Educational Psychology
How children learn; ask OSSE whether it counts toward ECE hours.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →District of ColumbiaChild care
Credits toward the degree DC asks of early childhood educators
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
The DC preschool teacher requirements set by OSSE ask for an associate degree in early childhood education, or 60 college credit hours or an associate degree in any subject with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education. Credit hours must come from an accredited college or university. UPI Study courses count only via a college transcript, so ask OSSE in writing first.
The rule
Under 5-A DCMR 165.1, a teacher in a DC child development center needs an associate degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or 60 credit hours of college-level coursework or an associate degree in any subject with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education.
The rule asks for 60 college credit hours (any subject) including 12 in early childhood education, or an ECE associate degree. The legal source is 5-A DCMR 165.1.
| Role | Minimum education (OSSE) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Center director | Bachelor's in ECE or equivalent, or any bachelor's with 12 ECE credit hours | [1] |
| Teacher | ECE associate or equivalent, or 60 credit hours or any associate with 12 ECE credit hours | [1] |
| Teacher (enrolment route) | CDA plus enrolment; associate degree within four years of hire | [1] |
| Assistant teacher | CDA, or 60 credit hours or any associate; or diploma plus CDA within two years | [1] |
| Expanded home caregiver | Same as teacher; degree within four years of opening if on the CDA route | [1] |
| Credit source | Only college credit hours through an accredited college or university | [1] |
| Rule status | Final Rule published 1 Aug 2025, 5A DCMR Chapter 1 | [2] |
Who decides
Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- College credit hours from an accredited college or university, shown on its transcript
- For the 60 hours: credit in any subject
- For the 12 ECE hours: early childhood education credit hours, or a valid CDA in roles that need 60 hours
- Outside credit only once an accredited college has posted it on its own transcript
What does not count
- CDA coursework alone toward the 12 ECE hours
- Course certificates on their own, without a college transcript
- General psychology as ECE hours, unless OSSE confirms it in writing
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning.
Introduction to Psychology
General education toward the 60 hours.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
English Composition 1
General education toward the 60 hours.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
College Algebra
Covers the maths part of most associate degrees.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Sociology
Families and communities; general education toward the 60 hours.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
English Composition 2
The second writing course in most associate degrees.
Self-paced online English Composition 2 course (ENG 102). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Find your role's ruleDirector, teacher, assistant teacher or home caregiver: each has its own line in OSSE's requirements.
- Count credit hours and ECE hoursAdd up all college credit hours, then separately the early childhood education hours, from every transcript.
- Ask OSSE in writingAsk whether credits posted on a partner college's transcript would count, and which courses count as early childhood education.
- Use a college that posts outside creditTESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; the credit reaches OSSE only via a college transcript.
- Take ECE hours at a collegeTake the 12 early childhood credit hours at an accredited college, or use a valid CDA where OSSE allows it.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; check their own transfer pages, then ask OSSE whether it would count that college's transcript toward the 60 credit hours.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| UDC Community College (DC resident) | $117 per credit hour plus $430 in fees per term | 12 ECE credit hours: $1,404 tuition plus term fees | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | General education courses for $99 a month, then a college transcript step | 15 Nov 2026 |
We do not offer early childhood education courses, so the 12 ECE hours come from a college or a CDA. Our general courses fit only the any-subject part of the 60 hours, once a college posts them.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, and a college decides whether to put them on its transcript.
- We cannot say OSSE will count credit that started with us; OSSE decides, case by case.
- We do not offer early childhood education courses, so we cannot cover the 12 ECE credit hours.
- We do not offer the CDA credential.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Confirm in writing first
Ask OSSE's Division of Early Learning in writing whether credits posted on a partner college's transcript would count toward the 60 college credit hours for your role before you enrol.
DC preschool teacher requirements under OSSE
OSSE licenses child development facilities in the District and sets minimum education for their staff. For a teacher in a child development center, the rule in 5-A DCMR 165.1 offers two main routes: an associate degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or 60 credit hours of college-level coursework or an associate degree in any subject, with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education.
The second route is what makes DC unusual. Sixty credit hours in any subject have value here, as long as 12 of them, or a valid CDA in their place, cover early childhood education.
OSSE is clear about where credit must come from: credit hours can only be earned through an accredited college or university.
Directors, assistant teachers and home caregivers
A center director needs a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or a bachelor's in any subject with at least 12 early childhood credit hours. The August 2025 final rule cut that from 15 hours to 12.
