Curriculum Details

“A starting place for the Early Childhood professional”

The Technical Certificate is for students who want to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education as a caregiver or administrator for children ages birth through eight years. It is also for students who already work in early childhood and want credentials to match their experiences. The certificate meets one of the staff qualifications for Child Care Licensing, the Tennessee Star Quality Program, and many Head Start programs in this region. The Technical Certificate is an embedded certificate, as all eight classes count toward the Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education. The program includes 24 credit hours and can be completed in two full-time semesters, though four part-time semesters are often recommended for working students.

CDA-Prep Coursework (Child Development Associate Credential)

Students working toward a CDA Credential (issued by the National Council for Professional Recognition) may take the necessary coursework with Chattanooga State. In fact, all four of the CDA-Prep courses are included within the Early Childhood Technical Certificate and the Early Childhood AAS Degree and many students go on to complete those after gaining the CDA Credential. For more information about beginning the CDA-Prep coursework as a Non-Degree-Seeking student at Chattanooga State, please contact an Early Childhood advisor.

Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA)

The Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) is a statewide program that provides free training and academic tuition support to childcare providers and administrators. The program offers a free 30-hour Orientation with instruction in five areas. For more information please visit Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance.