Early Childhood Education

University of Alaska Fairbanks

United States of America, Fairbanks

University Rank:#901

Duration1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

USD 16,206 / Semester

Next IntakeAugust 28, 2026

Early Childhood Education

About

Certificate, A.A.S. Degree

All courses are offered through distance delivery, both asynchronous and with audio or video support for the convenience of students. Face-to-face classes are scheduled in Fairbanks and around the state as needed. These Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs improve the skills of those already in the field and prepare those seeking employment as early care and education teachers, K-3 teachers aides, and child care providers.

Graduates are in high demand and have a wide range of employment opportunities. They can choose to travel the world as civilian support for the military Child and Youth Services or stay in Alaska working for Head Start programs, child welfare agencies, recreation services, schools, or child care programs. Diverse opportunities for employment include staff training, program licensing, and entrepreneurial initiatives serving children and families. Contrary to times in the past, graduates are now able to receive fair compensation including good salaries and benefits. The A.A.S. program at UAF was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in July 2019.

The ECE programs are for students enrolling in college for the first time as well as for those who are educated in other subject areas but desire to retrain for employment in this profession. Through course work, including fieldwork directly with children, students gain the knowledge and skills they need to meet State of Alaska requirements for employment as administrators or teachers in licensed centers and as aides in elementary schools. Course work also fulfills minor or concentration requirements for degrees in other disciplines. Students entering any ECE program should meet with an early childhood advisor to discuss a specific course of study. The courses for the A.A.S. degree can be combined with other disciplines to make a specific focus on young children in areas such as science, movement, leadership, business. or creative arts.

Minimum Requirements for Early Childhood Education degrees: Certificate: 34 credits; A.A.S. Degree: 60 credits

Community and Technical College
Early Childhood Education
907-455-2800

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Certificate/Associate Degree Programs

at least 18 years old, or
have a high school diploma, or
have a General Educational Development (GED) diploma.

Bachelor Degree Programs

Have a high school diploma, and
Pass the 16-credit high school core curriculum with at least a 2.5, and
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5, and
Submit ACT or SAT test scores
- If you are applying to UAF for the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 or summer 2025, your ACT and SAT scores will be waived.

If you don't meet these requirements, contact an admissions counselor. You may have options to begin a degree or certificate program, such as starting as a pre-undeclared student or as a non-degree student.

The admission qualifications for international applicants are the same as domestic applicants with the addition of:

Proof of English Proficiency
Official diploma for institutions who do not list a degree and graduation date on the transcript

Please refer to the other student types (Freshmen, Transfer or Graduate) for program qualifications.

Minimum required English proficiency:

A minimum TOEFL score of 79.
A minimum IELTS score of 6.5.
Completion of secondary education in Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia or Canada (excluding Quebec).

Requests for exception to this policy may be submitted via email to the Office of Admissions. Acceptable grounds for waiving this requirement may include:

Successful completion (C or higher) of a college-level, non-ESL English composition course.
A comparable score on another approved exam such as the ACT, SAT or EdReady exam.

International Transcripts: Send official secondary school and/or university transcripts to World Education Services (WES) and request a comprehensive course-by-course credential report. Transcripts from Canadian institutions (excluding Quebec) are exempt from this requirement; they may be sent directly from the issuing institution.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 79

Fee Information

Application Fee 75

How to Apply

To start your adventure at UAF, your first step will be to apply for admission. We offer a fast and convenient online application.

Once you are admitted into a degree program at UAF, we’ll start preparing your I-20 — the form needed to apply for the F-1 student visa and to enter the U.S. in student status. This process can take up to 7-10 business days once all documents have been received.

You'll also send your official secondary school and/or university transcripts to a NACES-approved evaluation service and request a comprehensive course-by-course credential report. Transcripts from Canadian institutions (excluding Quebec) are exempt from this requirement; they may be sent directly from the issuing institution.

SpanTran is a NACES-member company that has created a custom application for UAF students. We recommend using the UAF SpanTran Evaluation Request Form to ensure you get the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate.

In order to issue your immigration documents, we must receive the UAF Financial Statement for International Students (PDF) and supporting documentation. We’ll also need a copy of your passport identification page.

Your immigration documents will be mailed to the address you provided, along with your official letter of acceptance and information about applying for your visa and travel to Alaska.

You must have a student visa to study in the United States. UAF offers documents for two student visa types (F and J) depending on the type of program you attend. As part of the application process, you’ll also need to schedule a visa interview.

Early Childhood Education

University of Alaska Fairbanks

United States of America, Fairbanks