Georgian College offers Diploma in Early Childhood Education, a diploma in Early Childhood Education programme in Barrie, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 7,619 per semester (CAD 1,387 per semester for local students).
The program combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience preparing students to work with children from birth to age 12 and their families, supporting children's holistic development and their adaptation to everyday challenges. Students build skills as responsive caregivers while respecting the diversity and rights of children and families, and explore play-based learning through experiential courses covering science and technology, creative expression, and outdoor learning. Community programs, other professionals and family partnerships are treated as foundational to work in early learning and care, reflecting a view of children as curious, capable and skilled, growing up in families with varied social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Two field placements let students apply their knowledge and transfer their skills while engaging with children and adults in community-based early years settings, building the abilities and practices needed across different learning environments in the field.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Two-year Ontario College Diploma. Entry needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, or mature student status, plus Grade 12 English (C or U) — the only subject prerequisite Georgian sets. Mature applicants aged 19 or over, applicants without secondary school and home-schooled applicants can qualify through equivalent courses, upgrading, a GED or equivalency testing, and credit for prior post-secondary study or relevant life and work learning may be assessed.
Before field placement, community agencies may ask for proof of Standard First Aid and CPR Level C certification and, in some circumstances, an up-to-date immunisation record with a two-step TB test; students are expected to check the agency requirements supplied by the field placement office. Proof of completing Ontario Ministry of Labour health and safety awareness training must also be provided before going on placement. A clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check are required beforehand, and Georgian warns that an unpardoned criminal record may prevent placements being completed and so affect the ability to graduate. The college strongly recommends that entrants already have volunteer or paid experience in a licensed childcare setting.
Georgian publishes one set of academic prerequisites here for both applicant groups: domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca, while international applicants apply through Georgian's own applicant portal, where overseas qualifications are assessed against these Ontario courses. English, for any applicant whose first language is not English or who comes from a country where English is not an official language: Georgian's college-level band — IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 79, TOEFL paper 550, PTE Academic 58, Duolingo 110, CAEL 60, Cambridge C1 Advanced 170 or TOEIC public test 800 — with results older than two years refused.
Application Details
Start Date:Intakes Georgian lists on this program's own page (checked 6 September 2026): Fall 2026 at Barrie, Orangeville, Owen Sound; Winter 2027 at Barrie; Summer 2027 at Barrie; Fall 2027 at Barrie, Orangeville, Owen Sound; Winter 2028 at Barrie; Summer 2028 at Barrie. Campus names are the ones Georgian gives for each start; not every campus runs every intake. On Georgian's academic calendar for standard 14-week programs, the fall term opens with orientation on 8 September 2026 and classes on 9 September 2026; the winter term opens with orientation on 11 January 2027 and classes on 12 January 2027; the summer term and its classes both begin on 10 May 2027; the fall term opens with orientation on 7 September 2027 and classes on 8 September 2027. Individual programs vary from that pattern. Georgian has not yet published term dates for Summer 2028 or Winter 2028; its calendar currently runs only to Fall 2027.
Application Deadline:Georgian publishes no deadline unique to this program, and it is not on the college's highly competitive list for Fall 2026 entry. The dates below are the college-wide ones.
DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca. 1 February is the equal consideration date: an application received on or before it is weighed alongside every other application received by then, while later ones are handled in the order they arrive for as long as seats last. Georgian's own worked example ties each 1 February to the fall, winter and summer that follow, so the date now in force is 1 February 2027 for entry in Fall 2027, Winter 2028 or Summer 2028. Letters of acceptance for most programs start going out on 1 November (1 November 2026 in the current cycle) and keep going until a program fills; an offer is confirmed back through ontariocolleges.ca by the deadline printed on it, normally 1 May (1 May 2027 this cycle), and only one offer may be held at a time. Late applicants can still receive an offer as far as the fifth day of the term. For a program in this category Georgian normally keeps accepting applicants after 1 February — check ontariocolleges.ca for current availability.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS have no fixed cut-off. They apply directly to Georgian through its own applicant portal, which is also where a program's availability to international students is shown, and applications are taken year-round subject to that availability — Georgian warns that a program open when you apply can be closed by the time your file is assessed, and urges applying early enough to leave time for a study permit. A CAD 100 application fee applies, and a seat is only held once the pre-admission invoice is accepted and the non-refundable CAD 2,500 deposit is paid.
