Postgraduate Diploma in Education — Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education plays a critical role in the holistic development of young children and in building a strong foundation for their school education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has proposed several measures to achieve universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care, and education.

The need for well-trained preschool teachers and functionaries of early childhood education is paramount considering the very large population of children in the 3 – 8 years age group in the country.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education is a programme that aims to fulfil the need for professional development in this field. The Programme not only aims to build capability of the teachers to create a more significant impact in their workplace but also develop skills and knowledge to help improve job prospects.

Who should join us?

The Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education is designed for teachers working with children in the age group of 3 – 8 years. Professionals working in early childhood education, looking to make a meaningful contribution in their specialised domain could also benefit from this programme. To join it, a proven interest in working with young children and relevant work experience of 2 years or more, is essential. The University recognises the need for Early Childhood Education programmes that would help teachers develop the required skills to effect change in their workplace. 

What does the programme offer?

The programme offers a comprehensive, holistic and engaging curriculum that addresses all the relevant aspects of early childhood education domain. It endeavours to support the ECE practitioners build perspective, sensitivity, and acquire knowledge, skills and capabilities to work with children in the age group of 3– 8 years. The programme is taught by highly experienced academics and practitioners of ECE.

Some important features of the programme are

• This programme is aligned to the credit structure as defined by the National Credit Framework (NCrF) issued by UGC in April 2023 and aims to fulfil the need for professional development amongst ECE practitioners.
• It endeavours to deepen the understanding of early childhood education and the important concepts and theories relevant to its practice.
• There is a conscious effort to build skill and capability to design and implement suitable learning experiences for children in their early years and interactions with families and the community.
• The importance of developing the capacity to identify young children with different learning needs, and adopting and implementing inclusive practices in early childhood education settings is focussed upon through the whole programme.
• The participants are supported to become self-motivated and reflective practitioners through networking opportunities (for example, the University Alumni network).
• The programme also enables participants with essential skills and knowledge to set up and manage small-scale ECE programmes.
• Participants have the flexibility of joining the PG Diploma Programme or choosing one or more Certificate Programmes. If they choose only one Certificate Programme they could do so based on the calendar.

Programme Structure

The 40 credits, 12 months PG Diploma Programme is offered in a blended mode, with online and on-campus interaction. It comprises of four Certificate Programmes (12 weeks duration, 10 credits each) covering key aspects of early childhood education.

The PG Diploma is awarded on the completion of the four Certificate Programmes and this can be completed within a maximum period of 2 years.