Offered by Aurora College in Fort Smith, Canada, Diploma in Early Learning and Child Care is a diploma in Early Childhood Education programme. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 7,560 per semester (CAD 2,640 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Early Childhood Education
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 2,640 / semester
International tuition: CAD 7,560 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Early Learning and Child Care at Aurora College is a competency-based diploma program, with a certificate awarded after the first year and the diploma after the second. Delivery combines full-time and part-time options with online, classroom, and practicum components, delivered through the Yellowknife North Slave Campus and distance delivery. Roughly half of program hours are applied, through learning courses and field placements. Courses are graded on competencies rather than tests and exams; students must pass each course at 50% while maintaining a cumulative average of 60%. Curriculum spans six competency areas: integrity as an educator, Indigenous cultural competency, child development and learning, developmentally appropriate teaching practices, family and community partnerships, and reflective assessment, with a focus on adapting Indigenous languages, cultures, and traditions for children from birth to age six. Certificate graduates work as assistants in early childhood settings, while diploma graduates can take on classroom lead roles with minimal additional support. Admission is available through academic, prior early childhood study, or mature-student pathways for applicants aged 20 and over with relevant experience.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Direct entry requires a passing grade in English 10-2, or, for graduates of Aurora College's Occupations and College Access Program (OCAP), a passing grade in English 140; equivalent post-secondary coursework may also be considered. Applicants who have completed prior early-childhood courses at Aurora College or elsewhere may enter through the Previous Early Childhood Studies Pathway. Mature applicants 20 or older, out of school at least one year, with relevant work or life experience in early childhood settings may qualify through an interview and/or placement test; knowledge of an Indigenous language or culture is considered an asset. No English-language proficiency test score is published for this programme. All applicants must submit official transcripts, a letter of interest, two reference letters attesting to initiative and a genuine interest in working with young children, a satisfactory Criminal Records and Vulnerable Sector Check, and proof of NWT-required immunization and tuberculosis screening.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:OCAP Career Pathway graduates get priority admission if their complete application is received before 1 April 2027, for Fall 2027 entry; applications on or after that date are processed without priority.
