Advance your career. Capitalize
on how much you already know. Earn a recognized professional credential.
What is a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential?
The CDA credential is recognized nationally as the quality standard for training
of professional early childhood caregivers. The CDA training helps caregivers
work effectively with infants, toddlers, preschool children, and their families
within an early childhood program environment.
Why choose the Online CDA from the Mailman Segal Institute
for Early Childhood Studies?
NSU's Mailman Segal Institute provides a range of programs designed to educate
and train early childhood practitioners. Training takes place both online and
through guided field experiences with children, creating a learning environment
grounded in experience as well as theory.
CDA training focuses on eight essential
content areas:
- Planning a safe and healthy learning environment
- Advancing children's physical and intellectual development
- Supporting children's social and emotional development
- Establishing positive relationships with families
- Effectively managing a child development program
- Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
- Observing and recording children's behavior
- Applying principles of child growth and development
The institute's online program offers the following
additional benefits:
- The program enables students to work at their own time and pace
- Instructors work with small groups of students
- Students can contact their instructor via email at all times
- Students select their own advisers to provide on-site consultations
at the student's work site
- Students may select any of the specializations for the national
CDA credential: center based infant/toddler, center based preschool,
or family child care
- Students compile a professional resource file of useful information,
references and resources
- Assistance is provided for application for the national CDA credential
How is a class taught online?
Learning is at the time and pace of the individual student. Students connect
with the institute's CDA online website, which features:
- Profiles and photos of the instructor and "classmates"
- Information and assignments for the CDA course
- Bulletin board activities and chat sessions providing opportunities
for classmate interaction
- Individual pretests and posttests with feedback features
- Links to internet sites useful for completion of assignments
- Click Here for
Information on the Online CDA Instructional Team.
What resources are available to students?
- CDA information packet and course study guide
- The acclaimed textbook and trainee's manual, All About Child
Care and Early Education, written by Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., are
utilized for instruction, covering the 13 functional areas of CDA
and providing guided assignments
- CD-ROM with suggestions from the experts in each of the functional
areas, multimedia assignments via video snippets and still photos,
and suggested children's literature
- Free access to NSU's electronic library
What are the computer requirements to take the course?
Students need regular access to a computer with Windows 95 operating
system or higher, or Macintosh 7.1 operating system or higher, disk
and CD-ROM drives, a printer, modem or DSL connection, and an Internet
Service Provider (ISP).
Will I receive academic credit?
Students complete three, 3-credit CDA courses, which provide nine undergraduate
credits in early childhood education. These courses may be accepted at many
colleges for credit toward early childhood degree programs.
What educational requirements do I need before applying
to the program?
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age
- Hold a high school diploma or GED
- Work or volunteer regularly in an early childhood program
Program completion requires 480 hours of experience
working with young children in a child care setting.
When does the program meet?
The program consists of three courses that may be completed in eight months.
Courses start in January, March, June, and September. Students may enter
the program at the start of any session. Information regarding specific dates
of upcoming classes is available by request.
Is there financial aid available?
Students may be eligible for scholarships through state programs such as TEACH-Teacher
Education and Compensation Helps, or may request tuition assistance from
their employer. Contact Child Care services in your state for more information
regarding TEACH, or for TEACH nationwide, call (919) 967-3272.
Review the following information
about the online CDA training program:
Apply for admission
For more information,
In Broward County, call
(800) 836-8326 extension 26931.
In Hillsborough County, call (813)
393-4440.
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