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Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) working life oriented competence module

Deepen your knowledge in early childhood education and care.

Courses are conducted as online studies. Teaching language is english.

You will learn to apply legislation, recommendations and guidelines and ethical principles in early childhood education. In addition to these, you will learn to plan, guide and evaluate pedagogical activities and operating environments that meet the needs of children and groups of children. You will learn to develop and strengthen an operating culture that supports the inclusion and diversity of early childhood education. You will learn to act sensitively with the diversity and support of families and children in mind.

In this working life oriented competence module you will gain the qualification of ECEC social pedagogue (ECEC sosionomi) after graduating with a degree in social services. Participants in the training must have experience in early childhood education work in a Finnish kindergarten or preschool for at least six (6) months after 2018. The experience must be gained by the end of the training.

Basic information

  • Target audience: Early childhood education staff or those interested in early childhood education studies
  • Application period: 14.11.-17.12.2023
  • Date: 01/2024-12/2024
  • Scope: 60 ECTS
  • Location: Online studies
  • Price: 400 €
Enrol here!

Content of the programme

The scope of studies in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is 60 credits. The duration of the module is one year and includes three courses (30 credits), practical placement (15 credits) and a thesis (15 credits). Courses are conducted as online studies, no meetings in the campus. Completing the studies requires competence to work independently, organisational skills and commitment: 60 credits a year to study alongside work is a compact but feasible package of studies.

Below are the studies of the programme. 

  • Basics of Competence in Early Childhood Education and Care 10 ECTS
  • Child-oriented Activity in Early Childhood Education and Care 10 ECTS
  • Operational Culture Supporting the Inclusiveness of Early Childhood Education and Care and Multidisciplinary Cooperation 10 ECTS
  • Placement for Professional Working Methods 15 ECTS
  • Thesis 15 ECTS

Schedule of the programme

The module will begin in January 2024 and continue until December 2024. By registering for competence module, you will receive the right to study for a year in early childhood education and care. Please note that you need to study your studies on ready made schedule.

Please notice, that there will be compulsory online meetings as part of these online studies.

The first course is Basics of Competence in Early Childhood Education and Care 10 ECTS. Other courses schedules will published later.

Basics of Competence in Early Childhood Education and Care 10 ECTS

Schedule

The course starts on 10.01.2024 12.30 - 15.30 online at Zoom.
You will get the Zoom link and more information one week before the course starts (by email).

Other online lessons:

  • 25.01.2024 12.30 - 15.30
  • 01.02.2024 12.30 - 15.30
  • 15.02.2024 12.30 - 15.30
  • 06.03.2024 12.30 - 15.30

In addition to the online lessons you will have meetings with your study peers online (you can set up the dates and times by yourself in connection with the assignment due dates).

The lessons and workshops will take place online via Zoom. Attendance requirement at online lessons and workshops will be 80% / 100% to achieve the versatile theoretical and practical skills required for an early childhood education socionom / teacher. The first and the last lesson are compulsory.

The course includes individual, paired and small group assignments, working life cooperation, home study and knowledge sharing seminars. Instructions for the assignments will be available at Canvas workspace a week before the course start.

Modules

The course consists of three modules:

  • Module 1 Basics and task of early childhood education (4 credits)
  • Module 2: Social pedagogical expertise in early childhood education (3 credits)
  • Module 3: Children's sense of community and agency (3 credits)

Applying

You can only enrol for the whole study programme 60 ECTS through this page.

All enrollments will be confirmed separately. Each approved participant will receive instructions before the start of the competence module.

Laurea reserves the right to make changes.

Programme fee

You can pay the fee 400 €

  • with online payment when enrolling
  • with invoicing with one instalment
  • with invoicing from your employer if agreed

If you have graduated from Laurea within the target time, you can carry out studies at Laurea Open University of Applied Sciences free of charge for the next four full semesters following your graduation. That means that you can participate free to this training if you have graduated from Laurea within target time after august 1th 2022. 

The right to study free of charge at an open UAS is verified by the open UAS operators upon enrolment. The target times are considered to be:

  • Bachelor's Degree 3.5 years
  • Master's degree 1.5 years

The four-semester period is considered to officially start from the beginning of the next semester (1 January or 1 August), but you can already exercise your right during the ongoing semester after your graduation if there are suitable studies starting earlier than that. This will not reduce your four-semester right to study at an open UAS.

The course fee only applies to this competence module. With the same fee, you cannot take other courses at Laurea Open UAS. You cannot take this programme with Open UAS annual fee.

Cancellation policy

The enrolment is binding.

If you cancel your enrolment before 31.12.2023, we do not charge a fee. If you cancel your enrolment before 8.1.2024, you can be refunded 80 % of the programme fee upon request. If you cancel your enrolment after 8.1.2024, we don't refund the programme fee. The enrolment must be cancelled by writing to openuas@laurea.fi. Cancellations made to the teacher will not be accepted. 

Cancellation policy is the same with invoicing. If you cancel your enrolment before 31.12.2023, we do not charge a fee. If you cancel your enrolment before 8.1.2024, we will charge 20 % of the programme fee. If you cancel your enrolment after 8.1.2024, we will charge the entire programme fee. The enrolment must be cancelled by writing to openuas@laurea.fi. Cancellations made to the teacher will not be accepted. 

Important additional information

  • This training does not lead to a qualification of ECEC teacher.
  • This training does not lead to a qualification of ECEC social pedagogue (ECEC sosionomi) for practical nurses.
  • You will gain the qualification of ECEC social pedagogue (ECEC sosionomi) after graduating with a degree in social services.
  • Participants in the training must have experience in early childhood education work in a Finnish kindergarten or preschool for at least six (6) months after 2018. The experience must be gained by the end of the training.
  • Placement as a part of this training is done in the form of a written task. It demonstrates the person's previous skills accumulated at ECEC work. Thus, the placement will not be done as a traineeship period but by demonstration of competence (written task) during this training.
  • The thesis as a part of this training is work life-oriented and it is carried out with a pair.
  • By enrolling in the training, you get a study right for one year in this 60 cr ECEC training.
  • Please note that you need to study your studies on ready made schedule.
  • Studies are conducted as online studies.
  • Teaching language: English.

Please take notice the eligibility for a profession in early childhood education and care (ECEC) based on a foreign qualification: https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/Kaavio_EN_Eligibility_for_a_profession_in_ECEC_based_on_foreign_qualification_0.pdf

Use Oph-chart to find out what to do and who to contact.

More information: www.oph.fi/recognition and recognition(at)oph.fi

After the programme

Primary degree for which studies are approved at Laurea: Social services.

Contact information

If you have any questions related content of the programme, you can contact coordinating teacher Henna Jalasmäki (henna.jalasmaki@laurea.fi).

If you questions related enrolment, you can contact Laurea Open UAS team (openuas@laurea.fi).

More information:

Enrol here!