Diploma in Early Childhood Education - Intensive is a diploma in Social Sciences & Education programme offered by Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 19,650 per year (CAD 4,693 per year for local students).
Designed for students who have already completed a university or college program in a related field, this intensive diploma fast-tracks early childhood education study, including for those changing careers or holding international credentials not yet recognized as equivalent. Coursework covers best practices for supporting children's learning and development, child development theory, the educator's roles and responsibilities, curriculum theory and approaches, and professionalism and advocacy. Students complete two field placements in settings such as childcare centres, before- and after-school care, and kindergarten classrooms, and graduates are eligible to register with the College of Early Childhood Educators, required for practice in Ontario.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Entry is open to holders of a postsecondary degree in psychology, sociology, social studies or child studies; a two- or three-year postsecondary diploma in child studies, social service work, educational support, child and youth care or community development; or a postsecondary degree/diploma in an unrelated field paired with at least 120 hours of volunteer or paid work in early learning with children aged zero to six, validated by a Registered Early Childhood Educator. Students must provide a police record check for criminal offences, including a vulnerable sector check, and a current, acceptable immunization record; those who cannot meet these requirements will have limited field-placement opportunities and may be unable to progress or graduate. Applicants whose first language is not English must meet Sheridan's English Proficiency Requirement for certificate and diploma programmes: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 with no section below 20, PTE Academic 58 with no section below 49, or Duolingo English Test 105 with no sub-score below 85.
Application Details
Start Date:Sheridan runs three terms a year - Fall starting in September, Winter in January and Spring/Summer in May. For 2026-27 the Fall term ran 8 September to 18 December 2026, Winter runs 6 January to 16 April 2027, and Spring/Summer runs 3 May to 13 August 2027. On 6 September 2026 this program's own page listed a single intake, September 2026, at the Davis Campus in Brampton, shown as closed at that moment. Sheridan's Start date table also carries a separate Domestic and International status for each intake (Available, Waitlisted or Closed) that changes as seats fill, so check this program's page on sheridancollege.ca before you apply.
Application Deadline:Sheridan publishes no deadline of its own for this program; the dates below are the college-wide ones. DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca, which opened the Fall 2027 application on 26 September 2026 - Sheridan says it starts receiving those applications in early October for the academic year that follows. The equal consideration date is 1 February: apply on or before it and your file is weighed alongside every other one received by then for a Fall-term start, so for the cycle now open that means 1 February 2027 for entry in September 2027. Sheridan still accepts applications after that date wherever a program has not filled, but they are handled in the order they arrive, which leaves little room in high-demand programs. First offers for a September start may go out from 1 November; programs that require a portfolio, audition or resume begin issuing decisions later in March, and offers for the Winter and Spring/Summer intakes are made on a rolling basis. Confirm a Fall offer at ontariocolleges.ca by 1 May, or by the date printed on an offer issued after that, then pay the tuition deposit three months before the term begins. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS apply instead through Sheridan's own International Application Portal, and Sheridan publishes no deadline for them - its Important Dates table carries only a note that the international dates are still to be posted. What limits an international application in practice is space: Sheridan tells international applicants to check that a program still has room before applying, and every program page shows a separate International status for each intake. Apply as early as you can and leave time for a study permit. Confirm the current dates at sheridancollege.ca and ontariocolleges.ca before you apply.
