About EEC professional certifications
EEC professional certifications show your skills, knowledge, and experience in early childhood education and care. They also qualify you to handle specific responsibilities.
Our professional certifications may also help you advance in your current role or strengthen your application for future job opportunities.
These are the position levels and the certifications:
Teacher level. This includes an infant-toddler certification and preschool certification.
Lead teacher level. This includes an infant-toddler certification and preschool certification.
Director I level. This includes a director I certification.
Director II level. This includes a director II certification.
Learn more about how to apply for an EEC certification
Lead teacher and director certifications have more requirements than the previous one. This allows you to handle more responsibilities.
You don’t need a certification from the previous level to apply for the next level, but you must meet the eligibility requirements for the level you’re applying for.
For example: To meet the certification eligibility requirements for the lead teacher certification, you must meet the teacher eligibility plus any additional requirements for lead teacher. But you don't need a teacher certification to apply for a lead teacher certification.
Learn more about the teacher level positions and certifications
Learn more about the director level positions and certifications
Age requirements
You must be at least 21 years old to apply for a lead teacher certification.
Education requirements
You’ll need to meet the education requirements for the teacher level certifications.
Learn more about education requirements for the teacher level certifications
Then you’ll need to meet additional requirements depending on the certification you’re applying for (infant-toddler or preschool) and degree.
Keep reading to learn more.
If you have a degree in Early Childhood Education, a related field, or an unrelated field
If you have an associate’s, bachelor’s, or advanced degree, you’ll need 12 total Early Childhood Education credits (4 courses) in 4 different categories of study. This doesn’t include Category of Study 13: Child Care Administration.
What you should know:
- At least 3 of the 12 total credits must be in Child Growth and Development
- One of the courses can be a training Continuing Education Unit (CEU)
Note: We accept training CEUs from CCEI, MAEYC, and NAEYC only. If your training is from CCEI, we only accept the infant-toddler and childcare administration trainings. Professional Development Points or workshop attendance verification are not substitutes for CEUs and we don’t accept them.
You'll also need these additional credits depending on the certification you’re applying for:
- If you’re applying for an infant-toddler certification, you’ll need 3 additional credits in infant-toddler care and education.
- If you’re applying for a preschool certification, you’ll need 2 additional credits in planning programs, curriculum, or classroom management.
Learn more about what courses are required to teach you (categories of study)
Learn more about related and unrelated fields on our FAQs page
Documents you’ll need
You’ll need to submit a copy of the front and back of an official transcript with all of this information:
- The college or university name and logo, and
- The registrar’s signature, and
- The course names and credits received, and
- Degree earned (if you have a degree)
If you have CEUs, you must submit a copy of your course or training certificate with these details:
- Your name and date, and
- The number of units, and
- A signature from the Chief Executive Officer
If you don’t meet the education requirements
If you don’t meet the education requirements on this page, you can substitute them with one of these certifications or credentials:
- A Childhood Development Association (CDA) credential from the Council for Professional Recognition
- A Montessori certificate from an EEC recognized program affiliated with the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Evaluation (MACTE)
Note: You’ll also need a total of 1,250 hours (this is equal to 33 credit hours) and a 9-month supervised internship or student teaching experience in a Montessori early childhood classroom. - A K-3 Teacher of Young Children with Special Needs Certification from the Massachusetts Department of Education
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Early Intervention Certification (if you’re applying for an infant-toddler certification)
- Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Educator Licensure in Early Childhood (PreK- 2 or PreK-3) (if you’re applying for a preschool certification)
Documents you'll need
Childhood Development Associate (CDA) credential
You’ll need to submit a copy of your CDA credential that shows approval by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Your credential must include all of these details:
- The CDA logo, and
- A signature from the Chief Executive Officer, and
- The credential number (this starts with the letter “C” and has 9 digits)
Montessori certificate
The Montessori certificate must be from an EEC-recognized program affiliated with the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Evaluation (MACTE).
Your certificate must include these things:
- A total of 1,250 hours (this is equal to 33 credit hours), and
- A 9-month supervised internship or student teaching experience in a Montessori early childhood classroom
You’ll also need to provide copies of these documents:
- An official MACTE transcript. This should include your credits, your childhood development course, and details about your internship or student teaching experience.
- A MACTE congratulation letter. This needs to be on the official MACTE letterhead.
- A MACTE certificate. This should include your name and date, the MACTE logo, and signatures from the examiners and the Director of the institute.
Other Massachusetts department certifications or licensures
If you have one of the certifications or licensures in this list, upload a copy of your certificate or licensure:
K-3 Teacher of Young Children with Special Needs certificate from the Department of Education
A Department of Public Health (DPH) Early Intervention Certification (if you’re applying for an infant-toddler certification)
A Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Educator Licensure in Early Childhood (PreK-2 or PreK-30) (if you’re applying for preschool certification)
Work or volunteer experience requirements
You’ll need to meet the requirements for a teacher level certification.
Learn more about work requirements for the teacher level certifications
Then you’ll need additional work or volunteer experience as an early childhood educator. The amount of experience you need depends on your level of education, other credentials, or certifications.
