Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
New Jersey preschool teacher requirements for a group teacher in a licensed child care center: one year of experience with children under six plus one of six credentials. One is Option B: 6 college credits in early childhood education or child development plus 9 college credits in education, psychology, health care, nursing or another field related to child growth or development (N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6).
Under N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6 a group teacher in a New Jersey early childhood program needs one year of teaching experience with children under six plus a credential such as Option B: six college credits in early childhood education or child development and nine college credits in education, psychology, health care, nursing or another field related to child growth or development.
The rule asks for 15 college credits for Option B (6 in early childhood education or child development + 9 in education, psychology, health care, nursing or a related field). The legal source is N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6.
| Role or option | What N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6 says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Group teacher, experience | One year of teaching with children under six; practice or student teaching can count | [1] |
| Group teacher, Option A | Associate degree in early childhood education or child development | [1] |
| Group teacher, Option B | 6 credits in ECE or child development + 9 credits in education, psychology, health care, nursing or a related field | [1] |
| Group teacher, Options C to F | CDA, CCP, Registry group teacher endorsement, or NJ Infant/Toddler Credential | [1] |
| Conditional approval | 12 related credits + 1 year (finish 3 credits in 9 months), or 6 ECE credits + 3 years (finish 9 credits in 2 years) | [1] |
| Head teacher | Degree or Montessori education plus 6 or 9 ECE/CD credits and 2 to 4 years, or a Registry head teacher endorsement | [1] |
| Yearly training | 20 hours of staff development for directors, head teachers and group teachers | [1] |
New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Office of Licensing.
Covers development, learning and behaviour, the base of most child-related psychology.
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 →
How children learn and how teachers plan for it: close to classroom work.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Culture, identity and inclusion, useful with families from many backgrounds.
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Signs of anxiety, ADHD and other conditions teachers may notice.
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Temperament and personality, which shape how children respond in groups.
Self-paced online Psychology of Personality course (Psychology 300). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; ask the college of your choice how it posts credit before you rely on a course for DCF.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| 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 |
| Mercer County Community College | $260.55 a credit for Mercer residents; $420.25 for other New Jersey residents | $1,563.30 for the 6 ECE credits and $2,344.95 for the 9 related credits at the Mercer resident rate ($3,908.25 for all 15) | 15 Nov 2026 |
| CDA credential (Council for Professional Recognition) | $525 online assessment fee, plus 120 hours of training at the provider's price | A separate route (Option C) that replaces the 15 credits; training costs vary by provider | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month or $799 a year | Self-paced general courses; check which psychology courses it offers and how your college posts them | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month + $79 a course | $237 in course fees for three courses, plus the months you study | 15 Nov 2026 |
Course and lab fees at Mercer are extra, and other county colleges set their own rates. UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for as many courses as you finish, so three psychology courses in one or two months cost $99 to $198, but it only saves money if DCF and the college that posts the credit say yes first.
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.
Ask the DCF Office of Licensing in writing, before you enrol, whether the 9 credits you plan to take would count toward Option B once they are on a college transcript, and keep the reply with your staff records.
A group teacher leads a group of children in a licensed New Jersey child care center. The Department of Children and Families, through its Office of Licensing, sets the rules in the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers, N.J.A.C. 3A:52. Section 4.6 lists the qualifications for directors, head teachers and group teachers, and the center keeps proof of each person's education and experience on a staff records checklist.
Every group teacher needs one year of teaching experience in a group program for children under six. Supervised practice teaching or student teaching can count toward that year. On top of the experience, the teacher needs one of six educational credentials. Option B is the one built from college credits: 6 credits in early childhood education or child development and 9 credits in education, psychology, health care, nursing or any other field related to child growth or development.
The 9-credit half of Option B is broad. Psychology is named in the rule, so courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Educational Psychology or Psychology of Diversity fit the wording. Education courses fit too. The 6-credit half is narrow: those credits must be in early childhood education or child development, and a general psychology course does not replace them.
UPI Study's psychology courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations. They count for DCF only when a college has awarded the credit and it appears on an official transcript, because the rule speaks of college credits. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and many other colleges do the same. Before you start, ask the Office of Licensing in writing whether credit posted that way would count, and ask the college how it would post each course.
If you are close to the credits, the rule allows conditional approval. With 12 related credits and one year of experience, you have nine months to finish the last 3 credits. With 6 ECE or child development credits and three years of experience, you have two years to finish the other 9. The center keeps proof that you completed the remaining credits in the areas named in Option B.
This matters if you are already working as an assistant. A self-paced course can help you finish the remaining related credits inside the deadline, as long as DCF and the college that posts the credit agree first. Directors, head teachers and group teachers also complete 20 hours of staff development every year, and college courses are a separate matter from those training hours.
Under N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.6 a group teacher needs one year of teaching experience with children under six and one credential: an associate degree in ECE or child development, 6 ECE credits plus 9 related credits, a CDA, a CCP, a Registry group teacher endorsement, or the New Jersey Infant/Toddler Credential.
Yes, the rule names psychology among the fields for the 9-credit half of Option B, together with education, health care, nursing and other fields related to child growth or development. Psychology does not count toward the 6 credits, which must be in early childhood education or child development. Ask DCF in writing about your exact courses.
Only once a college has awarded the credit and it appears on an official college transcript, because the rule speaks of college credits. Our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, which many colleges consider. Ask the DCF Office of Licensing in writing before you enrol, and ask the college how it would post each course.
It depends on where you start. A CDA needs 120 hours of training and 480 hours of work experience, and the Council lists a $525 online assessment fee. College credits take longer to build but also count toward an associate degree and later toward head teacher roles, so many staff weigh both routes.
A head teacher needs a degree or Montessori education plus credits in early childhood education or child development and two to four years of experience, depending on the option, or a Registry head teacher endorsement. For example, a bachelor's in psychology plus 6 ECE credits and two years of experience meets Option C.
Possibly. The rule allows conditional approval with 12 related credits and one year of experience, with nine months to finish 3 more credits, or with 6 ECE credits and three years of experience, with two years to finish 9 more. Your center keeps proof that you finished on time.
Get DCF's answer in writing first, then take your psychology courses at your own pace and have a college post the credit.