Nova Scotia Community College offers Diploma in Early Childhood Education, a diploma in Early Childhood Education programme in Halifax, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 13,505 per year (CAD 3,800 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Early Childhood Education
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 3,800 / year
International tuition: CAD 13,505 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Early Childhood Education at Nova Scotia Community College is a diploma program covering the major theories of child care and development, including music and movement, land-based learning, wellness, and developmental experiences for infants, toddlers, young children, and school-aged children across a range of settings. The program includes mandatory work experience of at least 520 hours across four placements, plus an optional cooperative education course between year one and two requiring a minimum of 12 weeks and 420 hours of paid employment. It is available as two-year full-time in-person study or as part-time, online asynchronous study at eCampus over four years, with an accelerated online option for employed practitioners, delivered at campuses including Akerley, Burridge, Cumberland, Kingstec, and Sydney Waterfront. The program suits students passionate about the care, education, and development of children who are aiming to work in licensed child-care settings, pre-primary programs, or school-aged care environments.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Nova Scotia Community College requires a High School Graduation Diploma or equivalent for this programme; no specific Grade 12 courses or minimum grades are published. International applicants must meet country-specific diploma equivalency and English language requirements, and the programme defers to NSCC's institution-wide proficiency standard: IELTS Academic minimum 6.0 on each band, TOEFL iBT 80 overall (pre-January 2026), Duolingo English Test 115 overall with no subscore below 95, CAEL Band 60, CanTest 4.5 average, or PTE Academic 55, or an exemption. Students must obtain First Aid/CPR certification before or during the programme and develop a portfolio to present their skills to employers. The programme is Post-Graduation Work Permit eligible; co-op participation requires a valid work permit and a medical examination. No interview, criminal record check or age restriction is stated for admission.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian and permanent resident) applicants apply directly to NSCC on a first-come, first-served basis with no fixed opening or closing date; because many of the college's 140+ programmes fill quickly, applicants are advised to apply as early as possible. International admissions run on a fixed annual cycle: the 2026/27 academic year's international deadline was 1 April 2026 and that intake is now closed, with the college stating international applications will re-open in late September 2026 for a future intake. NSCC has not yet published a firm international deadline for the next (2027/28) academic year, so domestic admission is rolling while international admission follows an annual deadline once applications reopen. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