An assistant teacher needs a CDA, or 60 credit hours or an associate degree in any subject. A high school graduate can start as an assistant teacher if they earn a CDA within two years of hire. Home caregivers and expanded home caregivers have their own lines in OSSE's resource page.
- Director: bachelor's plus 12 ECE hours if the major is unrelated
- Teacher: 60 hours or associate plus 12 ECE hours
- Assistant teacher: CDA, or 60 hours in any subject
What counts as early childhood credit
OSSE lists majors it treats as equivalent to early childhood education, including child development, child and family studies, developmental psychology, early childhood special education and human development. For the 12 hours, the courses themselves need to be early childhood education.
For roles that need 60 hours, OSSE also treats a valid CDA as meeting the 12 ECE hours. CDA coursework on its own does not count toward those 12 hours.
If you are unsure whether a course counts as early childhood education, ask OSSE in writing before you take it.
Where UPI Study fits, and where it does not
UPI Study courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. They count only via a college transcript from an accredited college. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit.
We do not offer early childhood education courses or the CDA. Our general courses, such as English Composition, Psychology and College Algebra, can only help with the any-subject part of the 60 hours, and only if OSSE agrees to count the college transcript they end up on.
Questions people ask
What are the education requirements for a preschool teacher in DC?
OSSE asks a child development center teacher for an associate degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or 60 college credit hours or an associate degree in any subject with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education. A CDA plus enrolment in a degree programme is another route.
Can 60 college credits in any subject count for DC child care?
Yes, for teachers, assistant teachers and some home caregivers. Teachers also need 12 early childhood credit hours, or a valid CDA in their place. OSSE says credit hours must come from an accredited college or university.
What does a child care director need in DC?
OSSE asks a center director for a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or a bachelor's in any subject with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education. Some long-serving directors can apply for a continuous service certification.
Does a CDA count as early childhood credit hours in DC?
For roles that need 60 college credit hours, OSSE treats a valid CDA as meeting the 12 early childhood credit hours. Completing only CDA coursework, without the credential, does not count toward those 12 hours.
When did the DC early childhood education rules change?
Emergency rules took effect on 20 December 2023, and OSSE published the final rule on 1 August 2025, making them permanent. The changes added the 60-credit-hour route for teachers and cut the early childhood hours from 24 to 12 for teachers and from 15 to 12 for directors.
Can UPI Study courses count toward the DC 60 credit hours?
Only via a college transcript from an accredited college, and only if OSSE agrees. Our general courses can help with the any-subject part of the 60 hours. We do not offer early childhood courses or the CDA, so ask OSSE in writing before you enrol.
Read next
- What college credits does a child-care director need in District of Columbia?Under OSSE's rules, a DC child development center director needs a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or an equivalent major, or a...
- Does a psychology course count as 'child development' for District of Columbia licensing? Ask your licensor firstA developmental psychology major is on OSSE's list of majors equivalent to early childhood education, but that does not mean any single psychology...
- The cheapest way to finish the general-education half of an ECE associate degreeAn early childhood associate degree is about 60 credit hours, and roughly half is general education such as writing, maths and social science. The...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Ask OSSE in writing first, then start with English Composition and Psychology.
Sources
- OSSE: Child Development Staff: Resources Available for Education Requirements (official)Director: bachelor's in ECE or equivalent, or any bachelor's with 12 ECE credit hours. Teacher: ECE associate or equivalent, or 60 credit hours or any associate with 12 ECE credit hours; or CDA plus enrolment, degree within four years. Assistant teacher: CDA, or 60 credit hours or any associate, or high school diploma and CDA within two years. 'Credit hours can only be earned by completing college credit hours through an accredited college or university.' A valid CDA satisfies the 12 ECE hours for 60-hour roles; CDA coursework alone does not. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- OSSE: Summary of Changes, Child Development Facilities licensing (August 2025) (official)Final Rule published 1 Aug 2025 (5A DCMR Chapter 1) made permanent the 20 Dec 2023 emergency changes: director ECE hours 15 to 12 (164.1(b)); teacher 60 credit hours added (165.1(c)) and ECE hours 24 to 12 (165.1(b)); equivalent majors include developmental psychology and child development (164.1(a), 165.1(a)); assistant teacher 60 hours or any associate (166.1(a)). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- OSSE: Early Childhood Educator Requirements (official)Director requirement effective 2 Dec 2022; other staff 2 Dec 2023; August 2025 final rule made the requirements permanent. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- UDC Community College: Fee schedule (official)DC resident tuition $117 per credit hour plus $430 in fees per term (schedule labelled Summer 2025). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- UDC Community College: Fee schedulePrice for UDC Community College (DC resident), checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.