Undergraduate Certificate in Child Care Administration

The online Undergraduate Certificate in Child Care Administration offered through LSU Online - Baton Rouge gives you the head start to be an active participant in making a difference for children. This certificate equips students with the skills and knowledge required to effectively lead and drive the heart and success of childcare. The program is designed and taught by LSU faculty who have content knowledge and experience in both direct care and education of young children and administration of early childhood programs. Courses have field-based components designed to prepare candidates to work in early learning environments directly with young children from birth through age four, as well as direct early learning programs. This program is in alignment with the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Standards of Professional Practice. The online Undergraduate Certificate in Child Care Administration requires 18 hours of credit. This program is made up of two different course groupings that ensure graduates are prepared with a full education that prepares them for real-life child care administration scenarios. Students can get credit for prior courses that meet the Knowledge of Child Development content.

Louisiana Pathways Administrator Credential

This program sets candidates up to complete the Louisiana Pathways Administrator Credential. To move from “director 2” to “director 3”, the candidate must have 75 clock hours in approved administrative training categories or 2 college courses in approved administration coursework. LSU’s EDCI 4060 and EDCI 4061 have been reviewed by Louisiana Pathways and meet the established guidelines. Additional coursework within the Certificate in Child Care Administration ensures that directors are not only prepared in leadership, but also have expertise in early childhood development, instruction, and assessment.

Louisiana Pathways verifies teachers’ and directors’ eligibility for the School Readiness Tax Credits. Teachers at Type III early learning centers are eligible for refundable tax credits of up to $3,574, depending on their educational credentials.*  Learn more about LA Pathways Scholarship information here.

*Funding only available for Louisiana residents

ADMISSION

First Time Freshman

  • 3.0 Core GPA on the 19 units of college-preparatory high school courses as outlined in the LSU Core
  • 1030 Old SAT (Critical Reading and Math)/1100 New SAT (Evidence Based Reading/Writing and Math)/23 Composite ACT
  • Must be eligible to enroll in university-level English and mathematics courses, as evidenced by a minimum ACT English subscore of 18 (a New SAT Writing and Language score of 25 or Old SAT Critical Reading score of 450) and a minimum ACT Math subscore of 19 (a New SAT score of 500 or Old SAT Critical Reading score of 460)
  • For a list of specific senior college requirements please visit the LSU A&M Undergraduate Admission page.

Transfer Student General Admission Requirements 

  • 30* or more transferable (academic, non-remedial) credit hours from a regionally-accredited college or university
  • 2.5 academic GPA on all transferable college work attempted
  • A grade of “C” or better in a college-level English course that fulfilled a general education requirement at the institution where it was taken
  • A grade of “C” or better in a college-level Math course that fulfilled a general education requirement at the institution where it was taken

*Students who will not have 30 transferable credit hours by the time they plan to enroll at LSU can still be considered for admission if they meet all remaining transfer requirements.

To see about transfer credits please check out the TIGER TRANSFER TABLES. 

Re-Entry Student Admission Requirements

Students interested in applying for re-entry to LSU must have a 2.0 GPA on all LSU coursework and must meet the requirements for their prospective senior college. Students who have attempted 30 or more hours at another institution must also have a 2.5 cumulative GPA on all college work attempted. For your senior college specific requirements please check out the Re-Entry Student Requirements per College.

Required Coursework (18 credit hours)

EDCI 2081 Introduction to Developmentally Appropriate Practices (2)
EDCI 2083 Introduction to Early Childhood Education (3)
EDCI 2700 Characteristics of Exceptional Learners (3)
EDCI 3055 Child Development in Context (4) 

EDCI 4060 Organization & Administration of Early Childhood Program (3)
EDCI 4061 Leadership in Early Childhood Programs (3)