These are the admission requirements for the Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education

In the Bachelor's distance learning programme in Early Childhood Education at IU International University (IU), you can enrol if you provide us with your high school diploma (general university entrance qualification), your vocational baccalaureate diploma (university of applied sciences entrance qualification), or the subject-specific university entrance qualification.

Alternatively, you can also enrol without a high school diploma. Studying at IU without a high school diploma is possible under the following conditions:

• You have successfully completed an advanced training course, such as a training course to become a State-certified business economist.
• Or you have completed a vocational training, such as training to become an office clerk. Following your training, you have worked full-time in this profession for at least 3 years. If your training is not related to the distance learning programme in Early Childhood Education, you will first complete a trial study before being regularly enrolled.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Shorten your study time and reduce your tuition fees at the same time! You can have your prior learning recognized even before starting your studies. For each recognized credit point, you save 30 euros on tuition fees and, of course, study time. For the distance learning programme in Early Childhood Education at IU, you can have the following prior learning recognized:

Professional experience. For example, if you have been working full-time as an educator in a daycare centre for 6 years, you can have a maximum of 10 ECTS credits recognized for these 6 years of full-time work.

Educational and further training. Parts of your training, such as becoming a State-certified educator, can be recognized.

Academic achievements. If you were enrolled at another university before IU and now want to transfer, you can have your prior learning recognized if the modules align.

Study Contents & Modules: This is the Study Schedule in the Bachelor's Programme in Childhood Education

The bachelor's degree programme at IU International University is modular. A module typically consists of 5 credit points (ECTS) and concludes with an examination achievement, such as an exam or a written assignment. You complete your bachelor's degree step by step and even largely determine when you want to complete which module.

In full-time studies, you could structure your study plan as follows:

• 1st Semester: Pedagogy: historical, conceptual, and terminological foundations, introduction to scientific work, introduction to childhood pedagogy, concepts and fields of work in pedagogy, societal conditions of pedagogy, project: self-reflection, personality development, and professionalization
• 2nd Semester: Psychological and neurobiological foundations, early childhood development, collaborative work, methodological skills in childhood pedagogy, inclusion, parental work
• 3rd Semester: Sociology, social law, didactics of childhood pedagogy, health promotion and prevention in childhood pedagogy, social policy, integration and migration
• 4th Semester: Social economics, educational and upbringing areas and their didactics, intercultural and ethical skills, supervision, intervision, coaching, diversity management, quality management in social work
• 5th Semester: Social history, philosophy and ethics, quantitative research methods, qualitative research methods, seminar: child protection, elective module A
• 6th Semester: Elective module B, elective module C, bachelor thesis

What's special about the IU distance learning programme: the many opportunities to deepen your studies in interesting elective modules. In the Bachelor of Childhood Education, you choose a total of 3 specialization modules:

You select your first specialization module from these topics: Recognition internship: Early Childhood Pedagogy Part I (40 days), Management in social facilities, field of action: child day care, field of action: school, field of action: recreational pedagogy, field of action: family and child protection, social management, public and nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship.

You choose your second specialization module from these topics: Management in social facilities, field of action: child day care, field of action: school, field of action: recreational pedagogy, field of action: family and child protection.

You choose your third specialization module from these topics: Management in social facilities, field of action: child day care, field of action: school, field of action: recreational pedagogy, field of action: family and child protection, social management, public and nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, organizational psychology, organizational development and change management, business consulting, advanced leadership, business start-up, quality management, online and social media marketing, communication and PR, project management, digital education, Italian as a foreign language, French as a foreign language, Spanish as a foreign language, sign language, English as a foreign language, general studies.

Additional Qualification: State-Recognised Childhood Educator

Upon request, you can obtain an additional qualification as a state-recognised childhood educator. Advantage: This qualification gives you access to special positions, rights, and higher salary entitlements. Employers in the public sector also require such a qualification - meaning that, for example, if you want to work in a municipal daycare centre, you need the qualification as a state-recognised childhood educator.

To receive the certificate as a state-recognised childhood educator, you must:

1. Present the bachelor's degree from this distance learning programme with successfully completed elective module "Practice Project in Early Childhood Part 1".
2. Complete a supervised practical project in professionally appropriate institutions of childhood education for at least 60 days.
3. Write a project work where you critically reflect your subject knowledge from the study and relate it to your practical experiences.

In addition, you need to submit an expanded certificate of good conduct when applying for the certificate.

Study Concept: How the Part-Time Study Programme in Childhood Education at IU Works

Flexible to fit your life and your daily routine, you can adapt the online study programme in Childhood Education at IU International University. For example, you can choose one of three study models: In the full-time study, you'll need a total of 6 semesters, equivalent to 36 months, to complete your bachelor's degree. In part-time study I, you study for 8 semesters until graduation. Alternatively, you can opt for part-time study II and take up to 12 semesters to complete the bachelor's degree.

You will receive study materials from IU with each module registration as printed study booklets. All materials are also available in digital form. The IU Interactive Books are innovative study scripts enriched with video clips and quiz questions at the end of a lesson. Depending on the module, study materials are complemented with podcasts, live tutorials, and video content in the form of so-called shortcasts. You access the IU Interactive Books via the practical IU Learn App.

In many modules, virtual classes are also offered where you can interactively engage with your peers and instructors.

One particularly convenient and flexible feature is the option to take module exams in the form of online exams. You can take an online exam 24/7, 7 days a week, whenever you feel most prepared - for example, after studying for a construction exam. Additionally, we have around 40 exam centres in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland where you can also take traditional on-site exams.