At Northern Lakes College in Slave Lake, Canada, Early Learning and Child Care Diploma is offered as a diploma in Early Childhood Education programme. The programme runs for 38 weeks, delivered fully online. Tuition for international students is CAD 16,386 per total (CAD 5,462 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Early Childhood Education
Duration: 38 weeks
Delivery: Online
Local tuition: CAD 5,462 / total
International tuition: CAD 16,386 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Early Learning and Child Care Diploma is a 38-week program delivered fully online by Northern Lakes College through the Bongo and Brightspace platforms. It builds on certificate-level training to prepare students to work with children from birth to 12 years of age across settings such as daycares, preschools, after-school programs, and private day homes, with added emphasis on supporting children with exceptionalities and taking on administrative or supervisory responsibilities. Admission requires successful completion of a recognized Early Learning and Child Care certificate from an Alberta post-secondary institution; certificates from other provinces are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Students need basic computer skills and reliable high-speed internet access, and depending on placement requirements may need a Police Information Check (Vulnerable Sector) and an Alberta Children's Services Intervention Record Check. The diploma suits certificate holders who want to advance into supervisory or lead-educator roles within early learning and child care settings, and who prefer to continue their studies online rather than relocate to a campus.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Entry to the diploma requires successful completion of a recognized Early Learning and Child Care post-secondary certificate program from an institution in Alberta; transcripts from certificate programs completed in other provinces are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The college does not publish a standardized English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL, or similar) for this diploma; English proficiency is assumed to have been met through the prior certificate. Because practicum placements are part of the programme, agencies may require an up-to-date Police Information Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check and an Alberta Children's Services Intervention Record Check, and the college notes that an applicant unable to obtain clear checks may be prevented from completing programme requirements. As the diploma is delivered online, applicants also need basic computer skills and a reliable high-speed internet connection; a current programme information sheet and instructional-fee schedule are published alongside the intake dates.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Northern Lakes College does not publish a fixed closing date for domestic applicants: programme pages state that late applications are accepted if seats remain, so effectively admission is rolling, apply early. The exception is a small group of oversubscribed programmes -- Addictions Counselling, Advanced Care Paramedic, Practical Nurse, Primary Care Paramedic and Social Work -- where an accepted domestic applicant must pay a $300 tuition deposit by 1 May to hold the seat for the September intake. International applicants face fixed term deadlines instead: 1 May for Fall, 15 October for Winter and 1 January for Spring, with guidance to apply at least four months ahead of the start date; as of September 2026 the Fall 2026 international deadline has passed and the college is accepting Winter 2027 international applications up to 15 October 2026. So domestic admission is rolling until seats fill, while international admission runs to fixed, non-rolling term deadlines. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
