Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership
DURATION
120 Weeks
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
May 2025
TUITION FEES
CAD 74,478 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international students
Introduction
The Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership is a four-year honours degree program for students who want to become passionate leaders. Students will learn a solid foundation in child development, pedagogy, human relationship, curriculum development, and leadership skills. Graduates find employment in guiding and leading curriculum and pedagogy, family support programs, and early intervention services.
Your Learning Experience
The education and early years landscape is rapidly evolving and requires successful and passionate leaders. Begin your journey with the innovative Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership program.
This four-year early childhood education degree program will prepare you with a solid foundation in child development, pedagogy, human relationships, curriculum development and leadership skills. You will participate in applied learning, case studies, research and field placements in the community. All this culminates in one fourteen week-internship before your final year of studies, followed by your final year capstone research project. Your studies and experiences in the Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership program will provide you not only with your Bachelor's in early childhood leadership, but also with the necessary skill set to graduate and move forward into various leadership roles.
This innovative four-year honours program offers students studies in early childhood development, pedagogy, human relationships, curriculum development, and leadership. Students develop the necessary skills to engage as pedagogical leaders in a diverse range of roles in the evolving disciplines within the early years education and care sector.
A key component of this degree is the applied learning that takes place in ideal sized classrooms focusing on case studies, research, interpersonal communication, advocacy and leadership skills. Students complete two field practicums in first and second year in addition to a fourteen-week intensive Internship between third and fourth year. International internships are offered on a limited basis for qualifying students.
In the final year, graduating students participate in a major capstone course that provides students the opportunity to integrate their practical experiences and knowledge in a supervised research project. Opportunities for graduating students include positions as Registered Early Childhood Educators in childcare, JK, SK, supervisory roles, ECL leaders in social service agencies, or with the Ministry of Education. Students may further their studies in B.Ed. programs (Teacher’s College) at Canadian universities, as well as internationally. Graduates may also pursue their Master of Education, Master of Social Work, or Master of Arts degree.
CIP Code: 19.0708
Curriculum
Core Courses
Take all of the following Mandatory (Core) Courses:
The Minimum Cumulative GPA for Core Courses is 2.5 (ECED-7002 and ECED-7001 are for ECE bridging students only)
Group 1
Level 1
In addition to the following mandatory courses, please refer to the Non-Core Level 1 requirement below
- Human Development-Foundations
- Holistic Wellness
- Observing for Pedagogical Documentation
- Interpersonal Communication
- Principles to Practice in Early Years
Group 2
Level 2
In addition to the following mandatory courses please refer to the Non-Core Level 2 requirement below
- Human Development-The Early Years
- Wellness & the Young Child
- Field Practicum 0-3 Years
- Curriculum for Young Children: 0-3 Years
- Field Seminar 0-3 Years
Group 3
Level 3
- Human Development to Late Adult
- Philosophy & History of ECE
- Family Studies-Research & Application
Group 4
Level 3 Add'l Reqm't
Take ECED-7008 or ECED-7002
- Reflection & Critical Thinking
- Intro to Early Childhood Leadership
Group 5
Level 4
- Human Development-Relationships
- Organizational Structure
- Field Practicum 3-6 Years
- Field Seminar 3-6 Years
- Inclusive Practice
Group 6
Level 4 Add'l Reqm't
Take ECED-7027 or ECED-7001
- Curriculum Early Learning: for 3-6 Years
- Evidence-Based Prac in Early Childhood
Group 7
Level 5
- Quality Assurance in ECE
- Leadership in Learning Organizations
- Leadership in a Tech World
- Healthy Community-Advocacy & Leadership
- Applied Research Methods
Group 8
Level 6
- Human Development-Current Topics
- Managing Projects
- Pedagogical Leadership in ECE Programs
- Internship Seminar
Group 9
Level 7
- Capstone Research 1
- Solutions for Early Childhood Leadership
- ECE Program & System Delivery
Group 10
Level 8
In addition to the following mandatory courses, please refer to the Non-Core Level 8 requirement below
- Capstone Research 2
- Social Policy in Canada
Group 11
Internship (Co-op Work Term): Usually Completed after Level 6
- ECL1 Internship
Non-Core Courses
Take the following Mandatory (Non-Core) Courses:
- Taken in Levels 1 and 2
- The Minimum Cumulative GPA for Non-Core courses is 2.0
Group 1
- Composition & Rhetoric
- Principles of Psychology
Group 2
Take 9 General Education Elective Credits at the Upper Level (Non-Introductory) - Normally taken in Levels 6, 7 and 8
Group 3
Gen Ed - Electives
Take 6 General Education Elective Credits at the Introductory or Upper Level from two of the following subjects - Humanities (HUMA), Global Culture (GBLC), Math (MATH), Science (PHYS) - Normally taken in Levels 3 and 6
Group 4
Take 3 General Education Elective Credits at either the Introductory or Upper Level - Normally taken in Level 8
Program Residency
Students Must Complete a Minimum of 36 credits in this program at Fanshawe College to meet the Program Residency requirement and graduate from this program.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Fanshawe’s Honours Early Childhood Leadership (ECL) baccalaureate prepares graduates to take a leadership role in Ontario's early childhood settings, family support programs or early intervention services. The goal of the program is to prepare childhood professionals with program leadership capacity to move into supervisory/director positions in a full range of early childhood programs and/or to further their studies in graduate programs such as the Bachelor of Education and Master of Education programs.
Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership program:
Early Childhood Educator - Enthusiastic and passionate about working with children aged three months to four years.
Au Pair - Care for children working with private families in a variety of international locations including England, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Early Childhood Educator - Collaborate with a classroom teacher to plan and implement an early learning program.