that students can help plan and run programs based in schools and in the community.
Across the degree, students complete three field placements in different community and school settings, plus a semester-long work term that puts their learning into an employment context. Because the profession involves physical tasks such as lifting children and equipment and moving quickly to keep children safe, students need to meet these demands to complete placements successfully. On graduating, students are prepared for roles spanning community health agencies, kindergartens, research and advocacy work, early-learning programs, family centres and organisations serving children and families.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:65.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Direct entry needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent; applicants 19 or older without an OSSD may qualify as mature students after one full-time post-secondary term of at least five courses. Program eligibility asks for six Grade 12 university (U) or university/college (M) courses with a minimum 65% average, including one Grade 12 U English course at 65% or higher. Non-native English speakers must meet Algonquin's language proficiency requirement: IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with no band under 6.0, TOEFL iBT overall 88 (22 in each component) for tests sat before 21 January 2026 or overall 4.5 (4.5 per component) after that date, or Duolingo English Test overall 120 with at least 120 in Literacy and nothing under 105. Before starting field placements, students must hold valid Standard First Aid and CPR certification, pass a Police Records Check for the Vulnerable Sector, and complete a health assessment confirming they can meet placement's physical and time-management demands; international students also need a valid work permit for placement participation.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca: for September 2027 entry the application portal opens 26 September 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027, and offers must be accepted by 1 May 2027, while later applications are still assessed as space allows; Algonquin publishes no separate equal-consideration date for the January 2027 intake. International applicants apply directly via Algonquin's own International Application Portal, not ontariocolleges.ca; instead of one fixed date the college posts a program-by-program closing-date list shortly before each term starts - for Fall 2026 most programs closed 16 September 2026, technology programs by 9-10 September; no Winter 2027 or Fall 2027 international list has been posted yet, so admission remains effectively rolling until each list is published and fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