Your work experience must also meet certain program and supervisor requirements to count toward your certification.
Note: This includes substitute teaching that’s 50 hours or more within a 4-week time period (also called permanent substitute teaching).
Keep reading to learn more.
Amount of work or volunteer experience
| Level of education or certification | Work or volunteer experience |
|---|---|
| If you have a high school diploma or G.E.D. | You’ll need 36 months of work experience |
| If you have credits from an accredited institution of higher learning (like a college or university) | You’ll need 27 months of work experience |
| If you have a CDA or Montessori certificate | You’ll need 27 months of work experience |
| If you have an associate’s degree in an unrelated field Learn more about unrelated fields on our FAQs page | You’ll need 27 months of work experience |
| If you have an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field Learn more about related fields on our FAQs page | You’ll need 18 months of work experience |
| If you have a bachelor's or advanced degree in an unrelated field Learn more about unrelated fields on our FAQs page | You’ll need 18 months of work experience |
| If you have a bachelor's or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field Learn more about related fields on our FAQs page | You’ll need 9 months of work experience |
150 practicum hours counts as 9 months of work experience. Practicum hours need to be with an approved Massachusetts high school child care program or a college or university.
How we count hours
If you work 12 hours or more each week, 4 weeks of consistent work at one program equals 1 month of work.
If you work less than 12 hours each week, 50 hours of consistent work at one program equals 1 month of work.
If you work less than 50 hours in 4 weeks as a substitute teacher, you’ll need to work more hours to meet the work experience requirements.
Hour requirements for infant-toddler and preschool positions
If you’re applying for an infant-toddler certification, at least 150 hours of your work or volunteer experience must include working with infant-toddlers. This can be work with infant-toddlers only or a mixed toddler and preschool group.
- If you’re applying for a preschool certification, at least 150 hours of your work or volunteer experience must include working with preschool age children. This can be work with preschool age children only or a mixed toddler and preschool group.
Requirements for your supervisor and program
Your work program and supervisor must also meet certain requirements.
Program requirements
These are the eligible types of child care programs:
- A group child care center
- A family child care home
- An equivalent state-licensed program accepted by EEC
Note: If your work experience is outside of Massachusetts, it must be a program that’s certified by that state’s Early Education and Care department or an equivalent department.
We also count experience with children with disabilities from birth to 16 years old.
These are the types of experiences that don’t count for our certifications:
- Work experience outside of the U.S.
- StrongStart classes
Supervisor requirements
Your supervisor must meet certain requirements in order to verify your work experience:
- They must be an EEC-certified Teacher, Lead Teacher, Director 1, or Director 2, or
- They must be Licensed by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a Pre-Kindergarten grade level, or
- They must be qualified from another state in the U.S. that meets EEC-standards
Information and documents you’ll need
You’ll need to complete a Verification of Work Experience or Practicum form and have your supervisor provide some details. We'll use this form to confirm your work history.
Download Verification of Work Experience or Practicum form (PDF)
Then you’ll need to upload and submit the form with your application.
You’ll also need to upload additional documents depending on your education or other certifications. We’ll review your documents to confirm you have the correct amount of work experience.
High school diploma or G.E.D.
Upload a copy of your high school or GED diploma.
CDA from the Council for Professional Recognition
You’ll need to submit a copy of your CDA Credential that shows approval by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Your credential must include all of these details:
- The CDA logo, and
- A signature from the Chief Executive Officer, and
- The credential number (this starts with the letter “C” and has 9 digits)
Montessori certificate
Montessori certificate
The Montessori certificate must be from an EEC-recognized program affiliated with the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Evaluation (MACTE).
You’ll need to meet these requirements:
- A total of 1,250 hours (this is equal to 33 credit hours), and
- A 9-month supervised internship or student teaching experience in a Montessori early childhood classroom
You’ll also need to provide copies of these documents:
- An official MACTE transcript. This should include your credits, your childhood development course, and details about your internship or student teaching experience.
- A MACTE congratulation letter. This needs to be on the official MACTE letterhead.
- A MACTE certificate. This should include your name and date, the MACTE logo, and signatures from the examiners and the Director of the institute.
College or university level credits or degrees
You'll need to submit copy of the front and back of your official transcript.
Make sure your transcript includes all of these details:
- The college or university name and logo, and
- The registrar’s signature, and
- The course names and credits received, and
- Degree earned (if you have a degree)
Practicum hours
You’ll need to submit a copy of the front and back of your official transcript.
Be sure that your transcript includes these details:
- The high school, college, or university name and logo
- The registrar’s signature
- Course names and credits received
- The practicum name
- Threshold program details and explanation (if you were in this program)
- Degree earned (if you have a degree)
You’ll also need to submit a letter with details about your practicum.
Your letter needs to include these details:
- A signature from school’s registrar or director on the school’s letterhead, and
- The total hours of classroom experience, and
- The age group of the children you worked with
If your experience was with a high school program, you’ll also need to submit a letter of recommendation.
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| Last updated: | December 5, 2023 |
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